How to land a scholarship.jpg

Hello everyone, I am back after taking a long hiatus from HIVE blogging. I do want to continue on my axie classes series but the writing progress has been slow. In the meantime, I would like to share with you all about how to increase your chance of securing a scholarship. I am sure a lot of you who are reading this haven't gotten one yet. Maybe you are new to this community and trying your best to learn the game while you apply everywhere; or maybe you are someone who had tried for months but is still unable to land one. You could be asking yourself, why? Why did I
not been given a chance yet?

Before I go with the tips, I would like to share with you all a little about myself. I am both a scholar and a manager, so I know both sides of the deal. I am a 2K+ MMR scholar of the DGG guild, a long-established guild that's been active in the Axie World since 2020(or maybe even 2019).

2K+scholar.png

[Scholar leaderboard of my boss, and if it's not obvious enough, I am Goliathus]

I also run a micro-scale scholarship with 2 scholars as of now and have to go through a lot of applications and interviews. Also, I do have experience filtering scholars for others.

Besides myself, I have also asked scholars and managers out there to provide their insights so you all can understand the takes from more than just me.

So, let's dive into the issue. Why are you not getting a scholarship, and what should you do?

P1. Not Standing Out

The first thing you have to know as an aspiring scholar is that there are more scholars than bosses and that ratio is crazy. At this point, I would even believe you if you say "the entire Philippines is getting into Axie" because it just feels like that when I see the number of applications on every social media I am in.

When the manager is going through like hundreds of applications, they are not going to stay too long on each entry. If you just answer the question shortly and straight, you are probably not getting spotted among the sea of applications.

S1. Be Different

So, what you need to do is to stand out. It can be done in various ways but you need to provide something different from others. The simplest way is to just write in detail and more importantly, you want to write what the manager cares about.

You see, there's a lot of people that write "trust me, I won't let you down" and etc. Why would I believe a stranger in that? If you walk on a street and a random stranger wants to hand you a bag, and he said "trust me", would you take the bag? It could be a bomb for all I know, so I wouldn't. This is not what the manager wants to know and no manager would trust any stranger. That's just human nature in modern society, there are troubles at every corner.

Instead, you should write about things like why you think you can perform better than others. Maybe you have a lot of gaming experience? Maybe you excel in a lot of other things you did in the past? Like you can tell me you won your regional Muay Thai tournament and etc, that would hit me because it shows that you are mentally tough and very dedicated to the things you like.

You want to write about your unique points so you stand out among all the applicants. Everyone is different so you have to sell your specialty, and be absolutely confident about it.

P2. Copy & Paste

As a manager, nothing irks me more than a copy & paste job. So, how do I spot a C&P, you might ask? In some Discord channels, there is a public channel where you can throw in your applications. If I see the exact same shit there as your application to my form, you are getting filtered right away. It shows that you show little care to what I write and you probably just C&P to 100 forms in the hope to land one. I am not a fan of shotgunner and a lot of managers ain't either. So, don't do that.

Another way to check it is that what you wrote might not be 100% relevant to my questions. I will share about my approach. After I go through all the application entries, I would pick some to interview. If I ever feel like you are not paying attention to my form in the interview, you are not getting in. Like I posted the team the scholar will be using in my last application. I took the form down before the interview and asked all the interviewees about the team. If they say they don't know, they forget, or they don't even see the team, it means that they are not giving much effort on the form and I wouldn't be giving my effort to them either. Or they just answer generally. That's a no either.

S2. Pay Attention & Answer Questions Properly

So, you want to actually give an effort to any and every form. Don't just C&P thinking you can get in, managers can easily spot effort. Like in the scenario I shared above, those who can actually answer me what they think about the team I showed were those I kept until the final phase. And I have talked to other managers who filtered in a similar way too. If you cannot answer any detail they especially want you to know in the form, then you are not getting it. So, pay absolute attention and make sure you treat every form like a new one, don't be lazy and just C&P. Laziness ain't getting rewarded. As I have said above, the ratio is not on your side, you want to give more effort than others if you want a real shot.

You should write and re-write on every form based on what they ask. No forms are the exact same and managers look at different things. You want to make it looks like you are writing the whole entry yourself, that you dedicated your time to fill the form. You can have a reference document to look at, but don't just hard C&P it.

And if you are a freelancer out there, this also applies to you. Employers don't give a crap about your C&P pitch letter, you want to go personal on every job. This is a piece of generic advice you can find easily on Google and shared by many active online freelancers. Getting an Axie scholarship can be similar in this aspect.

P3. Fire-and-Forget

There are a lot of people who join every scholarship Discord server out there, slam the form, then do nothing else in the server after that. This is a big no-no because it shows that you care about nothing else than the scholarship and you are there just for that.

