How a Brazilian Designer Won the Fully Funded Chevening Scholarship to Pursue His MA in Design Futures at the Royal College of Art, London

My name is Igor Caetano, but most people call me Caetano. I'm a 28-year-old Brazilian with a bachelor's degree in Social Communication, specializing in Advertising and Marketing. Beyond my undergraduate studies, I've completed two specialized certification programs (360 hours each) – one focused on interaction design for digital artifacts and another on online education and learning technologies.

Over the years, I've built a solid foundation in the technology sector, particularly in areas like design thinking, digital product development, and innovation. My journey has taken me across diverse industries, from entertainment and oil & gas to financial services, startups, public sector initiatives, and education. Each experience has shaped my perspective on how technology can solve complex problems and create meaningful user experiences.

Teaching has also become an integral part of my professional life. I work part-time as an instructor for graduate-level specialization courses and continuing education programs at a Brazilian university, which keeps me connected to the academic world while sharing practical industry insights with the next generation of professionals.

The decision to pursue graduate studies wasn't made lightly. I have a clear vision of transitioning into full-time academia in the future, and earning a master's degree represents a crucial stepping stone toward that goal. At the time I received my scholarship acceptance, I was working as a Data Product Manager at one of Brazil's largest beauty and cosmetics companies, a role that perfectly bridged my technical background with strategic business thinking.

This combination of industry experience, teaching passion, and academic aspirations created the perfect storm that motivated me to take the leap into graduate school abroad.

Chevening Awards Details

In 2024, I had the incredible opportunity to be accepted for the Chevening Awards to pursue my Master's in Design Futures at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. That year, the program received over 70,000 applications from more than 160 countries worldwide, and I was fortunate to be among the 2% selected – a statistic that still feels surreal to me.

The Chevening Scholarship isn't just any funding program – it's a prestigious international initiative established in 1983 by the UK government and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), alongside partner organizations. What makes Chevening special goes far beyond financial support for a one-year master's degree at any UK university.

At its core, Chevening represents a strategic diplomatic initiative with a clear mission: to identify, nurture, and connect individuals with leadership potential who can drive meaningful change and impact in their home countries. It's essentially the UK's investment in building a global network of future leaders across more than 100 countries, fostering international collaboration, mutual trust, and shared influence.

The scholarship itself is comprehensive, covering every essential aspect of the UK experience:

The program covers full tuition fees at your chosen university, round-trip flights to and from the UK, and a monthly stipend that handles accommodation, meals, and transportation. Beyond the basics, Chevening also takes care of student visa fees, provides access to the British healthcare system through NHS coverage, and offers exclusive access to official Chevening network events, specialized training sessions, and valuable mentorship opportunities.

Educational Background

My academic journey has been deliberately crafted to bridge the gap between creative communication, technology, and education. During my bachelor's degree in Social Communication with a specialization in Advertising and Marketing, I maintained a strong academic performance with an overall GPA of 8.41/10. This foundation in communication theory and strategic thinking provided me with essential skills in understanding human behavior, crafting compelling narratives, and approaching problems from multiple perspectives.

Building on this foundation, I pursued specialized knowledge that would directly impact my career trajectory. My first specialization in Interaction Design for Digital Artifacts earned me a 9.50/10 GPA – a program that taught me to think systematically about user experience, digital interfaces, and the intricate relationship between humans and technology. This wasn't just about making things look good; it was about understanding how design decisions impact user behavior and create meaningful digital experiences.

My second specialization in Online Education and Learning Technologies, where I achieved a 7.10/10 GPA, opened my eyes to the transformative power of educational technology. This program deepened my understanding of how people learn in digital environments and how technology can be leveraged to create more effective, accessible, and engaging educational experiences.

Looking back, this combination of communication expertise, design thinking, and educational technology created the perfect academic foundation for my career in innovation.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Chevening Scholarship?

My Chevening journey began quite unexpectedly through a conversation with a colleague who was studying remotely in the UK through the program. Initially, I was hit hard by imposter syndrome – that nagging voice telling me I wasn't qualified enough for such a prestigious opportunity. But my colleagues and friends became my biggest cheerleaders, pushing me to see what they saw in my background and potential.

