Chevening Scholarship Scholar Nandini Prakash from India Shares Her Journey of Securing a Fully Funded Master's at King's College London, United Kingdom

My name is Nandini Prakash, and I am from Davangere, India. I am currently pursuing an MSc in Corporate Finance in the United Kingdom. My academic and professional journey has been centered around finance, strategy, and large-scale business operations.

I chose to pursue further education in finance to deepen my technical expertise and transition into high-impact strategic roles, with long-term aspirations of working in leadership positions and eventually building ventures focused on inclusive growth and financial empowerment.

Chevening Scholarship Details

I was awarded the Chevening Scholarship, a fully funded UK government scholarship that covers tuition fees, living expenses, travel, and other associated costs.

Were You Offered Any Other Scholarships?

Yes. I received university-specific scholarships from institutions such as the University of Bath, University of Reading, and Hult International Business School, among others. However, these were partial awards tied to individual universities.

Educational Background

I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (Human Resource Management) from Christ University, India. Additionally, I completed the US CMA (Certified Management Accountant) certification, an Executive PG Diploma in Finance from Symbiosis University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

This combination of business fundamentals and finance specialisation helped me build a strong analytical and strategic base, positioning me well for competitive postgraduate programs.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to King's College London?

My preparation was highly structured. I focused on building a cohesive narrative across my SOPs, CV, and applications, clearly linking my experience with future goals, and highlighting measurable impact from my professional roles. Each application was tailored to the specific institution.

More importantly, I spent time analysing the expectations of each institution against the reality of my own profile. Based on that, I strategically structured my applications to appeal to those expectations. At the end of the day, it is marketing, just with substance strong enough that no one can call it a bluff.

How Did You Find Information About Chevening Scholarship and King's College London?

I used a mix of official university websites, scholarship portals, online forums, and past recipient profiles. I also used AI tools sparingly for discovery and structuring, but relied more on primary sources for accuracy.

Platforms like Postgrad and Top Universities were particularly helpful in identifying relevant programs and scholarships. Once shortlisted, I always referred to official websites to understand eligibility and expectations in detail.

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

Yes, I took the IELTS.

My entire education has been in English, and I had always planned to pursue higher studies abroad. Because of that, I had been consciously, and at times unintentionally, building my proficiency over the years. A large part of this came from regularly engaging with English media without subtitles, which helped me become comfortable with different accents and natural usage.

In many ways, IELTS felt less like a test I prepared for and more like something I had been preparing for over time.

That said, my preparation itself was minimal and targeted. With a demanding work schedule, I scheduled the exam just three days in advance and used that time to complete a few mock tests and familiarise myself with the format.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Chevening Scholarship?

Preparing for Chevening was both strategic and introspective. I spent significant time reflecting on my leadership experiences, building strong and specific examples for each essay, and ensuring clear alignment between my career goals and the scholarship’s vision.

Initially, I had very low expectations. With a sub-1% acceptance rate, I approached Chevening as an effort worth making rather than an outcome to count on. That helped. I stayed objective and treated the process analytically.

I evaluated my strengths holistically: my professional experience, my background as a woman from a smaller city in Karnataka, and the broader context. The year I applied, Chevening had signed an MoU with the Karnataka government to support women candidates from the state. I consciously factored this into my positioning and structured my application to align with both Chevening’s global priorities and regional intent.

A key part of my preparation was iterative refinement of essays. I worked through multiple drafts, using tools like AI to pressure-test clarity, tone, and coherence, but the final selection was always based on impact and relevance, not attachment to phrasing.

I was also very deliberate about Letters of Recommendation. I chose recommenders who had directly worked with me and could speak to my leadership and impact in specific terms, rather than relying on seniority alone.

For the interview, I had limited time due to work commitments, so I focused on efficiency. I studied interviews of scholarship committee members to understand how they think and what they value. I then practiced articulating my own journey, clearly, concisely, and with conviction.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

Three key factors made a difference in my application:

Clear leadership trajectory – I focused on demonstrating leadership through measurable outcomes, not just titles or responsibilities. I highlighted what I did, how I did it, and the tangible change it created.

Consistency across all components – My essays, CV, recommendations, and interview all reinforced the same narrative without contradictions. This included LORs, which were intentionally aligned with the story I was building rather than treated as standalone formalities.

Strong career vision – My goals were ambitious, but also structured, realistic, and clearly connected to my experience and long-term direction.

Chevening prioritises leadership and impact, so I made a conscious effort to quantify my contributions wherever possible. This added clarity and made my profile more concrete and verifiable.

Beyond this, what truly strengthened my application was coherence. There was no ambiguity in who I was as a candidate, what I had done, and where I was headed. In a highly competitive pool, that level of alignment becomes a quiet but powerful differentiator.

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

I would have started earlier.

Most of my process was self-driven, which helped me develop clarity, but it also meant I learned through trial and error. Speaking to past Chevening Scholars or mentors earlier would have helped me refine my approach faster.

Starting early does not just reduce pressure; it gives you more time to think, not just write.

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

I would advise applicants to approach the application as a strategy document, not just an essay-writing exercise. It should reflect a clear trajectory, what you have done, the decisions behind it, and where it is leading, rather than a collection of experiences.

Be highly specific. Generic statements rarely stand out in competitive pools, so every claim should ideally be backed with context, action, or evidence. Quantifying impact, wherever possible, adds a layer of credibility that is hard to replace. It moves the application from being descriptive to being evidence-based.

Letters of Recommendation should be treated strategically, not as a formality. The strongest LORs are both credible and aligned with the overall narrative. They should reinforce the same themes reflected in the essays, ensuring consistency in how the candidate is positioned across all components. While LORs may not be the primary differentiator, in highly competitive processes, even a marginal gain in credibility and alignment can make a meaningful difference.

Alignment matters, but not in a forced way. The strongest applications are the ones where your choices, experiences, and goals already point in a clear direction, and that direction happens to match what the scholarship values, such as leadership and long-term impact. When that connection is genuine, it shows without needing to be overstated.

The interview stage is often where things become more tangible. It tests not just what you have written, but how well you understand and can articulate your own journey. While it is useful to learn general principles from publicly available interviews, over-relying on sample answers from past candidates can be counterproductive. Every profile is different, and strong responses come from a clear understanding of your own experiences rather than replicating someone else’s approach.

At a broader level, scholarships are investments. Selection panels are looking for candidates who are intentional in their journey, clear about their direction, and capable of creating measurable impact. In that context, clarity is not just helpful; it becomes your strongest differentiator.