How a Canadian Student Secured Over $40,000 in Scholarships to Study Music Entrepreneurship at NYU's Clive Davis Institute

My name is Senaida Ng, I’m an interdisciplinary artist-technologist, sound architect, DJ, creative entrepreneur, community curator and futurist currently based in New York City. I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and moved to NYC in 2020 to attend the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University. In 2020, I founded a music-neurofeedback research startup, MiSynth, which was voted for the “Most Impact” award at the NYC Media Lab x ASCAP Lab Immersive Music Challenge. Most recently, I founded a Brooklyn-based artist collective, WE ARE THE FUTURE!, to foster spaces for interdisciplinary art shares, co-creation and free expression.

Scholarship Details

I began applying for scholarships in my senior year of high school and received the Horatio Alger Canadian Scholar award, the NSHSS Performing Arts: Music Scholarship, the Jean Lumb Foundation Arts Award, and the Toronto Hakka Conference Scholarship, along with my entrance Tisch Scholarship to NYU. In 2021, I was inducted into the Paliwal Club of 100 by 1000 Dreams Fund and was the recipient of the ElevateHer Dreamer of the Year. I also received the Pacific Bridge Arts Musical Scholarship that same year. Last year, I received the NAMM President's Innovation Award to attend the NAMM Conference, where I was a guest speaker for the Women in AI panel. I also won the WiseGeek Lifelong Learners No-Essay Grant from Bold.org and received NYU’s Global Pathways Scholarship to study abroad in Berlin. This year, I was very fortunate to be one of two recipients of the Kyle Robinson Memorial Scholarship in honor of the legacy of Kyle Robinson. I was also awarded the Clive Davis Visual Storytelling Award to produce my own music video. 

Information based on her youtube video, she received:

• $1,000 from Notes for the Future Scholarship
• $24,100 renewable for four years from Tisch Scholarship
• $5,000 Horatio Alger Canadian Scholar
• $3,000 Toronto Hakka Conference Scholarship
• $2,000 NHSS Performing Arts: Music
• $1,000 Jean Lumb Foundation Arts Award
• $250 WYKAAO Scholastic Achievement Award
• $250 Ocean Awareness Contest
• $1,000 Paliwal Club 100 Scholarship

Educational Background

I chose to study at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU because of its holistic approach to music entrepreneurship and covered many areas I was interested in, including music business, production, and technology. I knew I wanted to be at a liberal arts university like NYU because I could be surrounded by students with many different interests, and that’s how I discovered the Interactive Media Arts department, where I’m taking a minor. I’m so grateful for the connections I’ve been able to make while at NYU and the many entrepreneurial and career development resources that they have provided.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for Scholarships and Institutions?

When I first started researching scholarships, I went on many different websites and made a list of ones that I was eligible for. I try to be very organized, so I find it helpful to make a spreadsheet of all the scholarships that I’d like to apply for with the deadlines so I work through them in order of urgency, and also will make note of any additional materials or essay questions that they require. In high school and college, I participated in a lot of extracurricular activities as a leader, and that has allowed me to have many different experiences that I can write about in my essays. 

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

I started looking for scholarships quite early on in my high school career (around 10th grade) and since I graduated during COVID, I had a lot of time at home to apply for many different scholarships and grants. I don’t think I would’ve done anything differently but my biggest advice for students is to start looking and applying early. Even if there are certain scholarships that would be a very good fit for you but you aren’t eligible yet, having them on your radar is very important, and engaging with different communities can be very useful.

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

As I mentioned before, I had a lot of time to apply for scholarships in my high school years, and I found that in college, I became busier and didn’t have as much time to look for scholarships. I think it’s really important to balance academics with extracurricular activities such as club involvement, community engagement/volunteer work, and personal projects because there are so many resources and opportunities to take advantage of in college. It’s really not just about your academics or getting good grades, but rather how you grow as a person and what you learn or takeaway from certain experiences. The key to writing a strong application essay is to make sure you answer the question directly and provide tangible examples of your work or skills. It’s also useful to have someone proofread it, and to seek out mentors such as your professors to guide you in your career development.