The best scholarships tend to be highly competitive. That’s because thousands will score similarly good grades at O and A level, and therefore, to succeed, you will need to have something else that sets you apart from the rest. Social responsibility is a common feature;
Exhibit 1: Joshua Nkomo Scholarships (the Joshualites);
- “… minimum of 10 points for girls and 12 points for boys, and evidence of COMMUNITY BUILDING ACTIVITY…”
- Visit http://www.higherlifefoundation.com/joshua-nkomo-scholarship/
Exhibit 2: Rhodes scholarships;
- “… in general, committees will select applicants of outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and COMMITMENT TO SERVICE….”.
- Visit http://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/rhodes-scholars-elect-class-of-2014/ and read the biographies of recipients: all of them are engaged in social empowerment/development.
Exhibit 3: MasterCard Foundation Scholarships:
- Applications are done through various universities listed on the page: http://www.mastercardfdnscholars.org/becoming-a-scholar/
- As you will see, social responsibility is one of the things they look for.
It’s very simple to satisfy this requirement.Volunteer at an orphanage, hospital or old peoples home. You ca just volunteer for an hour a day – serve lunch, do some cleaning, read books to kids, teach reading skills etc. All of those things count.