Dear Applicant,

I hope this finds you well.

First of all, let me start by congratulating you. For what? For the courage – thousands of people out
there will not apply because they lack that self-confidence. Here you are, let’s get this!

It is always hard to be third on any topic, because you keep asking yourself what new thing you
will say. However, as King Solomon once said “in a multiple of counselors there is safety”. Hearken
thee therefore unto my counsel.

The Essay Guide:

First of all, let us look at what Chevening is looking for. Here is what they say:
“Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses, and explain how this relates to
your previous academic or professional experience and your plans for the future. Please do not duplicate
the information you have entered on the work experience and education section of this form.”

Now let us break this down:

 Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses
 Explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience
 Explain how this relates to your plans for the future.

I have broken the question down so as to help you plan your answer. For each point, make a list of
compelling reasons why investing in you will be worthwhile. Why should they fund someone
(especially you) attending that university? Why should they sponsor someone (especially you) to
pursue that course?

Let us use my example:

NB: Please never make the mistake of copying people’s essays because:
1) You never know who else has copied it, and Chevening uses plagiarism software – you will
be in trouble.
2) It will distract you from expressing your true self; and your true self is the only candidate
guaranteed success.
3) It is hard to tell a coherent story when you add another person into it.

Use this as a guide and not as a template:

Here is how I justified one of my choices:

The Imperial College London affiliates describe themselves as a community of problem-solvers
dedicated to finding innovative solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. In my desire to build an
innovative society in the African health sector, that identity is what I relate with most about the college.
Adding to that, the Master of Public Health (MPH) offered by the college has the best combination of
modules to prepare me to become an expert in health systems strengthening, able to apply sound public
health research into practices that will improve healthcare delivery in Africa. Apart from the general
public health modules, the program offers Digital Health and Global Health Innovation modules, which
align perfectly with my dream of becoming a pioneer of healthcare innovation research and
management in Malawi. The college also has the Institute of Global Health Innovation, which is the best
place for me to learn from the finest healthcare innovators, as I also share with them my innovative
ideas for improving healthcare delivery in Africa.
 Lessons:
o Show that you understand and relate with the institution
For me, I firstly talked about the community and how I relate with it. That shows how
motivated I am to, not only study, but identify with the brand. That is very important to
show. When I said: ” The Imperial College London affiliates describe themselves as a
community of problem-solvers dedicated to finding innovative solutions to the world’s biggest
challenges”, I did not just make that up. It is how their website welcomes you. Secondly, I
talked about the specific structure within the university that I will seek to utilize: “the Institute
of Global Health Innovation”. Do not just mention any structure for the sake of mentioning
it, see how it relates to your overall story – everything should relate with each other. Tell
a story that is worth reading, and much more compelling and believable.

You can also check some recent developments by the university that relate with your plans,
including research that you would want to be part of or learn from.

o Show that you understand and relate with the course

Is it not the first thing you are going to the UK to do? Both Phoebe and Meron emphasized
on this and I cannot emphasize enough, identify the specific aspects of the course that have
attracted you to it, chiefly because they help you become who you want to become. Make
that clear. Remember how I put it: “Adding to that, the Master of Public Health (MPH)
offered by the college has the best combination of modules to prepare me to become an
expert in health systems strengthening, able to apply sound public health research into
practices that will improve healthcare delivery in Africa. Apart from the general public health
modules, the program offers Digital Health and Global Health Innovation modules, which
align perfectly with my dream of becoming a pioneer of healthcare innovation research and
management in Malawi.”

You can also identify a key faculty member whose work you aspire to partake in. Read
about the faculty members, you have 3 months to write these essays – take your time and
read as much as you can.

o Show that you understand and relate with yourself

As funny as this may sound, most people fail because they overlook this. Friend, you have
to understand yourself. Think before you start writing “Who am I: i.e. where am I coming
from, where am I and where am I going?” Everything that you write should resonate with
this person you just described. Link your essays to one or all of those three – always. Never
divert from that person.

The most important aspect of the Chevening scholarship is to demonstrate what problems
you are solving. Studying in the UK, therefore, is a tool for you to become a better
candidate to solve that problem. There is a gap between where you are and where you
want to be, that is why you want to go study in the UK. When you understand yourself,
you understand that gap and you are able to identify and demonstrate from the colleges
and courses what aspects will form the right bricks for bridging your gap. This also helps
you to choose courses that speak to each other. If you do not understand yourself, and
more importantly demonstrate that you (and how you) understand yourself, you will
confuse the reader. For such an application, there is only one outcome.
How I concluded the chapter (This came at the end, after justifying my placement for all the
colleges):
As I study at a top university in the UK and interact with course-mates and the highly experienced
faculty members, sharing my healthcare experiences from a resource-limited setting will allow me an
opportunity to contribute positively to the conversations surrounding global healthcare management.
Through the conversations I will also be privileged to learn from resource-rich experiences, which will
prepare me well for a positive and meaningful impact on healthcare delivery in Malawi and other
resource-limited settings. Aside the wonderful lifestyle, the technological advancement that the UK
boasts has convinced me to desire to pursue my Master’s degree at a UK university.
 Lessons:
o Justify why UK and not your country?
The goal is not just to sponsor you, the goal is to make a difference. Always remind them
at the end that you want to go to the UK because you are seeking quality education, which
will make you more effective as you come back to solve real problems at home.

o Show that you have something to contribute

Do you really think they are just helping? Far from it. What do you have that will help
them? Show them that you know that you will add value to the large community of students
and lecturers.

Lastly, always remember that you are telling one story throughout the essays. Why Study in the UK
lays a good foundation for the Career Plan essay; make sure they speak to each other.

That said, there are a few things that will be important for you to consider:
1) No university offer means no scholarship: you have to secure an unconditional offer by 14th
July 2022 for your scholarship to be confirmed. I know people who lost their scholarship
because they failed to secure an offer. You have close to a year to secure an offer, be
wise. People fail to secure an offer because of:
a. Evidence of English proficiency: IELTS are expensive, I know – but the scholarship is
worth more. You have like 8 months to source IELTS funds – start saving now. You
will not have enough time to book, write, submit IELTS and have your offer converted
when you hear your interview results. Remember the old saying? Better safe than
sorry. Don’t say I didn’t warn you – it is your responsibility to start now. Besides, it is
easier and safer to submit your Chevening essays when you already have some
offers.
b. Underqualified: Do not just apply to universities because they look fancy. I am not
trying to crash your confidence, I am trying to redirect it. Of course, we all have had
offers from universities which, according to their websites, we did not qualify. You
can apply to them, but be clever how you list your courses. You only have 4 options
(3 now and one during the interview), pick them well. Make sure you apply to
universities with a good rating as well as a good chance for admitting you.
c. Poorly written applications: please, get your essays checked. Part of university
acceptance is in how you build your case – how you argue. It is not just about your
grades.
2) We need the degree above the scholarship: it is of no use to get a scholarship for a degree
we won’t get. Look carefully through the course contents. Some courses are too quantitative
while some are too analytical, and so are some brains. Do not assume all courses that sound
the same are the same, one MPH could be more of biostatistics while another more of policy
analysis - read and pick what you are smarter in.