Nigerian Student Secures Multiple Scholarships and Chooses the University of West Georgia to Pursue a Nursing Degree

Hello! My name is Chidubem Nkeme. I am a 2023 secondary school graduate from Nigeria. I took a gap year since graduating in August to apply to colleges in the United States for my undergraduate degree beginning in fall 2024. I secured scholarships from various institutions that will help fund my studies, ranging from partial to full tuition scholarships. 

Scholarship Details 

I will be discussing four scholarships I received from four different universities because those are the ones that brought my cost of attendance in each university down to a relatively affordable level. 

The first is UT Dallas' AES (Academic Excellence Scholar) scholarship. I was awarded the highest tier of the scholarship, valued at $18,000 annually. However, thanks to a program unique to Texas public universities, the scholarship came with an out-of-state waiver, bringing its total value up to $43,500 annually. There was no extra application process for this. It was based solely on my grades and application essay. 

The next is the University of New Orleans’ Homer Hitt scholarship. This scholarship covers the instate tuition, housing, and a specified meal plan. With this scholarship, I would only be required to pay the difference in tuition between the instate and outstate rates. I had to attend an online interview before I received this scholarship. 

Thirdly, I received the University of Alabama’s Presidential Scholarship, valued at $28,000. There was also no extra application process for this. 

Finally, I received the Presidential Out-of-State Tuition Waiver from the University of West Georgia, valued at $13,500. I had to write an additional essay on a prompt specifically for this waiver. I will be studying at UWG because I believe I’d be a good fit for the university, and it is the most affordable out of the four that offers a 4-year nursing course.

Educational Background

I received my secondary education from a medium-sized private school in Lagos, Nigeria, and graduated with a 4.95/5.0 GPA. I took a gap year because I needed to apply to colleges with my WASSCE and NECO results, which are examinations Nigerian secondary school students take at the end of their education. I received my results in August and September and received grades of 7As, 1B, 1C, and 8As, 1B in both exams, respectively. I also took the SAT and IELTS and scored 1550 in the SAT and an 8.5 overall band in IELTS. In school, I was heavily involved in various extracurricular activities. My experiences as the Head Boy and president of my school’s Red Cross Society are the most meaningful to me.

How Did You Prepare for Your Standardized Exam

Though this is not the case for many scholarships, having good grades is essential to achieving great scholarships. I strived to maintain a high GPA, using various resources, from online videos to niche textbooks, to study effectively. I also frequently asked teachers for help when necessary and developed a strict but flexible study routine that worked for me. For the SAT, Khan Academy was an incredible resource. I ensured to finish all of the courses they had available for the digital SAT, which were free of charge before I took the exam. My aunt was also very helpful, helping me with challenging concepts and recommending great resources to assist further. 

For IELTS, I had a tutor who guided me through my preparations and explained the key things I needed to understand to do well on the test. I used Barron’s textbook primarily to prepare for it.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for Scholarships and Institutions

Before applying to universities, I prepared a resume highlighting my best qualities and wrote a common app essay. I also made sure to properly research each university I applied to, making sure I was aware of any potential additional scholarships I qualified for and so that my university-specific essays were well prepared.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again

There are certainly things I would have done differently if I went through this process again. I originally didn’t even plan on studying in the US and had already applied to Nigerian universities like many of my friends. As such, navigating the application system, mostly on my own, was daunting, and I made a ton of rookie mistakes, learning more as I progressed through the application cycle. I would have reached out to organizations like EducationUSA that focus on guiding international students applying to the US. I also underestimated how crucial essays are to a successful application, as they are not necessary in Nigerian universities’ applications. I would have sought more assistance from mentors in reviewing my essays to ensure I included things that American universities would value from me. However, I have learned a lot from this process and am glad to have gone through it.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship

My advice is to ensure you seek help! There are so many resources online I was unaware of while applying, like this one. Try your best to learn all about this process before applying and ensure you put out your best qualities in your applications. Many of these scholarships are competitive but attainable. So many people stand a great chance at them but miss out due to ignorance. Also, do a lot of research on many universities. I started this process thinking only private universities in the US give great scholarships, yet the ones that are now most affordable for me are public. Do your best to learn all about this process and ask for help if possible.

And, of course, strive for the best grades achievable so you have one less criterion to worry about when looking for scholarships. Good luck!