Chevening Scholarship – Statement/Essay Tips

The Chevening Scholarship is a prestigious UK government scholarship designed to nurture future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers worldwide. 

The final deadline is October 7th 12:00 UTC/GMT

In this in-depth essay tips, we cover

• Mission - Chevening Scholarships
• Background Information
• Eligibility, Funds Offered, and Scholarship Benefits
• Ideal Candidate – Personality Types and Traits
• What to Highlight
• What Not to Highlight
• How to Stand Out
• Supporting statements – Essay Tips
• Leadership and influence
• Relationship building and shared learning
• Studying in the UK
• Career plan

Mission - Chevening Scholarships

Its mission is "to support UK foreign policy priorities and achieve prosperity by developing global leaders." By providing fully funded access to education in the UK, the scholarship helps scholars gain the skills, experience, and networks necessary to create meaningful change in their home countries. Through this, Chevening fosters lasting relationships between the UK and other nations, supporting a vision of global cooperation and progress.

Background Information of the Fund – Why the Fund was Developed

The Chevening Scholarship was established in 1983 as a part of the UK government’s efforts to nurture global leaders and build diplomatic relationships through education. Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organizations, the scholarship supports UK foreign policy priorities by providing opportunities for individuals to study in the UK. Its goal is to create a network of talented individuals who are committed to driving progress in their countries and globally. 

With over 60,000 alumni worldwide, Chevening scholars is a global community with a shared vision for a better world.

Eligibility, Funds Offered, and Scholarship Benefits

Chevening Scholarships are available to citizens of Chevening-eligible countries who demonstrate leadership potential and a strong commitment to creating positive change. To be eligible, applicants must have at least two years of work experience and hold an undergraduate degree that qualifies them for a UK master’s program.

The scholarship covers all expenses related to studying in the UK, including tuition fees, accommodation, travel, and living expenses. This allows scholars to focus entirely on their academic and professional development during their years in the UK. 

Scholars also gain access to the extensive Chevening network, which includes professionals, leaders, and policymakers worldwide.

Ideal Candidate – Personality Types and Traits

An ideal Chevening candidate is someone with a demonstrated capacity for leadership and influence, coupled with a clear vision for how they will leverage their education to benefit their home country. 

Chevening scholars are passionate, proactive, and resilient, with the ability to navigate complex challenges and work across diverse sectors. 

Key traits include:
•    Leadership – Demonstrated ability to lead initiatives, projects, or teams with a focus on achieving tangible outcomes.
•    Influence – Proven ability to inspire others and drive change through collaborative efforts.
•    Networking – Strong skills in building professional relationships and using networks to accomplish goals.
•    Strategic Thinking – The capacity to create realistic plans that align with long-term career aspirations and the needs of their country.
•    Global Mindset – Open to engaging with diverse perspectives, cultures, and disciplines to find innovative solutions.

What to Highlight

1. In your application, focus on how your professional and personal experiences align with Chevening’s mission.
2. Highlight your leadership roles, including specific examples of how you’ve used your influence to create positive change.
3. Discuss how the knowledge and skills you’ll gain in the UK will enable you to achieve your long-term goals.
4. Provide clear career plans that demonstrate how you will use the Chevening network to impact your community and country.
5. Mention experiences where networking has played a significant role in your success and how you plan to continue building meaningful relationships during your time in the UK.

What Not to Highlight

When applying for the Chevening Scholarship, avoid emphasizing traits that are not aligned with the program’s core values. 

For example, candidates who highlight personal achievements without demonstrating how they impacted a broader community may appear self-focused rather than globally minded. Additionally, presenting yourself as someone who prefers to work independently, without collaboration or networking, can go against Chevening’s emphasis on building strong relationships and connections. 

The fund looks for leaders with a strategic vision. So avoid discussing short-term goals or career changes that lack alignment with long-term objectives for your country. Lastly, an overly academic focus with no clear plan for real-world application might suggest you lack the hands-on leadership Chevening values.

How to Stand Out

To stand out as a Chevening applicant, ensure that your narrative is authentic and clearly shows how your experiences have shaped your vision for change. 

Demonstrate how your professional background aligns with the specific goals of your chosen courses, and articulate how you will use these experiences to tackle pressing issues in your home country. 

