The Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship sponsors an annual scholarship for female undergraduate and master’s students who are studying computer science at any university in the world. The scholarship aims to bring greater diversity into the field of technology. In this article, ScholarshipTrack will provide the scholarship requirements and an interview with a former winner, Juhi Tiwari, to walk potential applicants through the application process.
According to the Adobe Scholarship website, to be eligible, the applicant must:
- Be a female undergraduate (2nd year or above) or a master’s student at a university for the academic year.
- Be enrolled as a full-time student.
- Have a major in computer science, computer engineering, or a related technical field.
- Have a good academic record.
- Not have a relative working for Adobe Research.
Furthermore, applications must include:
- A resume
- Current and/or past university academic transcripts
- Three letters of recommendation
- Answers to four essay questions
- An optional video or multimedia submission about your dream career.
The prizes for the scholarship includes a $10,000 cash prize and a one-year Creative Cloud subscription. In addition, the recipient will be paired with an Adobe research mentor and have the opportunity to apply for an Adobe internship. Students in India can apply to either the US or India Program Adobe India Women-In-Technology Scholarship, but not both. Applications for the Adobe Research Women-in-Technology Scholarship opens in mid-August and will close during mid-September.
To aid potential applicants in the application process, Juhi Tiwari, a recipient of the Adobe India WIT Scholarship, volunteered to interview with ScholarshipTrack. Tiwari is a final-year student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior, a public university located in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. Tiwari is passionate about web development and data science. She doesn’t keep her passions to herself though. At her college, she is a role model and a mentor to her classmates since she assists them in the field of technology. Tiwari’s passion for technology and accomplishments in the field have helped her win the Adobe India WIT Scholarship.
Key takeaways from the interview with Juhi Tiwari:
- Brief introduction of Juhi Tiwari
- How she found out about the program
- What inspired her to apply
- Procedure to apply
- Her reaction when she got selected
- Reason for her selection
- Benefits of the program
- Word of advice for future applicants
INTERVIEW:
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Juhi Tiwari. I am a final-year student at IIIT Gwalior who loves technology and am leveraging it to create value-based products. I love the field of mobile app development and data sciences and transforming my interests into solutions that can help fight some of the problems faced in our society.
Besides harnessing the power of coding, I also like to mentor students in my institute on various technologies and create an active community of techies who wish to make an impact.
When not in front of the screen, you can find me lost in my sketchbook, books or Hogwarts 🙂
2. How did you find out about this program?
I got to know about the Adobe India WIT Scholarship from my classmates—seniors as well as juniors—in the institute who were so understanding and supportive that they encouraged me to come out of the shell and just give my best try. Further information about the scholarship and the rest of the process was made clear from LinkedIn and the official scholarship site at Adobe, where the process was very clearly explained to us.
3. What inspired you to apply?
What truly inspired me to apply for the scholarship was my love for technology. Adobe has always been providing a platform for young people to come and showcase their own unique way of celebrating technology. More than anything else, I was excited to share how I had been leveraging the power of this field in my own small way, get their feedback, learn and grow myself during the application process. I knew applying for the scholarship, whether I get it or not, was going to teach me a lot of things; from portraying my thoughts in a crisp manner to getting to interact with industry leaders to learn how to present my dedication and work in the interviews. These were the experiences that motivated me. And of course, the scholarship would enable me to give back to the community and help others in the same way I was bestowed with.
4. For our scholars who are interested in the Adobe Women in Technology Scholarship, can you walk us through the application process?
The application process is very smooth. It usually starts from mid-August to mid-September. During the first round, you are given some essay questions which you have to answer in the given word limit. You have to provide some academic documents such as a transcript and a LOR (letter of recommendation) from one of your professors. You can also send a video, which is optional. I did not send the video as part of my application. After the essay round, if you are shortlisted you will have a couple of technical interview rounds. This information about which would be given to you by the end of November or the starting of December.
The essay questions revolved around your passion for technology, projects, interests, motivation, and ambition. The questions challenge you to think about the gender disparity in the field of technology and how you would overcome that. For me, I was asked about my role models and how I would pay back to the community with my knowledge.
5. When did you hear back from them? What was your reaction when you found out that you were selected?
We were constantly kept in the loop throughout the application process and the results were announced in mid-December on the official website. Shortly, we were informed about the results through mail as well. I was beyond excited and happy, as I was one of the five girls shortlisted among thousands of applications from all over the country. Moreover, the journey was so amazing. I got to meet some very knowledgeable and experienced leaders from Adobe and had such amazing conversations with them. To top that all, the result became equally sweet. I will forever be grateful to Adobe and everyone who supported me.
6. Why do you think you were selected?
I think one of the reasons why I was given this opportunity was that I reflected my honesty in the essay questions as well as interviews. My essay answers had a touch of personal flair as well as a technical aspect. This made sure I demonstrated my knowledge and at the same time made it relatable. I tried to show the impact my projects made and how in the future I would like to continue to do the same for the community. I also made sure I gave examples for each of the qualities that I claimed to have, through my work experiences over the years so that my work proves my point.
During my interviews, I made sure it wasn’t just a one-way conversation where I was just answering questions asked from me. We discussed my projects, I got feedback from my interviewer just like a mentor would give me. Also, wherever I felt I was unsure of his feedback, I would ask him and he would very patiently listen to my thoughts on it. I feel the panel could sense my passion for technology through my answers, LORs, and other documents that played a key role.
7. How has the scholarship changed you as a person? What were all the benefits you got from this program?
The scholarship covers the tuition fees for the remaining years of study. It also appoints an industry expert to mentor you as well as covers the cost of attending the Grace Hopper Conference-India. Apart from that, you are also given the opportunity to intern with Adobe India for the coming summer. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take up the internship as I had an internship offer at Microsoft at the same time.
The scholarship helped me improve myself on so many aspects, gave me an opportunity to network with such experienced personalities, and motivated me to give back to the community. Finding your name in the list of winners boosts your self-confidence and gives you the responsibility to help others and increase the participation of women in the field of technology.
8. What is your advice for this year’s applicants?
Be honest in what you portray, give examples to prove your point, and come out of your cocoon by interacting with previous scholars. Make sure your answers grab the readers’ attention from the first line itself and to ensure that, make sure you don’t procrastinate on filling out the application for the last days. Reiterate your answers and get them reviewed.
Do not be afraid of the interviews. If you’ve worked hard on your projects and your concepts about the tech stack, it is clear you will end up having an amazing conversation with your interviewer.
Lastly, relax and enjoy the process. Whatever the result would be, you will surely learn so much during the entire process which would prove to be one of the biggest takeaways in itself.
Juhi Tiwari is one of the many inspiring females who has won the Adobe India WIT Scholarship. The role she plays as a mentor at her college, IIIT Gwalior, helped her win the scholarship. When Tiwari is not coding, she’s most likely drawing in her sketchbook or reading a good book. Upon applying to the Adobe India WIT Scholarship, Tiwari had a lot of faith in herself and eventually ended up becoming one of the five females in India who won. Her advice for potential applicants is to be honest in their essays and to know that they’ll learn a lot just from the application process.
Scholarship Track 