Application for Google Generation Scholarship (Women Techmakers Scholarship) — Essay Preparation

This blog will help in prepping the answers to the essay questions, the most important part of your Google Women Techmakers Scholarship application.

These questions would be related to your passion in computer science, struggles you faced in your tech journey and things you have done so far to promote women in tech. Since your technical skills and achievements are already portrayed in your resume, this step aims to explore your leadership qualities in the filed of women empowerment and what future initiatives you have in mind that you would like to carry out with the money and support that you’ll be given if you receive the scholarship.

While answering the questions keep in mind:

“Don’t underestimate yourself. You are capable of more than you can ever imagine” — Les Brown

How should you approach the questions?

My applications consisted of 3 essay questions:

1) How do you think computer science, computer engineering and/or a closely related technical field is changing the world? How do you plan to contribute?

• Point out how technology has created a strong impact in your community or area.
• How technology has empowered women in your peer circle or community.
• What contributions you have made; better to enumerate the contribution that would make you stand out considering the word limit.
• Also specify the contribution that you are currently working on or plan to work on.

Please describe the most significant computer science project or research you have worked on, how you approached key technical challenges, and what you gained from the experience. This can be an assignment work, a research project or work as an intern. In the case of a team-based project, help them understand what it’s like to work on a team by clearly specifying your individual role and contributions in the project.

2) Please discuss the structural issues impacting underrepresented groups that you have observed or experienced in computer science, computer engineering, and/or a closely related technical field. What connection and/or effect do you think these have to the industry and/or the wider world?

• Briefly describe the struggles that you have faced as a tech evangelist or as a woman in technology; you can state about the discouragement, bullying, unsupportive family and all the problems that pull you back from achieving your STEM dreams.
• How do you think these problems would create a bad impact on the world and the future; especially the dreams and happiness of underrepresented groups?
• Please describe how your experiences have influenced the goals you have for yourself.

3) Please write about an activity that you are currently or recently involved in to address structural issues for underrepresented groups in your field.

• Mention about your leadership roles and experiences while working with underrepresented groups in technology.
• Make sure to show the statistics and numbers. For example, specify the number of women on whom a particular activity had an impact or the count of participants from the underrepresented group.
• Explain how you were influential, what you were trying to achieve and the impact you had as a result.
• Think broadly and examine the ways you are having an effect on the members of your technical community, your university, or your broader community.
• Be genuine and be yourself :)

Pro Tips

1. Be honest with your answers. Do not boast and cook up stories even if you’re stating your accomplishments.
2. Start by creating a shitty first draft.
3. Give examples to demonstrate the work you have done and the impact it has created.
4. Identify any limitations or improvements that have to be made to your impact on community.
5. The answers should stand out for your own self in a very lucid manner- your potential, your experience, your views and your vision.
6. Get the answers reviewed by past scholars, mentors or friends.
7. Make sure to get rid of redundancies as clean and crisp application has the best impact.
8. Numbers matter — It’s important to mention metrics of your work and about diversity issues. This shows that you have done your research on diversity issues in tech.
9. Make use of the maximum word count.
10. Make sure your passion in computer science is displayed through your answers.
11. Stick to the word limit, write concisely, do not unnecessarily verbose and do not use flowery language.
12. Read the answers again and again until you are satisfied!

These are my two cents that helped me out.

Google had organised a YouTube live to aid the aspirants with application process and also to address general FAQs.

I’d like to thank my mentors, friends and family for believing in me :)

Good Luck Peeps!

Don’t hold yourself back from anything, step up! Don’t do it for recognition, do it for the experience and the unending path of learning.