Education is a major defining factor in your professional career, and earning or not earning a scholarship can shape the course of your future. While not all scholarship interviews are that high stakes, earning the distinction, honor, and financial aid is a competitive journey.
By the time you’ve secured an interview, you’ve already come a long way. At this point, you don’t want to leave anything to chance—and that includes what to wear to a scholarship interview.
Exactly what to wear will depend on the type of scholarship interview and your level of education. For example, appropriate law school or medical school interview attire would be a suit and tie for men or a pants suit or conservative skirt for women.
If your scholarship interview is for high school or college, you may not need to be dressed as formally as a suit and tie—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look sharp and well put together. Your outfit must be clean, sharp, and professional, and you must feel comfortable and confident in it.
Here are 7 dos and don’ts to follow when preparing your attire for a scholarship interview.
1 | DO Plan Your Attire in Advance
Don’t roll out of bed and throw on the first thing you see. Not planning your outfit in advance will distract you on the big day and leave you feeling and looking flustered.
Will you earn your scholarship strictly on the merits of your fashion sense? Absolutely not, but it’s important for the interviewer to see that you put thought and care into how you present yourself. It shows you’re invested in the process and care about the results.
A wrinkled t-shirt you had to fish out of the laundry because it was the only thing you had clean shows apathy. It demonstrates that you don’t really care whether or not you earn the scholarship, and this is the last thing you want to convey to the interviewer.
Plan your outfit in advance so that you know it fits and can ensure it’s clean and ready for the day of your interview. Lay it out the night before, along with anything else you need to bring to the interview, so you can focus on staying calm and confident and practicing your interview answers on the day of.
2 | DON’T Show Off Your Sense of Style
While a little personal flare is fine, your scholarship interview is not the time to show off a new trendy look. Unless your scholarship interview is specifically regarding fashion, this is not the time to show off your unique sense of style.
Nothing should distract from the quality of your answers. Keep your outfit simple and professional so that the only thing the interviewer is focusing on is how maturely, thoughtfully, and enthusiastically you respond to their questions.
3 | DO Choose Simple Colors and Textures
Choose simple colors and textures that don’t distract. You want to ensure the focus is on what you’ll be able to accomplish with the scholarship. Simple colors and textures will ensure the most compelling thing about you are the thoughtfulness and maturity of your answers.
For a suit, that means black, gray, or navy, with a plain shirt white or blue shirt or one with a basic pattern. If you’re wearing a tie, keep it simple and professional as well. This isn’t the time to show off your custom-made Star Wars tie. While it’s true that that would show off a potentially key piece of your personality, you want to present professionalism and maturity. Do all that you can to keep the attention on your interview answers, interpersonal skills, and body language.
4 | DON’T Overdo Jewelry or Accessories
Don’t overdo it on flashy and excessive jewelry and accessories. It’s imperative that you keep the interviewer’s attention on what you’re saying. Excessive jewelry and accessories are visually distracting and will pull the interviewer’s focus away from your answers.
Don’t wear anything clunky, such as large rings, and don’t wear anything that dangles, like large bracelets that can bump up against things. Wearing too much jewelry could also suggest you’re not exactly in the financial position to need a scholarship.
In addition to being visually distracting, accessories can be loud. If you’re wearing several rows of jingling bracelets, adjusting in your seat or using your hands to emphasize a point will severely detract from what you’re trying to say.
5 | DO Test Your Outfit for Comfort
Don’t leave the comfort of your outfit up to chance. Try it on. How does it feel? But don’t stop there. Mimic the steps of your interview.
If you’ll be sitting down a lot, test sitting down and standing up in your clothing. Does it feel comfortable, or does it bunch or wrinkle? Will you be sitting in a car or on the bus to get there? How will your clothing be affected by your commute?
What about sweat? As confident as you may feel right now, you’ll be at least a little nervous on the day of your interview. Regardless of the temperature, this means you’re more likely to sweat. Is your clothing forgiving of a bit more sweat than usual, or will it stand out? Excessive sweat marks may be distracting for your interviewer and will visually convey that you’re feeling nervous. Additionally, if you see the sweat marks, you’re likely to become flustered and lose confidence.
If you’ll be doing a lot of walking, are your shoes comfortable? Don’t take out a brand new pair of shows on a day already filled with pressure and discomfort. The last thing you want is a bunch of blisters to worry about.
Leave nothing to chance. Test out your outfit to ensure nothing trips you up or negatively impacts your confidence on the big day.
6 | DON’T Wear Anything Tight or Revealing
Choose well fitting clothing that’s not tight, provocative, or revealing. You’re aiming for professional and mature, and trying to show off your muscles or cleavage conveys just the opposite. You’re not going to a bar or on a date.
Interviewers are evaluating your professionalism and maturity, not how often you go to the gym or how few carbs you consume a week. Show that you’re taking this seriously by keeping your outfit sharp, professional, and modest.
7 | DO Practice and Prepare
Your attire is only one small piece of the puzzle when preparing for a scholarship interview. Preparation is the key to keeping your composure, answering questions with passion and poise, and not letting your nerves get the best of you.
Follow these tips for scholarship interview success:
- Practice common scholarship interview questions in advance.
- Surprise yourself with unexpected questions to learn how to think on your toes. This will prepare you for any questions interviewers may throw at you.
- Practice your interview body language by answering questions in the mirror to ensure you appear confident and calm.
- Record yourself answering common questions. Are your shoulders back? Are you sitting up straight? Remember to always keep your hands out of your pockets and make eye contact with your interviewer.
- Practice your handshake to ensure you lead with confidence without seeming like you’re trying to overpower the other person.
- Complete tongue twisters and vocal exercises to improve your pronunciation and articulation.
How much time should you dedicate to preparing, and what should you do leading up to your interview? Read our Scholarship Interview Guide, which includes key tips for preparing and what to do on the day of your interview.
Additionally, we have a guide of common scholarship interview questions you can use to prepare. Don’t go into your scholarship interview blind. These are the most common scholarship interview questions and how to answer them.
Med School Insiders Scholarship Opportunity
Are you looking for additional scholarship opportunities? If you’re a premed or early medical student, you may be eligible for the Med School Insiders Balance and Wellness Scholarship.
The scholarship offers $3000 of Med School Insiders services to two students who share their experiences successfully balancing school and a healthy lifestyle.
We’re passionate about helping students take a holistic approach to their education and lifestyle. We believe—and have seen the results for ourselves—that exercise, quality sleep, healthy eating, strong relationships, hobbies, and generally taking care of yourself leads to improved performance in your school and work life. When you take care of yourself, you perform better, and you’re also better equipped to take care of others.
The scholarship opens once every year during the summer and is awarded in September. To learn more about deadlines and submission guidelines, check out our scholarship page.
Student Resource Library
Med School Insiders is passionate about sharing more than study strategies. Our blog and YouTube channel are filled with lifestyle advice to help you design your ideal future because we want you to live a happy, healthy, and successful life.
Check out our lifestyle category, where we cover student health, self-discipline, decision making, routines, habit forming, and much more.