Once I committed to the idea, I dove deep into understanding the program structure. The Chevening application process is deceptively straightforward: a first phase where you submit your application with four essays, followed by an interview with a panel at your country's consulate. However, there's a crucial parallel process – you must also apply to and be accepted by at least one of the three UK universities you select. It's an all-or-nothing situation: acceptance to the program means nothing without university admission, and vice versa.

Course Selection Strategy

My preparation began with the Chevening course finder on their website. I created a detailed spreadsheet, established clear criteria aligned with my career goals, and systematically rated potential programs. This methodical approach helped me narrow down to three courses that would genuinely advance my professional trajectory, rather than just impressive names on paper.

Mastering the Four Essays

The heart of the application lies in four distinct essays: leadership, networking, motivation for studying in the UK, and career planning. I developed a strategic framework for approaching these – treating the leadership and networking essays as showcases of my past experiences with concrete, pragmatic examples, while positioning the UK study and career plan essays as forward-looking statements with solid, structured arguments.

For the leadership essay, I utilized the CAR framework (Context, Action, Result) to organize compelling examples from my career. I started by creating a spreadsheet where I broke down each example into these components before weaving them into the narrative. Crucially, I opened the essay by defining leadership as I understood it – not as a title or position, but as a set of socio-emotional skills that enable you to inspire, guide, and mobilize people toward meaningful impact. Every subsequent example connected back to this personal definition.

The networking essay followed a similar structure, focusing on practical examples of how I built connections within communities and orchestrated collaborations that generated real impact. Again, I began with my personal definition of networking and used the CAR framework to organize examples that demonstrated my ability to weave people together for greater purposes.

For the Study in UK essay, specificity was everything. Rather than citing university rankings or generic accolades, I dove deep into specific modules, curriculum details, and faculty members whose work aligned with my career aspirations. I made the connection between each university choice and my professional profile as tight and personalized as possible, avoiding any generic information that could apply to any applicant.

Finally, the career plan essay required outlining short-term goals (immediately upon return), medium-term objectives (2-5 years post-graduation), and long-term vision, while clearly articulating how the master's degree would serve as an essential enabler for each phase. I also researched UK initiatives in Brazil to demonstrate how my goals could contribute to bilateral relations and development.

The entire preparation process taught me that Chevening isn't just looking for academic excellence – they're seeking individuals who can articulate a clear vision of how they'll leverage this opportunity to create meaningful change in their home countries.

The Interview Phase

Once you submit your four essays and are selected for the next phase, the interview process begins. At this stage, Chevening also requests two recommendation letters – ideally one professional and one academic. I made sure both references aligned with the narrative I'd been building throughout my application, maintaining consistency in how my story was being told from different perspectives.

The interview itself was both simple and challenging. Conducted entirely in English, it required extensive preparation on my part. The questions essentially revolve around what you've already written in your essays, so having every detail at the tip of your tongue becomes crucial. I conducted multiple mock interviews with friends and fellow applicants, practicing not just what I would say, but how I would say it under pressure.

What struck me most about the actual interview was how supportive the experience felt. Rather than trying to eliminate me, the panel seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me as a person. They consistently encouraged me and maintained a positive atmosphere throughout our conversation, which helped me feel more confident and authentic in my responses.

My preparation strategy for the interview was straightforward but thorough: I memorized my essays inside and out and practiced articulating my experiences and goals through countless mock sessions. The key was being able to expand on any point naturally while staying true to the narrative I'd crafted in my written application.

Looking back, the most valuable part of the entire preparation process wasn't just getting accepted – it was the deep self-reflection required to articulate who I was, where I wanted to go, and how this opportunity would help me create a meaningful impact. The Chevening application forced me to examine my experiences, define my values, and crystallize my vision for the future in ways I'd never done before.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the Royal College of Arts?

The beauty of preparing for the Royal College of Art application after going through the Chevening process was the significant overlap in required materials. Much of the groundwork I'd already laid for the scholarship application became the foundation for my university applications. My motivation letter drew heavily from the essays I'd crafted for Chevening – I simply had to reorganize and refocus the content to align with each institution's specific requirements and culture.