A lot of managers are there to build a community and they want scholars to be there for more than money. It's no different from a working environment, your colleagues would prefer if you are sociable in the workspace and genuinely care about more than just work. They want to feel that you are a human being, not a freaking robot. If you are giving zero fuck about the community, the community would give no fuck about you. Good luck with your chance of getting a scholarship with that attitude.

Also, if you are joining a big guild, some managers (like me) do check your activity on the server. If you don't even show any activity at all, they will be doubtful about your desire to get a scholarship there. Managers would certainly prefer a talkative guy who is there to engage and communicate with others. Your activity is just one Discord search away, so if you want to have a higher chance of getting a scholarship, be active. Show that you are there to stay and you are very active.

I can even give you a relationship equivalent of this. Just ask any lady if they like a partner who fire-and-forget, go to sleep right after and never show any kind of aftercare, 99.99% of them are going to tell you "FUCK NO", cuz you make them feel like a freaking street whore if you do that! So, don't be that dickhead, be considerate to others' feelings, and don't just use your significant others or even a casual partner like some fucking tools (pun intended). No girl likes a selfish partner, just like no manager likes a selfish employee. Care for others in any kind of relationship because that is how shit works.

S3. Participate & Socialize

This is easy to solve, be active and engage! I have seen active Discord users being recruited at a much higher rate everywhere I am at. If the discord has an established community, you want to blend in right away!

I know a lot of people go into scholarships with the idea that you don't have to do much, you just need to roll the dice, submit 1000 times and you will eventually land one, but it is not. It's like workouts, you reap what you sow. Putting time to socialize will always give you a much higher chance.

Also, being sociable might get you more than just a scholarship. I have certainly gotten a lot of opportunities in the Axiesphere because I have helped people and engaged on a daily basis. Like, even these articles are a part of my engagement and they could one day lead to more than just the HIVE rewards I get. You never know. So don't think that it is a waste of time to talk to people and etc. Opportunities are everywhere but if you don't do shit, you will never earn anything.

This also applies to the interview. When I interview, I want to see if the applicants will talk more than just answering my questions. For instance, I interviewed a working 32 years old recently. He impressed me a lot because he shared about his life and he answered my questions and extended to share more. He doesn't just one-line everything. This shows enthusiasm and characteristics, like I get to know him better and I feel like I can trust him more than those who just answer my interview with short answers all the time.

"Be real" is not just a hip-hop thing, it's an Axie thing too. Managers do want to know that they are talking to a real person on the other end, especially with multi-accounters being a big concern. Multi-ers don't really have time to talk a lot and they don't really share much, a genuine person with no guilt would.

I didn't hire the 32 years old but I recommended him to other managers (because I really like his attitude and answers) and he got a scholarship about 2 days after.

P4. Fake Bullshit

A problem with a lot of pitches is that they are too unrealistic. I don't know why a lot of scholars like to write "I CAN PLAY 12 HOURS DAY IN AND DAY OUT" when the game only needs like 2 hours to finish the energy.

And let's be fucking real, 99% of you ain't playing past the 20 energies. Don't try to bullshit me here, I have tracked enough scholars and seen enough scholars everywhere that I know this is a big load of horseshit. I also talked to enough regular players who have 40 or 60 energies and they don't spend all of them every day due to real life and etc. No way I will believe any claim of 12-16 hours every day nor do you need that amount of time here. This is not like an MMORPG where you can grind and grind and grind.

S4. Be Honest & Realistic

Do you know what is a way to stand out (which is S1) right there? Be honest! Just say that "I do have 2 hours every day to play", this tells the manager three things:

(1) You are not faking enthusiasm
(2) You are not a desperate liar
(3) You actually know that it takes 2 hours daily

Your 2 hours will stand out among all the 12-16 hours claim, I can guarantee you that.

Also, don't try to bullshit the managers that you can go up to 2.5K MMR if you are new. Just be real, if you don't have experience, say you don't have experience. You might think that would reduce your chance but some managers out there don't mind new players and they look for honesty more than anything.

P5. Self-Centric Pitches

This advice works for everything, including finding a job in real life. Some people put too much focus on themselves, they talk too much about "hey I am good in these and these", "one of the best out there", "you won't regret it" and just keep listing his attributes for five paragraphs.

What is missing is that these don't necessarily tell the managers how useful they can be as a scholar. They don't give a shit if you are the best in the business, they want to know how you can help them get what they want.

S5. Understand the Manager's POV

Every manager has different criteria but one thing that is consistent for every manager is that they want to take in who they believe can help them. This is not Facebook or Tiktok, where you show your best and attract fans. Managers are searching with a purpose and you want to tell them that you can help their purpose, whatever that is.

Instead of just sharing what you can do, tell them what you can do can help their goal. Even the business nowadays are doing these. Customer-first pitches are the go-to approach now. If you are selling a car, you don't tell them how good is the car, you tell your customer the car fits them because of X, Y, and Z. For example, if your customer is looking for a family car with a lot of space, you need to hit that when you introduce the car. Explain why his family would love it, how it is better than other cars for kids and etc. This is the same concept here, you need to show the manager that you can help them achieve their goal.

