From Applicant to Recipient: The Nutanix Advancing Women in Technology Scholarship ✨

Hola!🌈 🌟

If you are a woman seeking to apply for the Nutanix Advancing WIT Scholarship, you’ve landed at the right place!

I remember applying to Nutanix WIT Scholarship in my sophomore year but not getting through, and cut back to one year later, in 2022, I was one of the 10 girls selected across the world for the Nutanix Advancing WIT Scholarship. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most inclusive and impactful scholarships I have been awarded that has contributed significantly to the representation of women in tech over the years. Now let’s dive into understanding the various aspects of the scholarship!

What is Nutanix Advancing Women in Technology Scholarship?

In 2018, Nutanix created the Advancing Women in Technology Scholarship program, designed to help future tech leaders to pursue and complete their educational goals. Up to 10 scholarships are offered to students in the United States, India, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Mexico who want to apply their passion for technology while advancing women in the field to make a positive impact on the industry and the planet.

Every year, the application opens from January to May, which entails a single-step process of filling out the online application timely with the latest resume, academic transcripts and essay answers. One of the most lucrative parts of the application for me was how straightforward it was and provided a platform for the candidate to showcase their strengths and weaknesses effortlessly.

I knew about Nutanix WIT Scholarship since my sophomore year when one of my seniors had been selected for the same. After getting rejected the first time, I eventually realised what makes a good application stand out from the crowd and here, I would be sharing all the tips and tricks with you on how you can make yours stand out too! 🌠

To stand a good chance at winning the scholarship, there are two essential elements critical to the application process: the first is the essay answer, and the second is documenting your achievements and work, let’s iterate over both these points in detail.

APPLICATION PROCESS 💭

1. ELIGIBILITY

Following are some of the eligibility criteria as listed on their website and need to be kept in mind before starting the process:

a. Full-time undergraduate or graduate students during the 2023–24 school year pursuing a degree in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or software engineering

b. Attending school in the US, India, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, UK, France, Australia, and Mexico

d. Minimum 3.0 GPA in countries that utilize GPA scoring (Transcripts required when applying)

e. Demonstrates strong leadership and communication skillsand a record of co-curricular activity and community service

g. Nutanix employees and their immediate family members are not eligible for these scholarships. Current Nutanix interns are not eligible for these scholarships.

2. APPLICATION

• The application is extremely straightforward and simple, covering descriptive resumes, essay answers, personal and academic achievements. Last year, 10 scholars were selected from an application pool of 10 lakh+ candidates from across the globe based on their skills, contributions and academic achievements.
• So essentially we can divide the application process into three major parts: Academic Information, Descriptive Resume and Essay Questions.

a. Academic Information

The initial part of the application covers essentially everything related to your undergraduate studies such as Applicant Demographics, College/University Details, and Supporting Documents i.e. a College/University Transcript to validate your grades. Ensure to collect your official transcripts well in advance of the deadline so they can be attached to your application.

b. Descriptive Resume

• Now, here comes a captivating aspect of the application process. Unlike traditional applications where you can simply upload your resume, the Nutanix Advancing WIT Scholarship application takes a unique approach.
• They have organized the evaluation criteria into distinct sections, each focusing on different aspects of a candidate’s profile. These sections include Work/Internship Experience, Community Service, Extra-curricular Activities, and Honors and Awards. Instead of relying solely on a resume, this categorization allows for a more comprehensive assessment of an applicant’s qualifications and achievements.

c. Essay Question 📝

We all have been there! :’)

Upon completing the above details, you are asked to write an essay (within 500 words) on the given question:

Question: Why did you choose to get a degree in technology and what do you plan to do with your education? How have your past experiences inspired you? How will this scholarship help you in your efforts to advance women in technology?

This time around I was more confident writing answers to the essay question. Additionally, I got my answers reviewed by a past scholar and a very dear friend.

Suggestion for Essay Answers:

• Know your ‘why’ of applying.
• Give concrete reasons, cite personal examples and try to stay away from cliche phrases.
• Understand your journey and be genuine with what you write.
• Use links and documentation of your work as proof of your words.

WHAT STOOD OUT IN MY APPLICATION? 💙

Since the application for Nutanix WIT required a descriptive resume, essay and academic achievements, I always tried to document my journey and experiences on my social media profiles and volunteer for programs that elevated the representation of women in tech fields. They are on the lookout for girls who are highly passionate and active in STEM and have taken initiatives to help the community around them. Apart from updating my Linkedin profile regularly and my contributions, some of the additional things that I did to highlight my application were:

1. Undoubtedly, the resume detailing your achievements and contributions plays a huge role in making or breaking your application. I got my resume reviewed by many seniors to accommodate suggestions on how to create a stellar one covering my experiences, qualifications, academic achievements and skill set while highlighting my strengths at the same time.
2. I reached out to past scholars and actively worked on their advice on how to cover different parts of the application efficiently. They not only shared their experiences with me but also helped me move in the right direction as a part of the process. Always connect early with past scholars!
3. I researched early! Reason out and read a few blogs about this scholarship program, or maybe watch a video or two! There are so many initiatives that past scholars carry out for the very purpose of speaking up about their experiences.
4. Add hyperlinks over your project repo (if any), any relevant links, your blogs, etc., for the reviewer to get a better picture of you!

You’ve come this far now, be proud of yourself!!

SOME GENERAL GOOD PRACTICES TO FOLLOW:

1. Stick to the word limit: It is required of you to stick to the word limit exactly. Do not try to sneak in an extra paragraph or two because it directly results in information overload and does not leave a good impression on the reviewer.
2. Clean, Simple: Make sure your application is easy to read and doesn’t have any twisted words or hard-to-comprehend statements. You have to be very direct and play smart with your in-hand word limit.
3. Avoid Filler Phrases: Completely strike-off redundant achievements, claims or anything which isn’t necessary. Every line in your essay should complement the lines around it. Every statement that you type should have an important role to play. Your answer should feel incomplete without the lines you choose to keep, this is how you prioritise keeping some things in your application over others.
4. Documentation: Make sure you highlight your social responsibilities or any informal activities that you have done to support the society and community in general.

I hope this article helps you ace your application process to Nutanix WIT Scholarship, if you have any further questions, you can reach me on my social media handles: Linkedin and Twitter. You can check my work on Github and all my blogs on Blogs. Happy Learning! ✨ 😄

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