Kaytlin Johnston

For many college students, studying abroad might be a dream that we are unsure if we can experience, since we are all too aware of how much such an opportunity can cost. This is why scholarships, like Gilman, are a blessing that can help relieve some of the financial burden, and make those dreams a reality.  

The Gilman Scholarship is an amazing opportunity that eligible students, recipients of the Federal Pell Grant, should take seriously and put their best efforts into. Besides filling out personal and program information, the application requires four short essays that each have a maximum of 500 words. One of these essays is a follow-on service project that you will complete within 6 months of arriving back home. As writing is my strong suit, I chose to write two articles for my follow-on service project. It is important that you think about your own strong suits or passions when creating a plan, and the Gilman website has examples of previous projects that can help guide you. The next two steps are to upload your university transcript and to state the name of your study abroad advisor and financial aid advisor. It is up to each applicant to contact these advisors to make sure they have certified their application by the deadline. 

As someone who went through the Gilman Scholarship application process, here are some tips to keep in mind when applying:  

1. Utilize The Communication Lab 

• No matter how good a writer you may be, it is always helpful to have someone else read what you have written to get another perspective. I highly recommend going to the communication lab on campus, which is located on the 3^rd floor of the MHRA building. The people there were extremely helpful in pointing me in the right direction when it came to writing the essays. When I read all the essay prompts at once, I felt like I was in over my head and did not know where to start. However, the women who I met with at the communication lab helped me narrow down what to write about, which made the application process feel more manageable. I recommend going multiple times so that you can get advice on each essay. 

2. Don’t leave everything until the last minute or try to do everything at once. 

• Time management is key. As students, our classwork load tends to be heavier during the end of the semester as we prepare for final exams. So, it is important to pace yourself during the application process, especially since you will also have to fill out the applications for your specific study abroad program. I recommend making a goal for yourself and then tackling one essay at a time, so that you don’t feel as overwhelmed.  

3. Do some research for the city you want to study abroad in. 

• Knowing a bit about what country you are planning to visit will not only help you get a feel for any cultural differences that you might experience, but it can also give you something to write about. Adding specifics can be used to strengthen your essays by showing that you have put in the effort to find out a bit about the place where you plan to study abroad. 

If you are like me, perhaps the thought of applying seemed useless since there is no guarantee that you will be chosen as a scholarship recipient. In all honesty, I almost didn’t bother applying. But then I realized that I would gain nothing if I didn’t try, and I would always wonder what would have happened if I had applied. I am not here to say that this process is going to be easy and doesn’t require any work, but I believe that it was worth putting in time and effort, and I highly recommend students who are considering studying abroad to apply. 

This scholarship paid for half my program costs, allowing me to go to Spain, which turned out to be an invaluable experience where I got the chance to live a different lifestyle for a month, which has helped me look at life differently. As someone who has been an introvert, my study abroad trip to Spain pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and has already impacted me since I returned home. Not only have I become more confident, but I have also started to be more involved with my university community and even signed up to be a mentor for new students, which is something that I never would have gotten the courage to do before. If you want to know about my experience studying abroad in Spain, look out for my article next week.