B.Sc. Civil Engineering Student João Victor França Nunes from Brazil Shares His Journey of Studying at Clarkson University, United States

Hope all are having a good day. My name is Joao Victor Franca Nunes. Originally from Brazil, I was born in the city of Rio de Janeiro in a family of migrants from the northeast of Brazil. Today, I am 22 years old and an international student with 3.5 years of living in the United States while studying for a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at Clarkson University. This specific program, performed in Upstate New York, has enabled me to develop foundational concepts and connections in the construction industry, especially in the transportation, construction management, vertical design construction (VDC), and environmental design fields.

Since an early age, I have always been fascinated by history, nature, and problem-solving. This fascination, mixed with a strong sense of self-initiative and responsibility for the improvement of my community.; it inspired me to look after a career focused on coordinating and creating solutions for the environmental, cultural, and economic challenges of society. Corruption, the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, social injustice, and lack of historical preservation in Brazil pushed me into this aspiration. Despite this noble goal, however, the job scarcity, limited university possibilities, and nepotism within my nation posed an obstacle to achieving my goals alongside stable finances. Therefore, at 16 years old, I decided to prepare myself to study abroad in Europe or the U.S to achieve my dreams.

A senior expecting a graduation date in 2015

You Are Welcome Here Scholarship Details

Since 2022, I have been granted theYou Are Welcome Here (YAWH) Scholarship. This scholarship amounts to U$ 22,500 per semester, and yearly U$ 45,000 on tuition expenses for four years. These funds are a result of the #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign, started in 2016, which aims to encourage diversity, friendliness, safety, and student development in U.S institutions. According to their own words, “It’s a message of welcome from U.S. higher

education to international students around the world”. Moreover, this campaign has contained more than 300 participating institutions and countless organizations since 2019.

As a part of this program in 2022, Clarkson University provided this scholarship to only 2 international applicants per academic year, and only during their admission application. Through my accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and application essay, I was among the recipients of these spots, and of the 41 students in the U.S who acquired this award in 2022.

Were You Offered any Other Scholarships?

Alongside the YAWH scholarship, I was also awarded other scholarships by Clarkson and other Institutions.

First, before acquiring the YAWH, I was in fact offered a yearly U$ 30,000 scholarship on tuition expenses by Clarkson University due to my strong background and application. This scholarship, which at the time only reached up to U$ 30,000 per year, is part of Clarkson’s admission evaluation, in which students are automatically considered upon applying for university acceptance. However, after a request for a revaluation and extension of this aid with the support of additional application documents, I acquired the YAWH package.

Second, I received an offer for a scholarship package from Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO. The package, a Merit Scholarship, accounted for U$ 14,000 per year, which, upon a request for an additional interview, was expanded to an offer of U$ 20,000. Despite my great appreciation for SLU, and particularly for their international admission officer at the time, my finances didn’t allow me to accept the package.

Lastly, I was offered a small scholarship from Drexel University after applying for it. The scholarship was a simple one, summing to only U$ 9,000. It was granted as part of their admission evaluation, and I was automatically enrolled in it after applying to Drexel.

Educational Background

I haven’t acquired any higher education prior to attending Clarkson University. When I was 16, I acquired a scholarship to attend an international high school in Rio de Janeiro. This international school organized all my middle school and high school dates according to the American grading system, which highly assisted me when determining my GPA. In addition, all my classes were in English, and the school instructed me on how to apply to the Common App, do SATs, and granted me both an American and a Brazilian high school diploma upon graduation. My average GPA was between 3.7 and 4.00 out of 4.50. However, funny enough, I would not state that my grades and my international high school were the main determining factors that allowed me to acquire my current university program.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Clarkson University?

I prepared to apply to institutions through 2 educational sources and 3 main focuses. Concerning the former, as I said, during my time at my international high school, I had my GPA evaluated under American standards and was instructed on the main platforms and items to apply to university. However, in addition to this, I also applied to join a Brazilian organization called “Universidade do Intercambio”. Founded by Matheus Tomoto, a Brazilian native to São Paulo, who had work, research, and study experience at Purdue, Harvard, and MIT, the Universidade do Intercambio was the true tool that instructed me on a successful application to the United States.

The organization taught me the importance of developing meaningful extracurricular activities, of acquiring recommendation letters, of preparing for my TOEFL Exam, and of how to properly address universities and admission officials. It was from then on that I focused on 3 main goals: to create a meaningful extracurricular experience, acquire at least 3 recommendation letters, and to make sure that I would acquire a high grade on my TOEFL. For this journey, I ended up taking a GAP year after graduation, during which I created a sustainability project to preserve nature within my neighborhood and partnered with several big and small organizations, became a TA in a dance school, acquired a 109/120 score on my TOEFL exam, and gained recommendation letters from important Brazilian researchers and my high school teachers.

How Did You Find Information About You Are Welcome Here Scholarships and Clarkson University?

Most of the information about the scholarships was acquired by searching the institution's websites. On the other hand, the institutions themselves I found through ranking websites, the Common App, or visiting online university fairs. However, the instruction on how to differentiate need based to merit, or public and private scholarships, I learned through the “Universidade do Intercambio”.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I took the TOEFL as my proof of English proficiency, for I learned through the “Universidade do Intercambio” that this was the most widely accepted test for this matter among American universities. Concerning the SAT, I did not need to do it, as during my application, it was optional, yet I had access to some sample exams that I could have used. Those I acquired via my school, but I believe they can be found online on the College Board website.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the You Are Welcome Here Scholarship?

My preparation to apply for the scholarships was the same as applying to the universities. I needed to expand my extracurricular activities, get recommendations, and know the dates and study the culture of the universities I was applying to. Maybe the only thing more specific to scholarships was that I needed to practice my writing skills to develop good motivation letters. That was a key part of my entire application. In these letters, I would link my background and future goals to the culture of the organization and ways I planned to support it.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I believe that what made my application stand out was the originality, creativity, and self-initiative demonstrated. In the letters and activities I developed, I linked sustainability to community work, leadership, and creative problem-solving solutions.

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

If I were going to apply to my university/scholarship again, I would have taken more time studying the professors, culture, activities, current challenges, and goals that the university has. I believe that not only would this assure me more in my decision to join an institution, but it would also allow me to better connect my academic and extracurricular choices to the university. This would improve my acceptance chances and possibilities for scholarships.

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

I would say to deeply study the background of the institution and the scholarship you are applying for. Alongside this, I would do multiple iterations for my application and scholarship submission. As a result, I would achieve a more refined text. Finally, I would not fear asking for further chances, reevaluations, or chances to improve my possibilities. I jumped from U$30,000 to U$45,000 simply for asking, so why not?