[UPDATED: 3/30/2021]

The time is here - Grace Hopper Scholar applications are now open! I was lucky enough to be chosen as a GHC Scholar when I was a sophomore in college and I give back by being one of the hundreds of volunteers who review GHC Scholar applications. Two years ago I reviewed around 50 GHC scholar applications so these tips sum up things I have learned from being both a scholar and a reviewer!

When I first attended GHC, the conference had ~16k attendees and has only grown in size and popularity since then! This means that the coveted GHC Scholar status has become more and more competitive. As a GHC Scholar - you get fully paid access to the conference which can run you $2-$3k out of pocket to attend. You’ll get free admission to the conference, paid flights, hotels, food stipends, free shuttles, and one of the best perks is the access to the alumni network [EDIT: Now that GHC is virtual your Scholarship will cover the cost of the registration to the conference which last year ran around $600!]. You will forever be a part of the GHC Scholar network which is great for when you look for jobs, advice, or mentorship. Best part is that this is all sponsored by AnitaB.org which is the nonprofit that hosts GHC. You have to be a student to apply, and cannot be chosen for two consecutive years in a row but if you are one of the lucky few that are picked it’s an incredible opportunity and experience.

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Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re applying to become a GHC Scholar this year:

Ensure that you are eligible! 

You must be a full-time college student at the time of the conference and you cannot have been picked as a GHC Scholar last year [EDIT: Due to GHC being virtual in 2020, I believe students are eligible to re-apply this year for scholarship!]. Additionally you have to be majoring in a STEM field - find the specifics on the application page under the “Student Eligibility” section here. Make sure you qualify by these criteria otherwise keep your eyes peeled for my upcoming post where I will discuss other GHC opportunities!

Start Early, start early, start early!

I cannot stress this point enough (if you couldn’t tell by the emphasis) but seriously starting early is one of the best ways to help yourself. This application is highly competitive and there are so many qualified women who want to apply for it. One of the best ways you can stand out is by starting early and putting time and care into your application - trust me it will show. The application closes April 28th this year so the clock is ticking.

Ask for a letter of recommendation now

One of the key components of your application is your letter of recommendation. In order to be sure that your recommender writes you a thoughtful and glowing letter be sure you give your preferred recommender plenty of time! Around this time of year, lots of students will be asking for recommendation letters and if you wait too long your professor might not have the capacity to write you a unique and stand out letter. Plus, you don’t want to risk your professor running out of time and being disqualified from consideration because you don’t have a letter of recommendation. 

My recommendation is to pick someone who knows you well enough to write a thoughtful and personal letter. This means they know you personally and also different activities you might be involved in such as a women in computer science club or that you completed an internship over the summer. It’s also important to make sure they know what the GHC Scholarship is so they can address why you are qualified for this opportunity in their letter. Stop by their office hours or schedule a one-on-one so that they can ask any questions they might have about the application, GHC, or about you!

Edit your resume and have it reviewed

Updating your resume is a notoriously arduous process so it’s good to start now. Be sure to include all your relevant work experience and extracurricular activities. Sometimes it’s easy to forget something you did that’s relevant so give yourself time to have that aha moment when you realize you left off the fact that you made the Dean’s List last semester. 

Pro-tip: edit your resume early enough that you can get it reviewed by a career counselor. Many schools offer free career counseling and resume reviews but the downside is that oftentimes appointments are booked up months in advance. Creating a good working copy of your resume now means you will be ready if there’s a last-minute slot that opens up.

Put thought into your essays

I think this is the most important part of the application but I also think a lot of people spend the least amount of time on their essays. Good news is that this is where you can really shine and get across your voice and personality. The other pieces of your application don’t tell a story as much as your essays will so don’t leave them to the last minute. 

There are two short answer responses that you will submit as part of your application and you only get 200 words per question. 200 words may sound like a lot but once you start writing you’ll realize how difficult it is to keep your response to that length. 

The prompts are quite broad so it’s good to start thinking about and drafting your responses now. You want to be sure that you get across your answer to the prompts succinctly. Give yourself time to write a response, leave it, and come back to it with a fresh perspective so you can be really critical about what you’ve written. And of course be sure you address what AnitaB is looking for in a scholar: 

“What We Are Looking for in a Scholar

• Women who are active in their community, including being involved/supporting with campus computing/STEM clubs and working toward the advancement of women in computing.

• Women who have an understanding of how attending GHC will have an impact on them and any messages or key learnings they take back to share at their schools and community.

• Faculty Scholars who mentor female students." (Found on the GHC Scholarship application site here).

This is huge! Now you know what the scholarship reviewers are going to be looking for in an applicant so be sure to address these points in your responses. Highlight anything that demonstrates how you fulfill these criteria in your essay. 

I hope you find these tips helpful and wish you the best of luck in applying for this year’s GHC Scholarship! Start your application here and stay tuned for my post coming soon that will be all about attending GHC on a budget and feature other opportunities for you to fund your way to GHC.

For more insights into my life as a software engineer in New York City, career, and coding tips follow me on Facebook and Instagram. And for more articles on GHC - you can check out my post all about becoming a GHC Speaker!

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