Emphasize your commitment to building global networks and explain how the Chevening community will play a key role in your long-term success. You can also mention the work Chevening scholars have done in areas such as politics, education, and social change, such as how over 1,300 scholars dedicated hours to volunteering in the UK. 

Show how you intend to follow in these footsteps and give back to both the UK and your own country.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the Chevening Scholarship's background, values, and what they are looking for in applicants, the next step is to translate these insights into your application supporting statements. 

In the following section, we will explore how to approach each supporting statement with clarity and purpose, offering practical tips to ensure your application stands out.

Supporting statements – Essay Questions

1. Leadership and influence: Chevening is looking for individuals who will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your leadership and influencing skills to support your answer. You must enter a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 500 words.

2. Relationship building and shared learning: Chevening seeks individuals with strong professional relationship-building skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships professionally, using clear examples of how you currently do this, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future. You must enter a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 500 words.

3. Studying in the UK: Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses and explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience and your plans for the future. Please enter new information and examples here and do not duplicate the information you have entered on the work experience and education section of this form. You must enter a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 500 words. 

4. Career plan: Chevening is looking for individuals who have a clear post-study career plan. Please outline your immediate plans upon returning home and your longer-term career goals. You may wish to consider how these relate to what the UK government is doing in your country. You must enter a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 500 words.

1. Leadership and influence

Question: Chevening is looking for individuals who will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your leadership and influencing skills to support your answer. You must enter a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 500 words.

How to Approach

In the leadership influence section, Chevening expects candidates to highlight their ability to inspire change and positively impact individuals, organizations, or communities. 

Your essay should showcase how your leadership has influenced others, emphasizing key characteristics such as attitude, value creation, listening, passion, openness, time management, and knowledge. 

Align these traits with Chevening’s goals of developing global leaders and fostering positive change. The statement should reflect your leadership philosophy and the tangible outcomes of your influence.

Introduction - Leadership

Setting the Context Begin by introducing your leadership style - leading by example, leading by persuasion (aligning personal incentives with mission incentives), leading by perspective taking (imagining in other person’s shoes and asking follow-up questions to breakdown the perspective), leading with cross-cultural communication (language, shared history/trauma), leading by repeating mission/values or leading through persistence (challenging goals). 

Explain how your leadership style influenced others. 

Mention how Chevening’s emphasis on leadership aligns with your personal experiences, especially your capacity to affect change through influence. 

Tip: Focus on a specific challenge or opportunity where your leadership influence made a difference. This sets the stage for the rest of your statement, showing that you understand the power of influence in leadership.

Section 1 – Influencing Attitude and Value Creation 

Discuss how your leadership style influenced others' attitudes and values, helping them achieve personal and professional growth. Show how you fostered a positive attitude within a team or organization, which led to constructive changes. 

Tip: Highlight the tangible results of your influence—whether it improved team morale, streamlined processes, or sparked innovation. 

For Example: If Maya were writing this section, she might explain how her positive attitude and hands-on approach inspired volunteers at FoodBlessed to take ownership of new initiatives, expanding the organization’s food waste reduction efforts.

Section 2 – Leadership through Listening and Passion 

Next, describe how active listening has helped you better understand the needs of your team, which in turn increased your influence. 

Listening allows you to tap into the values and desires of those around you, helping you guide them toward shared goals. 

Additionally, demonstrate how your passion for a cause motivated others to act. 

For instance, showing enthusiasm for a project or mission can inspire team members to align with your vision and work toward common goals.

Tip: Show how listening and passion made you an effective influencer. Use examples that highlight both your emotional intelligence and your ability to connect with others on a deeper level.

For Example: Maya could describe how, by actively listening to FoodBlessed volunteers’ suggestions, she empowered them to take on leadership roles within the organization. Her passion for food security ignited a shared sense of purpose, leading to the creation of new, community-driven initiatives.

Section 3 – Openness, Time Management, and Knowledge 

Discuss how your openness to ideas has enhanced collaboration and innovation within your team. Openness in leadership allows others to feel heard, which in turn fosters a more inclusive environment. Additionally, explain how your time management skills have helped your team stay focused on key deliverables and remain productive. Finally, touch on the importance of sharing your knowledge with others through one-on-one coaching, or empowering a culture of teaching. 

Leaders who actively commit to continuous learning can inspire their teams to do the same, fostering a culture of growth and development.

Tip: Highlight a specific instance where your openness or knowledge-sharing led to a significant impact, whether through improving team performance or implementing a successful initiative.

