How an International Aerospace Engineering Student Secured the Think Big Scholarship to Earn a BEng at the University of Bristol

I’m Niall Quadros, currently studying at the University of Bristol. With becoming extremely fond of the intricacies behind Formula One and the design of liquid propellant rocket engines, these interests motivate me to indulge in opportunities pertaining to these fields.

I’ve always been interested in making tangible solutions to simple problems, so I knew sitting behind a desk coding an app was not it for me. Therefore, I chose Aerospace Engineering, which teaches most MechEng principles with a focus on aerodynamic objects that either fly upwards, sideways, or drive flat out at 350 km/h.

University of Bristol’s Think Big Scholarship

With less than 1% acceptance rate, I was grateful to be awarded 6500 pounds per year by the University of Bristol’s Think Big Scholarship, specifically for international students, both undergraduate and postgraduate.

This application award is based on your reply to 3 short essay-based questions.

You can also receive the 13000 pound per year scholarship too along with or without a small living expenses grant. However, please check the official website for the most up-to-date details.

For this scholarship, looking up the deadline for your incoming year and applying on time is crucial. I prepared for this by looking up videos on how to answer the essay questions. The best advice I got through the videos I saw was to structure your answer in a cohesive narrative rather than just stating facts. It should be slightly ambitious but realistic and true at the same time.

https://youtu.be/NjfpAqRNk7U?si=qRubitFfEePz5LX5

The above video helped out quite a bit.

Educational background

During IGCSEs, and took 7 subjects, 98% in math and chemistry, and 96% in physics were my top three scores. During A levels, I topped in my class with A*, A*, and A in physics, chemistry, and math, respectively.

Experience at the University of Bristol

For anyone pursuing Aerospace Engineering, the University of Bristol ranks 2nd in the UK after Imperial College London according to the Guardian Rankings. The resources and the way of teaching definitely, according to me, support this claim. The Aerospace directors spend time and effort on hearing student feedback and working on it throughout the year, which honestly makes an impact on the student experience at Bristol for Engineering.

We have student-led teams like HyPower that participate in the European Rocketry Challenge, the FSAI team that participates in Formula Student AI, the motorsport teams that work on electric motorsport cars, the drone society that participates in Drone competitions, and the Bristol SEDS (space exploration) that participates in a multitude of National competitions. All this is accommodated by the legendary Queens Building (Engineering building), which has every facility you need as an undergrad to learn and apply from your course.

Standardised tests: I used Khan Academy’s online coaching to prepare for my SATs, but it’s not necessary at all to apply to the UK.

What Advice Would I Give Students to Apply to the University of Bristol

If you are applying to universities in the UK, you need to be very sure about what major you are applying for from the beginning. It’s almost impossible to switch courses between departments after getting an offer. Moreover, follow deadlines and be organised when applying. And compare course modules between offers received from different universities.