loveUK had a really nice chat with Guilherme Fernandes who was awarded a scholarship at Durham University and shared with us his experience in the process of applying to Chevening, and gave valuable tips for those who will try this year. Shall we check?
loveUK: Please tell us a little about yourself and your course.
My name is Guilherme, I'm 32 years old and I'm from Amazon. I studied public sector economics at the University of Durham in the north of England. The course is a “taught MSc”, which is characterized by a stronger component of class hours, in contrast to the “research MSc”, which focus almost entirely on the research developed by the Master's student. The course consists of eight subjects, in addition to the dissertation. In my case, in addition to the compulsory subjects common to all masters in economics (microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics subjects), “public economics” and “public choice” were also compulsory. The remaining two subjects are freely chosen by the student.
loveUK: How did you feel that you were prepared to run for Chevening?
I first heard about Chevening exchanges in late 2014, when I happened to read about the opening of applications on a major investment portal. That year I had completed a degree in economics, and for at least two years I had intended to pursue a master's degree in the field. However, I never imagined it would be abroad. As I read through the fellowship requirements, I found with joy that I had met them all, and consequently I also noticed that a whole confluence of factors in the previous five years – some premeditated, some fortuitous – had prepared me for this moment, so much so that I felt me to myself, when I read the requirements, that fate was sealed.
loveUK: What was most challenging about this process?
The process itself is very clear and objective: from the beginning, you know exactly what is expected of you at each stage of the selection process, and both universities and the Chevening program strictly assess whether you meet these requirements. Thus, I would say that the great challenge is to have already fulfilled or be able to fulfill all the requirements of the program and the desired university at the time of opening the scholarship applications. As in any test or selection, the probability of success is defined much more by the individual's trajectory, in a holistic way, than by the (relative) little time dedicated, in a specific way, to a particular test/selection.
loveUK: What criteria did you use to choose universities and ultimately decide for Durham?
It is necessary to choose three universities during the process, even if you have received the letter of acceptance for your first choice from the beginning. My first choice, Durham University, was an easy choice for several reasons. The first was the course: as I work as a public servant, I chose the university primarily because it was the only one, at the time, that offered the public sector economics course. This reason was necessary, but not sufficient. So, when researching more about the university, I was literally enchanted by the city in which it is located, with its history, its infrastructure, its “colleges”, its castle, its cathedral, its proximity to the North Pennines and Scotland. It really seemed like a magical place, straight out of fantasy movies. At that point, I no longer thought about other options. When I finally learned that the university consistently ranks in the European and international rankings among the best universities in the UK and the world, I was sure that my first and only option was the University of Durham. “Spoiler”: to this day, five years later, I'm still sure I couldn't have made a better choice!
loveUK: What advice would you give to someone trying this year?
If you are able to meet the requirements, go out there and make it happen! Put all your energy into the process, create a checklist with the requirements, break them down into tasks and sub-tasks to be accomplished. Carefully read the program page, in particular the eligibility rules. Talk to alumni; everyone is happy to help, answer questions or give advice. The UK is a country with excellent teaching and research, don't settle for just any university, even if almost all of them are great. Aim and dream big! If you are already able to meet the requirements, your biggest challenge now will be “just” dealing with anxiety.
loveUK: What advice would you have on what not to do?
The main thing is not to apply, in case you definitely don't meet some requirement (for example, if you're in the middle of graduation). If you are sure that you do not meet any requirement, it is much better to work to achieve it in the future - and only then apply - than to spend energy and time in a process doomed to fail from the beginning. That caveat aside, I think it's a bad idea to prioritize different parts of the application over others. Don't focus, for example, on newsrooms, leaving English in the background (it's impressive, and sad, the number of people who lose their scholarship for not proving proficiency in the language in time). Try to create an application that is equally strong in every way, that is, be sure to give 100% of yourself in 100% of the time dedicated to the application.