For Example: Maya might explain how her openness to new ideas allowed FoodBlessed to partner with local NGOs, expanding their reach. She could also discuss how her time management skills ensured that projects stayed on track while her commitment to learning inspired volunteers to develop new skills.

Conclusion 

Leadership: Summarize how your leadership style—through attitude, value creation, listening, passion, openness, time management, and knowledge—has prepared you to take on more significant challenges. 

Local and Global IMPACT: Connect this with Chevening’s mission of supporting global leaders, emphasizing how your leadership influence will bring impactful outcomes both locally and globally.

Forward Looking: Keep the conclusion forward-looking, showing how you will apply the skills and knowledge gained to further your influence in the UK and in your home country upon returning.

2. Relationship building and shared learning

Question: Chevening seeks individuals with strong professional relationship-building skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships professionally, using clear examples of how you currently do this, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future. You must enter a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 500 words.

How to Approach

1. Start with a Strong Introduction 

Align Your Leadership Vision: Your introduction should link your leadership vision with Chevening’s mission to “support UK foreign policy priorities and achieve prosperity by developing global leaders.” 

Begin by briefly stating your leadership philosophy, how it reflects Chevening's mission, and how your leadership has driven positive change in your community, profession, or society. Ensure that your vision emphasizes the development of global networks and lasting partnerships.

Skill: Effective Communication

Describe how developing effective communication has played a key role in your leadership journey. Explain how you conveyed your vision to a team or stakeholders, encouraging collaboration and decisive action. Highlight examples where both verbal and non-verbal communication helped you lead successfully.

Example: Maya might highlight her ability to communicate effectively when founding FoodBlessed enabled her to motivate volunteers and partners to deliver over 300,000 meals in Lebanon, and prevent a famine. Often, communicating what is on the line if the team doesn’t deliver brings focus and enthusiasm to the mission.

2. Showcase Leadership Skills with Clear, Real-life Examples

While narrating the motivating speech, also include real-life challenges in delivering. A good essay captures multiple aspects of the roadblock from interpersonal conflicts from differing tactics to deliver the results, security challenges (if you were delivering in a conflict-affected area), and the strategies to maximize the results.

Skills: Conflict Resolution and Professionalism

When providing your example, show how you handled conflicts within teams or with external parties. Highlight how your professionalism helped you maintain calm under pressure and navigate disagreements constructively. Explain how your conflict-resolution skills, coupled with empathy and emotional intelligence, contributed to achieving a positive outcome.

Example: Maya could explain how she managed logistical disagreements at FoodBlessed, utilizing empathy to listen to all sides and emotional intelligence to mediate a solution. Her approach led to smoother operations and the continued delivery of meals to those in need.

3. Demonstrate Influence and Collaboration

Leadership isn’t just about directing—it’s about inspiring and collaborating. Discuss how you influenced others through persuasion, collaboration, or mentorship. Explain how your actions encouraged others to pursue a common goal or change their approach. You don’t need a formal leadership title to demonstrate influence—informal leadership can be just as powerful.

Example Skills: Relationship Building and Contribution

Discuss how building professional relationships allowed you to expand your influence and get others involved in your projects or initiatives. Emphasize how cultivating trust and demonstrating a willingness to contribute led to positive collaboration and increased impact.

Example: Maya could mention how her ability to form strong relationships with local businesses, government agencies, and volunteers helped scale FoodBlessed’s reach. Her positive attitude, professionalism, and active contributions created a network of collaborators dedicated to reducing food waste and feeding the hungry.

4. Emphasize Ethical Leadership and Responsibility

Chevening values leaders with integrity, a strong sense of responsibility, and inclusiveness. 

In this section, explain how you lead with ethics and respect. Describe how you prioritize others' well-being and practice empathy when making decisions. This could be in a professional setting, volunteer work, or any leadership role.

Example Skills: Empathy, Emotional Intelligence, and Positivity

Explain how practicing empathy and developing emotional intelligence has shaped your leadership approach. 

Showcase your ability to understand and respond to the needs of others, creating an inclusive and positive environment. 

Highlight how maintaining a positive attitude has helped you persevere through challenges while keeping your team motivated.

Example: Maya could discuss how empathy for Lebanon’s underprivileged and her emotional intelligence allowed her to design FoodBlessed’s services to meet the most critical needs. Her positive outlook inspired others, including volunteers and donors, to join her mission to make a difference.

