Hi, I'm Dimitria Costa
This is the story of my
Scholarship Journey.

Hi, nice to meet you! My name is Dimitria and I am from Brasília, Brazil. I majored in Linguistics and Literature at Universidade de Brasília due to my passion for the phenomenon of language and classic literature. After deciding to internationalize my career and studies, I chose to pursue a master's degree in China and was accepted into the Schwarzman Scholars program, based at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Come discover more about my story!

Schwarzman Scholarship Details

Schwarzman Scholars, a master's program created in 2016 and based at Tsinghua University, focuses on equipping and training young leaders to improve mutual understanding between China and other nations and strengthen the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century. The one-year master's degree has three pillars: Leadership, International Affairs, and China.

The recipients of this scholarship have the opportunity to take classes on a variety of topics involving the three pillars, participate in exclusive events, learn Chinese, receive specialized mentoring throughout the year, and even spend a week in a city in China for a week, with everything paid for — the famous Deep Dive. This was the most memorable experience I had during my master's. I went to Guizhou to teach English to teenagers at a vocational school. It was fantastic!

The program is one of the most comprehensive and generous in the world: it covers tuition fees, food, housing, and health insurance and also provides a laptop to use during the academic year and a stipend to cover personal expenses. I don't remember the exact amount, but it is around 500 dollars per month (remember that the cost of living in China is lower than in many Western countries). Not to mention the facilities — it’s one of the most beautiful buildings in China (maybe in the world)!

Educational Background

I majored in Linguistics and Literature in Brazil. Actually, I wanted to study law, but I decided not to because I thought there were already too many lawyers in the world. And it was the best decision I ever made. I ended up falling in love with languages ​​and even more with literature. I did research on indigenous languages ​​in the north of Brazil and on sociolinguistics. Towards the end of my degree, I fell in love with a recent research area called Language Policies. It was love at first sight! It was the first time I saw linguistics complementing international relations – an area I had always flirted with, and I even took a few classes on the theory of international relations at university. I then decided to internationalize my studies and my career more. I worked at the United Nations and in multinational companies and began researching the importance of linguistics in international affairs.

When I finished my degree, I decided to do a master's degree abroad. The United States and Europe were not an option for me at the time because I wanted to experience a real culture shock. That's when I chose China as my next home. Additionally, China is a very linguistically rich country with a well-established language policy. It made sense, then, to study the country's efforts and institutionalization to spread the official language — something few countries do. While looking for opportunities in China, I came across Schwarzman Scholars and decided to apply. I also had other options in mind, such as the Yenching Scholars and the Chinese government scholarship for Brazilians. But what I really wanted was to spend a year at Tsinghua as a Schwarzman Scholar. My degree in Linguistics and a more international focus made all the difference in getting this overview and getting the scholarship.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Schwarzman Scholarship and Tsinghua University?

All information about the scholarship can be found on the official website. The selection process is not too far from the details provided online. I recommend reading all the criteria and requirements of the program very carefully so that you don't miss anything along the way. Schwarzman Scholars does not require tests other than English proficiency for non-native speakers, which makes things much easier. As for the TOEFL, I studied using resources found on the internet, and I did several mock tests. I ended up achieving a score of 110.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

 At first, I didn't imagine getting this scholarship. The acceptance rate for Schwarzman Scholars is between 3 and 4%. I had a good academic record, and experience in international organizations like the UN, and had also founded Soror, an organization to help women victims of violence in Brazil, but I still thought it was not enough. When I saw the profiles of candidates approved in other cohorts and names like Oxford, Harvard, and Blackstone, I thought: this is far from my reach. However, I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, I was accepted. That was the beginning of the most rewarding journey of my life.

Knowing that my numbers were probably not as impressive as those of other applicants, I decided to focus on two aspects: my trajectory as a leader and my personality. The 500 women I have impacted in Brazil with my organization do not come close to the number of other initiatives of my colleagues. But that was the impact I made with very little resources and time. This is part of who I am as a leader, showing persistence and courage every step of the way. In addition, I showed in the essays how my communicative, empathetic, and action-oriented personality changed a specific situation. That was when I understood that my greatest strength in the application was more my soft skills than my achievements themselves. 

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

 I certainly wouldn't have left the TOEFL to the last minute. I don't like objective tests and I think the methods of assessing proficiency in second languages ​​are unfair. I needed at least 100 points to pass the program and I already had difficulty with some parts of the test in the mock tests. My English was already at a level close to fluent at the time, but I have a characteristic that I call over-interpretation. In other words, a statement is never just a statement for me; I make a lot of correlations (sometimes unnecessary) with other topics, and I end up getting the answer wrong. TOEFL requires a very specific way of thinking, which I didn't adapt to. That's why I procrastinated taking the test. Furthermore, 2022, when I took the test, was a year with a lot of travel to conferences and seminars. As a result, I only took the TOEFL in August, with one month left before the application deadline. Knowing how difficult it is for me to take objective tests, I should have taken the test earlier and saved myself so much stress. In the end, everything worked out and I got the score I needed to continue with the application. However, my nervous system suffered while waiting for the results. Not recommended.

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

The program’s evaluation is holistic and the focus should be on the narrative and essays. The biggest tip I give to be approved for this scholarship is to follow the three principles: 1) make it very clear how the program will help you in the future, personally and professionally; 2) why China; 3) how you, as a leader, contribute to the program. The competition is very high and I believe that in selection processes like this, numbers and success stories alone do not work. You need to let your personality shine and show your more human side. Show your hobbies and passions and that you are a leader searching for a global community. Because that’s what you’ll get when you get accepted. You’ll be surrounded by people who are super open-minded and curious, learning new things literally every day. Evaluators want to make sure that you’ll be able to keep up with this pace. To do so, show how your personality and soft skills align with the program’s proposal. Good luck!