CSC Scholarship Interview tips/advice.

[kongli]

Hello Everyone,

Before berating me for using the search function and not looking at the already established CSC threads please read my inquiry.

I have read the threads and applied through the China Center, an intermediate institution which selects two candidates from my university to forward on to the CSC organization.

I submitted my application last week and have subsequently been called back for an interview. This will be my first scholarship interview so I am pretty nervous. Does anyone have any helpful tips or advice for such an interview?

To give a little background I have previously studied in China for a year, at Nanjing and Kunming respectively. My major is Asian Languages and Literature and I am currently enrolled in advanced reading of modern Chinese.

I plan to try and convince the scholarship committee that having already been in China, i am a strong candidate because I know how to navigate and function well in China. That my previous year abroad has prepared me to take classes with Chinese people, so that I can better understand their culture from their point of view. That in this way I would be able to, in some capacity, serve as an intermediary between China and the U.S.

So yea thats my rough outline, any advice appreciated. thanks!

Kongli

[JonBI]

I don't know if that is your main point - on my accepted application for my study plan I just loaded it with praise of China, playing into all the government sponsored propaganda that the education offices, the Han Ban in general and the Confucius institutes in particular promote. In truth, the reason for the scholarship is so that Chinese universities rank higher, as international diversity is factored into the ranking system, and has little to do with how good you are. I think they are probably just looking for somebody who will go to class, do the work, and not be committing any crimes.

Then again, I didn't need an interview for my scholarship, so maybe yours is different - just tell them your mandarin isn't bad, but you want to improve, to greater appreciate Chinese culture and history or something along those lines, and make sure to throw in how China is present in the world more than before, and how China is an emerged super power, playing a very significant and special role in the development of the world.

[Lu]

just tell them your mandarin isn't bad, but you want to improve, to greater appreciate Chinese culture and history or something along those lines

This is what I would do as well, stress that you want to go to China to learn (even) more about Chinese language and culture. And/or that your one year in China was so great that you now really want to go again.

[sidhi]

do you think if we submit a lot application will improve chances get it because too many eligible applicants?

[kongli]

Thanks for the replies.

just got done with the interview. I think it went pretty well over all. The visiting scholar was from Beijing and she seemed quite interested to talk to me, especially after I mentioned my interest in nongmingong and the rural urban migration. Then she went into a somewhat long speech about her university and how they take one of every minority etc etc. not sure what point she was trying to make but I just agreed China was indeed helping minorities and people in the U.S. should know that especially with recent developments in regards to tibet etc.

I think they liked me and I made them laugh quite a bit. wish I would have stayed out of politics more but oh well I praised China a lot expressed my interests and hopefully did well.

I find out in a week and will post back the results.

To the above poster: not sure what you mean in regards to submitting multiple applications, perhaps ask someone in the other definitive CSC thread.