5. Conclude with a Focus on Future Impact and Vision

End your statement by discussing how you plan to expand your leadership and influence in the future, particularly with the support of the Chevening Scholarship. 

Outline your long-term goals and how the scholarship will enable you to make a greater impact in your home country or globally.

Example Skills: Seeking Feedback and Continuous Improvement

Mention how you actively ask for feedback to develop your leadership abilities and how you’ve used this feedback to improve. Highlight your commitment to continuous self-improvement and your desire to gain more skills through the Chevening network, which will enable you to contribute further to your community or industry.

Example: Maya could conclude by explaining how, with the support of Chevening, she could access global networks and knowledge to implement new food security initiatives in Lebanon and similar conflict-affected regions. Her openness to feedback and commitment to learning would allow her to refine her leadership and make a broader, long-lasting impact.

3. Studying in the UK

Question: Outline why you have selected your chosen three university courses, and explain how this relates to your previous academic or professional experience and your plans for the future. Please enter new information and examples here and do not duplicate the information you have entered on the work experience and education section of this form. You must enter a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 500 words. 

How to Approach

This statement should focus on three main elements: why you chose your three university courses, how these choices align with your past academic/professional experiences, and how they connect to your long-term goals. 

Given the Chevening Scholarship’s mission to support global leaders committed to making meaningful change, ensure your narrative is strategic, highlighting leadership qualities, long-term goals, and a commitment to benefiting your home country.

Format for Writing the Statement

Introduction

The gap in the current learning by doing or learning from the network should be introduced in a balanced tone without disrespecting any stakeholders.

Then reiterate the overarching goals of Chevening (leadership, impact, global cooperation), and how your chosen field of study in the UK will help in bridging the functional gap. 

Then, pivot to the value of networks in the UK.

For example, in the case of Maya, she can introduce her passion for tackling hunger and food waste, emphasizing how the Chevening network will help her gain new insights from scholars who faced similar or offered services of larger-scale food insecurity. 

Section 1 – Relevance of Chosen Courses

Discuss each of the three university courses you've selected, explaining why each is uniquely positioned to help you achieve your career and societal goals. 

Mention how each course offers specialized knowledge, skills, or methodologies that are not easily accessible elsewhere. Use specific details to explain why these programs stand out.

Tip: Emphasize leadership, strategic thinking, and how the knowledge from these courses will help you address issues back home.

For Example: If one of your courses focuses on public policy, explain how the UK’s approach will provide insights into governance and sustainable development that you can apply to your country's specific challenges. Here Maya can discuss why she chose the MSc in Migration, Mobility, and Development at SOAS, University of London. She can explain that this course provided her with the skills to better understand the intersection between migration and food insecurity, given Lebanon's large refugee population.

Section 2 – Connection to Previous Experience

Next, explain how these courses build upon your previous academic and professional experience. Use concrete examples from your background that demonstrate how your past has prepared you for this next step. This is where you can discuss leadership roles, initiatives you've led, or professional expertise you have developed, ensuring each aligns with the scholarship’s mission to develop future leaders.

Tip: Be specific about how your past experiences have shaped your vision and what gaps these courses will fill. Show a clear progression from where you started to where you are heading.

For Example: If you’ve worked in community development, explain how a course on urban planning will allow you to implement scalable projects that positively impact your home country's infrastructure. Similarly here, in the case of Maya, she would describe her prior work experience, founding FoodBlessed, and how this experience in mobilizing volunteers and storing food to avoid waste laid the groundwork for her studies. She would explain how the academic insights from her UK course enabled her to scale FoodBlessed and address the broader issue of food insecurity on a policy level.

Section 3 – Long-term Vision and Impact

Here, discuss your plans and how studying these courses in the UK will help you realize your vision for your country and the world. 

Focus on long-term goals (5-10 years) that align with Chevening’s emphasis on global cooperation and leadership. Discuss how you will use the knowledge and networks gained to influence policy, lead initiatives, or create programs that benefit your country or region.

Tip: Be clear about the impact you intend to make. Chevening is looking for candidates who can bring about change on a national or international scale. Whether it’s influencing policy, launching initiatives, or working on grassroots solutions, show how your education will be the catalyst for this change.

