How an Indonesian Student Secured a Half-Tuition Merit Scholarship at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University for a Bachelor’s in Architecture

Greetings, my name is Sean Sutrisno, and I come from Surabaya, Indonesia. I graduated from the University of Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool in Suzhou, China, with a bachelor of engineering in Architecture. 

Scholarship Details

I am fortunate enough to share my experience of achieving a half-tuition academic merit scholarship from Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University as a full recipient.

Educational Background

Initially, architecture school was not the first option in determining my undergraduate studies due to the time invested in studying economics and finance in my high school years. However, I was open to possibilities in other fields since I also have a hobby and portfolio - I was actively joining a photography competition and expanding my portfolio in Arts subjects - that coincide with the Architecture field. Another consideration for choosing an architecture major was the uprising opportunity in Indonesia's agenda in the construction sector, especially the development of Indonesia's new capital city, Nusantara; hence, I thought the architect's role was vital as a contributor to this emerging opportunity. Moreover, the skill sets gained from studying architecture are versatile. The areas of knowledge that the architecture program offers do not focus on one spectrum of disciplines but on multidisciplinarity in solving a specific problem in design as a solution.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the XJTLU Academic Merit Scholarship?

After several application attempts to various universities, I chose the scholarship offer from Xian Jiaotong Liverpool University. Looking back on my preparation for university application, there are two takeaways that I feel are worthwhile to share—firstly, planning the suitable courses and curriculum during the high school period. I am fortunate enough to have taken the International Baccalaureate (IB) during high school because it allowed me to choose six different subjects, such as math, physics, English, Indonesian, economics, and arts subjects. The subjects I have chosen are purposely aligned with my desired major for university application so that I have the credential of skill set by acquiring the knowledge in advance. Secondly, being active outside school hours by joining organizations and competitions increases our portfolio. Besides increasing our credibility through the achievement of certificates from vast organizations or competition, it puts us on the edge because we are assessed by withstanding further responsibility while maintaining a good academic score in school. In the end, I can say that I did not achieve an outstanding outcome from my academic performance. Yet, my portfolio and external achievements are quite considerable factors that Xian Jiaotong Liverpool University takes into account.

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

I would say to focus extra on my academic performance since I only aimed for 33/45 for my IB score. Extracurricular activities are essential, but academic achievement is the priority checklist for scholarship candidates. If I could achieve a higher mark for my IB grade, there would be more room for me to apply for more scholarships since it is the essential benchmark for Universities in selecting their scholarship candidates. Specifically, the strategies that I could have used during high school are not to procrastinate on specific projects that could be submitted before the end of high school so I could maximize my preparation for the final exam. Additionally, I should have studied more intensely as soon as possible when starting the IB program by joining extra courses and often consulting with my peers and teachers.

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

I suggest planning our strategy and preparation for scholarships in desired Universities as early as possible. Consulting with a senior or education agency is going to help efficiently in managing our expectations and goals during the high school period, for there are vast scholarships with different requirements. Xian Jiaotong Liverpool University is a UK-based university, so IB as a curriculum is recognised and could possibly shorten our study period from 4 years to 3 years. It is a different approach when planning to study in the US. Furthermore, plot our desired Universities that have similar requirements for university scholarships so we can progress effectively as qualified candidates.

Once our plan is settled, we can focus on our academic performance to expect or even surpass the requirement for our targeted scholarship. As mentioned before, to excel in extracurricular activities such as competition, organization, and community service is worthy of mention in establishing a distinct impression among other applicants; however, we need to be aware of the priority of the scholarship requirement, as most scholarships offered are based on academic performance. Ultimately, academic and non-academic contributions are vital components in making a strong application essay or portfolio representing our stance as eligible scholarship candidates.