What It Takes To Be A Maybank Scholar

The Maybank Overseas Scholarship awards only 20-odd places to the thousands of applicants each year. Offering a full education financial assistance from pre-university to degree level, it covers tuition fees, a laptop, accommodation, and a very handsome living allowance. To prepare scholars for a successful career with Asia’s leading financial service group, a career preparatory suite consisting of internships, business assignments, presentation impact, and effective communication will also be provided during the scholarship tenure.

Do you think you have what it takes to be a Maybank scholar?

Let’s find out.

The Maybank scholarship assessment comprises 5 progressive stages.

Stage 1 – Submitting the scholarship application form.

You will never be a scholar if you never give yourself the chance by not submitting your application.

It does not matter if your grades do not match your peers or the smartest person in your school. It does not matter if you do not hold as many leadership positions as the most active guy/girl. And it certainly does not matter what others think about you in regards to your ‘chance’ of getting the scholarship.

As long as you meet the minimum requirements, just SUBMIT IT. You lose 100% of the chances if you do not try. It is up to Maybank to decide if you are their ‘(wo)man’.

Stage 2 – Online Assessment

You have hit ‘send’. Now, check your email regularly. You will not want to regret missing out on the next stage simply because you did not check your emails for reasons unknown.

One thing you should know is that Maybank handles the applications in batches. So not everyone will be at the same stage at a point in time. Do not worry if you have not heard from them while your friends have. They do it in batches. Be cautiously optimistic.

However if you do not hear from them in two months, then consider the possibility of your application being unsuccessful as they only respond to successful applications. (At least you tried – no regrets there!)

If you are successful, you will be asked to complete an online multiple-choice assessment. There are two parts to it: Mathematics and English.

You will not need to memorise any formulas or theories. Just have a few sheets of plain paper, a pen/pencil, and a calculator ready on your table.

The questions asked are mostly logical, aimed at assessing your analytical skills, critical thinking, and time management. However, it is a timed test and there are a lot of questions to complete in that time frame. It would be good for you to only attempt it when you are fresh and undisturbed. In this case, time is literally gold. Better mute your phone and stay off Facebook.

Do not take too long answering the questions though. Skip any you are unable to complete, proceed to the next question, and only return if you have time left. It is not the end of the world if you are unable to complete the assessment. You do not get through by finishing it the fastest. You qualify through meeting a certain number of correct answers. Again, if memory serves correctly, only successful candidates will be notified.

Stage 3 – Interview

If you get through, prepare for an individual interview session at Menara Maybank. You will probably be interviewed by high management level staff(s). It will be good for you to do some research on Maybank beforehand.

It is perfectly normal to feel nervous and edgy. Do your best to minimise this by taking deep breaths, thinking happy thoughts, and striking conversation with your fellow applicants in the waiting room. It does not hurt to make a few friends while calming down the nerves. Chances are, they could be nervous as well.

During your interview, just be yourself and let your personality be known. Be prepared to defend your credentials listed in your application, as certificates will not be enough. Maybank wants to see you for the person that you are and not for what was written on paper. Here, titles are nothing but for the lessons you’ve learned while obtaining them. Answer follow-up questions as concisely as possible. Speak in a calm and professional manner. Above all, be truthful. Do not lie. They will know. After all, you will not be the first person they have interviewed in their lifetime. You should be notified of the decision a few days after the interview or, if you’re lucky, immediately.

Stage 4 – Individual Presentation and Group Discussion

The finish line is nearing, and there are just a few more obstacles left for you to overcome.

The first is in the form of an individual presentation of a case study. Here, you will probably be given a case study and tasked to solve a certain problem in relation to it. Your decision-making skills are put to the spot as you will be given a number of possible solution and asked to choose what you consider most suitable. Time will be allocated for you to prepare before you are to present it to a panel of judges. Be as clear and concise as possible during your presentation. Follow-up questions will be posed, so get ready to defend your case.

Immediately following that is a group discussion related to the case study you did with other candidates who also made it to that stage. This will not be the same scenario given from the individual presentation, but related to it. Being a team player will be a vital as you discuss and negotiate the possible solutions given by the judges.

Stage 5 – Pray

In all stages, do to the best of your abilities. Now, the only thing you can do is pray. Things are now beyond your control. Let God do the rest. If it is meant to be, it will happen for you. If you do not get it, do not be discouraged. Rejections happen. It is part and parcel of life. When one door closes, another opens. Do not blame yourself too hard either. Sometimes, it is not because you are not good. Different companies have different qualities that they look for when giving scholarships. To each its own, as they say. If it makes you feel better, you may try asking them for feedback.

As it has been some time since my application, the stages may have changed without my knowledge. It would be best to take things with a pinch of salt and be prepared for anything they can throw at you, including essays.

During my time, essays were included in the application stage, but this has since been removed. Brace yourself for the possibility of being asked to write something in regards to yourself, your CV or leadership at any point after Stage 1. As a general rule, be concise and think out of the box to catch Maybank’s attention.

All the best in your applications people!

So do you have what it takes to be a Maybank scholar?

If you do, I’ll see you soon. 😉

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You don’t need a state-of-the-art equipment to locate him, just look for his shiny head! Student leader, writer and Maybanker, Kyle Chan Wei Ren believes that making a difference starts with yourself. A firm believer of Gandhi’s phrase, an eye for an eye makes the world blind, he prefers writing, debating and diplomacy to warfare. He has been offered a place to read Accounting and Finance  in the London School of Economics and Political Science, pending A-Levels results in mid-August.