Sameer from Bihar, a final-year Electrical Engineering student at NIT Rourkela, found out exactly what that looks like in practice. When he applied for the Alstom India Scholarship through Buddy4Study, he was a first-year undergrad carrying an education loan, a family stretched thin, and a drive to break into the software industry that no one around him had mapped yet.
In this conversation, he shares how he answered the hardest question in his scholarship interview: Why do you deserve this scholarship? And also shares a few pieces of advice for future scholarship aspirants.
Buddy4Study: When the interviewer asked you ‘why do you deserve this scholarship?’, what was your first reaction? Did the question surprise you?
Sameer: It was my very first telephonic interview, so I had no idea what questions would come. But I had a feeling this one would be asked. If any organisation is considering giving you a scholarship, their first question should be and should always be – why you? So I was not completely surprised. I just had to be ready to answer it honestly.
Buddy4Study: How did you think about the question – was it about financial need, academic merit, or something else entirely?
Sameer: I think it is about all three things together. You can judge whether someone deserves a scholarship on two or three criteria: their family’s financial background, whether the student themselves genuinely wants to study and grow, and what they are working toward. All of those criteria applied to me, and I tried to put all of them across.
Buddy4Study: Could you share how you described your financial background in the interview? Did you go into specific details or keep it general?
Sameer: I gave a general answer. It was not easy to put everything out directly; a lot was going on at home at that point. My family’s annual income was below five lakh. I had an education loan running; delays from the Bihar government loan scheme meant the money would take three to four months to arrive after each application, and there were responsibilities at home that put additional pressure. I touched on these things but did not go into every detail. I felt that giving the overall picture was enough for the interviewer to understand the reality.
Buddy4Study: Looking back, do you think being more specific would have made your answer stronger, or was the general approach the right call?
Sameer: I think the general approach worked for me because the pressure was real and it came through naturally. But I would say this: if you can give specific details without getting too emotional, it does help. Specific numbers and concrete situations make your need feel real rather than like something anyone could say. The key is to stay calm while you say it.
Buddy4Study: Financial need is one part of the answer. How did you show that you were also the right person – someone who would make the most of the scholarship?
Sameer: I talked about what I was actively doing despite my circumstances. I was enrolled in Electrical Engineering at NIT Rourkela, but I had decided I wanted to go into the software field. That meant I was putting in extra effort outside my regular coursework – attending separate classes, learning on my own, working toward a goal that was not handed to me by my course. I think that willingness to go beyond what was required showed the interviewer that I was serious, not just in need.
Buddy4Study: You mentioned going to Kota for coaching in Class 12, even when it meant taking on a loan. How did that journey shape what you said in the interview?
Sameer: Going to Kota was a huge decision for my family. My father took a loan immediately so I could go; he never once said no when it came to my education. That meant I came back carrying pressure: the loan was taken, everything was done, now I had to prove it was worth it. Getting into NIT was the result of that. When I spoke about my background in the interview, that whole journey was behind every sentence, even if I did not narrate it fully.
Buddy4Study: Did you share your career goals as part of your answer? How did that land in the interview?
Sameer: Yes. I told them I want to get into a top MNC in the software field. I did not want to say something vague. I said clearly: I am in Electrical Engineering, but I am preparing separately for software roles, I have big ambitions, and I am not going to settle for less. After a few years in the industry, I want to move into management or administrative services. I think stating that clearly showed that the scholarship would go toward something real, not just fees.
Buddy4Study: Thinking back to that conversation, what do you believe actually made the difference? What convinced the interviewer that you were the right person?
Sameer: I think they could see the eagerness in me. I was a first-year undergrad who had already been through a lot to get there and was still reaching for something bigger than what my course was offering. That combination – genuine need, real effort, and a clear direction, I think that is what they saw. And I was not performing it. It was just my actual situation.
Buddy4Study: If a student came to you today with no idea how to answer this question, what would you tell them?
Sameer: First: be natural. There is no need to play an emotional card. Saying ‘my mother is sick, I have this problem, I have that problem’ – if it is not true or if you are exaggerating, the interviewer will sense it. The truth comes out on its own. Say the clear things honestly, and the other person will feel your genuine need without you having to perform it. Second: communication matters. Not in any specific language, but in whatever language you are confident in. If you can make the interviewer understand your situation clearly, that is the whole point.
- The question ‘why do you deserve this scholarship?’ is not a trick. It is an invitation to connect three things clearly: your financial need, your effort and merit, and what you plan to do with the opportunity.
- Specific details make the need feel real. If you can share your family’s income, the exact cost you are struggling with, or a concrete situation you are navigating – do it calmly. It lands better than a general statement.
- Merit is not just marks. Sameer’s merit was in going beyond his course, preparing separately for the field he wanted, and not settling. Show what you are doing despite your circumstances, not just what your certificate says.
- Connect your answer to a future goal. Telling the interviewer what you plan to do with the opportunity makes the scholarship feel purposeful. Be specific about where you are headed and why it matters to you.
- Do not perform your hardship. The interviewer can tell the difference between a genuine situation and an emotional script. Speak plainly. Your real story is enough.
- Confidence is not about language. Speak in the language you are most comfortable in. The goal is to make the interviewer understand you clearly; that is the whole point of the conversation.