How I Secured a Fully Funded Master's at the University of Sydney, Australia Through the Australia Awards Scholarships

Hi everyone, my name is Taufan from Indonesia, a beautiful archipelago spanning across 17k+ islands. I studied an MBA (Leadership and Enterprise) at the University of Sydney, Australia. It was a stepping stone for me to pivot from Software Engineering to Product Management in the tech industry.

Australia Awards Scholarships Details

I was sponsored by the Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS) in my studies and am currently a proud alumnus. AAS is a full-ride scholarship that covers travel, admission, tuition, allowance, student health insurance, and student service fees. The total amount was estimated at AUD 177k, adjusted for inflation.

Educational Background

Before the MBA, I studied computer science at Universitas Indonesia and graduated with a GPA of 3.64/4. Both degrees are quite disparate, and it was a major leap for me back then. But the compsci degree thankfully equipped me with strong logic and problem-solving skills as a foundation to help me learn any field.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the University of Sydney?

How Did You Find Information About Australia Awards Scholarships and University of Sydney?

I mostly did desktop research through websites, testimonials, and blogs from the official AAS website, university pages, and alumni. More information always helps to calm down my nerves, reduce uncertainty, and come better prepared.

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

I took the TOEFL iBT in 2016 for my applications to US universities, before I decided to pursue AAS. Before the test date, I studied every day for 30-60 minutes after work for 2 months. I took a free online course from edX and also bought a textbook for additional study material.

Even though the plan to study in the US did not come to fruition, the TOEFL score was my initial capital for the AAS preparation.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Australia Awards Scholarships?

For the 2019 intake, the submission deadline was around Apr 2018, so between work, I contacted my references - 1 was my work manager, and 1 was my professor at uni - to get their approvals, researched Australian universities (again, mostly online), and drafted my application essays. The essays went through several rounds of revisions with the help of my friends who had experience in applying for a scholarship and/or a postgraduate degree.

How is Your Experience at the University of Sydney?

The MBA experience was definitely one of the best things in my life. The cohort was a diverse class from many countries, and I learned a lot from each student. The professors are subject matter experts who employ various learning methods that are both engaging and educational. And the university itself is made up of communities and services that support your learning and recreation. Easily one of the most delightful 1.5 years.

How Does the University of Sydney Support International Students?

The University of Sydney has numerous activities to help international students get the best out of their studies and have fun. I joined walks, city tours, and a networking program called Speak and Connect. Basically, they have lots to offer, and it really depends on the students to pick and kind of build their own adventure.

Specifically, the MBA program offered free career coaching services to help students prepare for their next career move after graduation. This was also an excellent stepping stone for me, as it helped me greatly through personalized sessions and exercises. Actually, I’d like to use this space to thank my coach, Lisa Tracy, without whom I might be in a completely different situation today.

What Did You Pursue After the Australia Awards Scholarships?

I pursued work as a Product Manager to fulfill my goal of getting an MBA: to pivot from Software Engineering to Product Management. Thankfully, the university prepared me with enough skills and credentials to successfully reach one of my dreams.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I think application essays are mostly about telling your story, and it boils down to these: where are you coming from, where are you going, and how are you going to get there. I focused on those pillars and started filling in the details with facts and supporting data. For me, it was a story about a computer science graduate who wanted to solve people’s problems using technology and make their lives better.

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

Looking back at my entire scholarship journey from 2016, I would’ve been less idealistic about my scholarship target and tried multiple scholarships instead. Initially, I was adamant about going for LPDP (the scholarship offered by Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance). I applied in 2018 and got rejected. Then, I applied to multiple scholarships based on their application date sequence: New Zealand, Fulbright, AAS. Thankfully, I landed in AAS.

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

Preparation is key. Set a target year for when you want to start studying and work backwards from there. You’ll start having a clearer picture of when to have all the application materials, the test results, the references, and the scholarship.

Don’t do it alone. While ultimately it is YOUR journey, you don’t have to do it alone. Ask your friends or peers to talk through your plans or review your essays. Reach out to a mentor. You’ll be surprised how kind people can be and how you can pay that kindness forward later on.