The main additional components I needed to prepare were updating my portfolio and creating a video submission, which were specific requirements for the Royal College of Art. Having already done the deep introspective work for Chevening made articulating my academic and creative vision much more straightforward.

The Royal College of Art required an IELTS score with a minimum overall band of 6.5, and I'll be honest – English proficiency was one of my biggest challenges throughout this entire process. While I was comfortable with technical and professional English through my work experience, the academic English required for IELTS presented a different set of demands.

I decided to invest in private tutoring sessions with an English teacher who specialized in IELTS preparation. While these sessions were helpful for understanding the test structure and improving my foundational skills, what truly made the difference was my approach to practice testing.

I committed to taking multiple mock exams, treating each one as if it were the real test. This strategy helped me understand not just the content requirements, but the specific patterns of how questions were structured across all four sections – reading, writing, listening, and speaking. I also focused on building the particular vocabulary needed for academic contexts, which proved essential for achieving the required score.

The key insight I gained was that IELTS success isn't just about English proficiency – it's about understanding the test format and developing strategies for each section. The combination of targeted tutoring and intensive practice testing ultimately helped me meet the requirement and gain confidence in my academic English abilities.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

Looking back at my successful application, I believe the key differentiator was my commitment to providing concrete, quantifiable examples of impact throughout all four essays. Rather than speaking in generalities about my achievements, I consistently used specific numbers, measurable outcomes, and clear descriptions of my direct actions within each project I discussed.

This approach reflected my professional background in data and product management, where impact measurement is fundamental. Every example I shared demonstrated not just what happened, but precisely how my involvement contributed to the results. Whether discussing leadership initiatives, networking successes, or career accomplishments, I made sure the reader could understand exactly what I did and what tangible difference it made.

Equally important was how tightly I wove together all four essays with a consistent narrative thread. My essays weren't four separate stories – they were four different angles of the same coherent vision. Each one connected seamlessly to the program's objectives, my chosen field of study (Design Futures), and my long-term career goals. This integration showed the selection committee that my application wasn't just strong in individual components, but represented a well-thought-out, strategic plan for how the Chevening opportunity would advance both my personal development and my potential to create meaningful change in Brazil.

What Would You Have Done Differently?

If I could go through the process again, I would definitely tackle the IELTS preparation much earlier in my timeline. I left the test until very close to the application deadlines, which created unnecessary stress and anxiety. It became an all-or-nothing situation where failure to achieve the required score would have derailed both my university acceptance and my Chevening opportunity.

The pressure of knowing that everything hinged on that one test score was overwhelming and could have been easily avoided with better planning. Starting IELTS preparation 4 months earlier would have allowed for multiple test attempts if needed, reduced anxiety, and given me more time to focus on perfecting other aspects of my application.

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

My most important piece of advice is to immerse yourself completely in understanding the program before you start writing a single word of your application. Talk to previous recipients, watch YouTube videos of their experiences, read every piece of official program documentation, and truly internalize what the scholarship is trying to achieve.

This deep understanding will transform your application from a generic showcase of your achievements into a targeted demonstration of how you align with the program's mission and values. When you understand what Chevening is really looking for – future leaders who will create positive change in their home countries – you can craft essays that speak directly to that vision.

Beyond research, I'd also recommend:

• Start early, especially with language testing requirements
• Use the CAR framework (Context, Action, Result) to structure all your examples
• Be specific with numbers and measurable impacts
• Ensure all four essays tell a cohesive story about who you are and where you're going
• Practice your interview extensively with people who can give you honest feedback
• Remember that leadership and networking aren't about titles or positions – they're about influence and impact

Most importantly, don't let imposter syndrome hold you back. If you're reading this and thinking about applying, you're already demonstrating the kind of initiative and ambition that Chevening values. Trust in your experiences, be authentic in your storytelling, and remember that the selection committee wants to find reasons to say yes to candidates who can articulate a compelling vision for their future impact.