How to write a winning scholarship essay - Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe 2018

What it’s like to be an interviewer
Winning interview strategies

Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarships Selection committees are typically composed of volunteers who sign up for a long day of interviews. By understanding their role, you can see the importance of interacting with them, keeping their attention and giving them a reason to want to listen to what you have to say.

Each year the selection committee for Rotary International in the San Francisco Bay Area interviews about 15 applicants.

The six or seven selection committee members, Rotarians and previous scholarship winners start the day at 8:30 a.m. and end at 6 p.m., with 45 minutes for lunch and a couple of stretch breaks. They spend about 30 minutes with each applicant.

“After the interview, we score and go to the next one,” says Russ Hobbs, district scholarship chairman.

Surprisingly, Hobbs says there is no advantage to interviewing earlier in the day than later. Still, to be fair, they schedule the interviews randomly instead of alphabetically. Despite the long day Rotary has little trouble finding volunteers, he says, “Because the applicants are such phenomenally interesting people.”

smile. There’s nothing more depressing than having a conversation with someone who never smiles. Don’t smile nonstop, but show some teeth at least once in a while.

dress appropriately. This means business attire. No-no’s include: caps, bare midriffs, short skirts or shorts, open-toe shoes and wrinkles. Think about covering obtrusive tattoos or removing extra ear/nose/tongue/eyebrow rings. Don’t dress so formally that you feel uncomfortable, but dress nicely. It may not seem fair, but your dress will affect the impression you make and influence the judgment of the committee.

By using these tips, you will have a flawless look and sound to match what you’re saying. All of these attributes together create a powerful portrait of who you are. Remember that not all of these things come naturally, so you’ll need to practice before they become unconscious actions.