For Example: If your goal is to reform public health policies, explain how you’ll use your education and the global network to influence decision-making in your country and address its healthcare challenges. Here, Maya would outline her long-term goals, such as expanding FoodBlessed to other regions and influencing government policies on food security. She would tie this to Chevening’s goal of fostering global leaders and explain how her education in the UK would give her a framework to incentivize world leaders.

Conclusion – Summarizing and Connecting Back to Chevening

End by reinforcing how your study in the UK aligns with the mission of the Chevening Scholarship. Emphasize your leadership qualities, commitment to positive change, and long-term vision. Restate how the scholarship will give you the tools to bring your plans to life and how you aim to strengthen the relationship between your country and the UK.

Tip: Keep the conclusion forward-looking. Reaffirm your commitment to your community and how the Chevening experience will help you be a force for positive change.

4. Career plan

Question: Chevening is looking for individuals who have a clear post-study career plan. Please outline your immediate plans upon returning home and your longer-term career goals. You may wish to consider how these relate to what the UK government is doing in your country. You must enter a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 500 words. 

How to Approach

For the career plan statement, Chevening expects candidates to present a clear and actionable roadmap for their professional future after completing their studies in the UK. The emphasis should be on immediate plans upon returning home and how these goals connect to your long-term aspirations. It's important to align your personal vision with Chevening’s values, such as leadership, influence, and creating positive change, and show awareness of how UK policies impact your country.

Format for Writing the Statement

Introduction – Setting the Context

Tip: Frame your immediate and long-term plans within a broader context that aligns with Chevening’s vision of global impact. Start by addressing a local or national issue you intend to contribute to, showing that you have a clear path forward after returning from the UK. Here a plan is better than the feasibility of achieving all the milestones for the plan to be termed successful.

Section 1 – Immediate Plans Upon Returning Home

Outline what you intend to do as soon as you complete your studies and return to your home country. Be specific about the role or position you aspire to, how it will contribute to your field, and what kind of leadership role you will take on. Explain how the skills, knowledge, and networks gained in the UK will help you in this immediate phase.

For Example: If Maya were writing this section, she would likely discuss how she would use her degree to strengthen FoodBlessed’s efforts, expand food security programs, and influence policies that reduce food waste in Lebanon. She might also describe how her studies in the UK provided her with a deeper understanding of migration and how it impacts food security, enabling her to implement more effective strategies.

Section 2 – Long-Term Career Goals

Now, move on to discussing your longer-term vision. Explain how your immediate plans will act as stepping stones toward broader career aspirations. Link your goals to Chevening’s emphasis on leadership and global influence, demonstrating how you intend to create a lasting impact in your field. This section should show a forward-thinking approach and the ability to plan for sustained change.

Tip: Focus on the long-term changes you want to implement in your industry or community. Discuss strategic partnerships in the region and with organizations in the UK to achieve this goal.

For Example: Maya would likely elaborate on her long-term goal of establishing a regional network for food security, connecting NGOs, governments, and international organizations to address food waste and hunger across the Middle East. Her plan would highlight how her leadership at FoodBlessed could evolve into a larger movement for sustainable development and regional cooperation across the world.

Section 3 – Alignment with UK Government’s Work in Your Country

Chevening values individuals who can strengthen the relationship between the UK and their home country. In this section, explain how your career goals align with the work the UK government is doing in your country or region. Highlight any synergies between your ambitions and UK policies or projects. This shows that you are aware of global dynamics and how the UK’s efforts can complement your goals.

Tip: Research any relevant UK partnerships, initiatives, or projects in your country. 

A UK-based non-profit operating in the region could be cited to highlight best practices and processes that you plan to incorporate in the region upon returning

For Example: Maya might mention that the UK’s commitment to sustainable development and its partnerships with NGOs in Lebanon align with her long-term goals. She could discuss how she plans to collaborate with UK-based organizations to strengthen food security initiatives in Lebanon and the broader region.

Conclusion – Reaffirming Commitment and Leadership Potential

End your statement by reaffirming your commitment to your home country and to Chevening’s mission of developing leaders who can create global change. 

Summarize your career goals and emphasize the leadership qualities that will enable you to achieve them. Show how studying in the UK will equip you with the tools, networks, and perspective to fulfill your long-term vision.

Tip: Reinforce your leadership potential and the strategic importance of your career plan in addressing key challenges in your country.

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Reference

• Chevening Scholarship