Included in the range of scholarships offered by QS is the Leadership Scholarship, which awards US$10,000 to a student demonstrating strong leadership skills. We’re pleased to announce that this year’s winner is Jayanti Bhatia. We caught up with Jayanti to learn more about her study plans and the difference this scholarship will make to her.
What are you planning to study, and why did you choose the university you’ve applied to?
I will be studying the Master of Education in International Education Policy (IEP) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE).
The diverse cohort and ‘Askwith Forums’ at HGSE will enrich my learning, while the field experience program and real-world projects will allow for deeper reflection and application. The interdisciplinary curriculum will also offer the right mix of research, policy, and practice.
What do you hope to gain from your degree? How will it affect your career plans?
The realization that education is a powerful tool against universal issues has redefined my life goals and turned me from a business consultant by day to an educational enthusiast by night. The intellectual stimulation and passion for quality at ZS, a global consulting firm, propelled my desire to transform the system and enhance the quality of education worldwide. From being a volunteer to a program manager to an entrepreneur, I have donned several hats in the urban and semi-urban Indian education settings.
To spearhead these engagements on a larger scale and to weigh big decisions impacting children’s lives, I want to be in a space that enables more informed decision making. Having had the exposure of multifaceted, grassroots program design and implementation, HGSE would bridge the gap by helping me learn essential educational theories of lifelong learning, global citizenship, and intricacies of why only certain policies work.
How did you find the scholarship application process? How many sources of financial aid did you approach?
By God’s grace, I was extremely lucky to have found the QS Scholarship, a few days before the deadline. The application process was fairly easy and I had to write a 500-word strong essay to make it to the first shortlist. One other qualifying criterion was to attend a QS World Grad School Tour.
In addition to the QS scholarship, I have received the university grant of 40 percent tuition. In total, I applied to several other external scholarships.
What was your experience of a QS event like? What were the highlights of your time there, and what would you recommend to future attendees?
The QS World Grad School Tour is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the different programs (bachelor's and master's) in the US or Europe. I recommend you go through the visiting university list, which is shared beforehand. This will help you plan your visit. After the presentation session and the group Q&A, you also get a chance to connect directly with the university representatives. This should not be missed!
The fair can also be a great networking event as hundreds of students participate.
What difference will this scholarship make to you? How would your plans have differed without this financial support?
The scholarship came as a huge relief to me and my family as it covered 50 percent of my funding gap. Had I not been lucky, I would have relied solely on my loan application which was becoming a bit of a challenge to get approved.
What advice do you have for other prospective students who are applying for scholarships?
The 500-word essays are challenging when one has so much to convey; more so because of the habit of writing longer ones for the university process. It really helps if you can follow the prompt and structure your thoughts well.
One tip is to not just mention what you have done but also showcase its impact. Lastly, be genuine, be you, and start well in time!