Here are some takes from others:

As like any aspiring scholar, my journey began with finding out about this whole NFT gaming world, and of course, Axies Infinity shined over the others. From there I started to learn the basics of the game from guides online and from the most popular YouTube videos.
Getting accepted in a scholarship was not easy nor fast, I applied to every single form that I could find and got no callbacks. In these forms, one question was recurrent, "Why should we choose you". I think that was the most important one because everyone that studies the game can answer the gameplay question, but why and how are you different from the rest is important. The famous "sell me this pen" can be applied, every pen can write, but why should the manager choose this one. That's something to keep in mind of.

I also started to follow the scene more closely and talking about current events in the Axie community can help the managers see that you are actually involved in the game. Talking about your strategies now that the season changes came, your favorite team in the current meta, and how that team works, what would be your approach if you started today. Those are things to mention in my opinion.

Talk about yourself, of course never give really sensitive information. But the manager has to know that they are talking to a real committed person, telling your hobbies, work/school/college, favorite games, and how that experience will give you an edge over the others, it's something I mentioned a lot.

And lastly, keep it professional. Treat it like any other job application, don't push or beg for the job, for a lot of us it really could be life-changing (it certainly is for me), but you have to remain professional and realize that they are going to choose you not because of personal status, but because you really can be an asset and provide more than a quota for the team and the community.
-- Monarch | OKG1 Scholar

Monarch hits on a lot of the points I issued above. He understands how to connect with managers and even that, it took him plenty of applications to eventually land on a scholarship. You don't just need to work hard, but you need to work smart.

Application journey for me and my wife.
How long it took us?

Me 1 week.

Wifey 2 days
Wife received 2 offers.
Me 1. Thanks, Kuma!

I think the reason why we got hired is because of our plan on how to get and maximize SLP earning per day. Most of the applications that I observed just mention that they can get 150-200 SLP per day without any plans on how to get it.

Getting a scholarship is similar to getting a corporate job. Managers need assurance that they will get better results since they invested in us. Highlight your skills during the interview! If someone asks you about your hobbies, mention something that relates to Axie.

If they ask about your gaming Experience don't just mention the games that you played, explain why it will help you with Axie or if there are some similarities to the game.
-- emil_cristi | Kuma Scholar

The biggest take of emil_cristi, to me, is that you need to not just talk about your experience or expertise, but you need to tell the managers how would they translate into Axie success. This is a very important point. As I said, a manager needs to go through hundreds of applications, they ain't wasting their brainpower to extend on your answers. So, you need to tell them straight on why your skill can help in the scholarship. Also, this shows that you understand how you can perform and help the manager, and that's a good sign. Self-awareness and smartness are good attributes for any scholar.

: scholars hm.... well there is a ton of them, but how to get a good scholar..... : a lot of these people I noticed come off as desperate and insincere. some people approach me to want a scholarship but when I offered to teach them about the game (for free), they don't want to know. They simply want a scholarship. What this tells me, is this person even if you give them a scholarship they don't seem like the type of people that will bother to have any self-initiative to learn and improve..... personally, I look for people with some integrity and self-initiative and come off as trustworthy. not these other people who just want to take advantage of you. I wouldn't trust these types with my axies. cuz how are we to know if they are applying for additional scholarships that may end up getting our own axies banned if they get caught multi-accounting?
-- Moogle Stiltzkin | Scholar & Manager

As you can see, it's important to not be desperate and be honest. Moogle has actually gotten his scholarship from the official Discord server after just one day because his pitch was sincere and not exaggerated (none of the I GRIND 12 HOURS) so I am sure he stands out among others there and was contacted right away. As a manager, he seeks honesty and sincerity, and most managers are smart enough to read the scholars, at least those who are very apparent with their intentions.

And that is about all for today. If you have submitted a lot of applications and still did not get a spot as of now, I hope my article provides some insights as to why and I hope you can improve your applications and eventually land a scholarship!

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Credit to IconArchive for the 24x24 link image.

All uncredited images are screenshotted by myself.

And thanks for reading!

Interested in crypto gaming? Here's the list of games I have dabbled in:

Axie Infinity
(ETH - Get a little bit of Pokemon and Monster Rancher in this pet breeding and battling game)
Neon District
(ETH - Can you thrive in a dystopian cyberpunk world in this turn-based RPG?)
Splinterland
(HIVE - Collect monster cards and duke it out in this fantasy card battler.)
Rabona
(HIVE - Hattrick in cryptospace? You got it, Football Manager!)
Exode
(HIVE - Ambitious space colonization simulation game, a game for the gamers with indepth gameplay.)
Rising Star
(HIVE - An idle game where you try to become the brightest star in the music world. Don't miss it if you are an indie musician looking for exposure!)
Holybread
(HIVE - A casual idle RPG to scratch your fantasy itch with minimal time investment)
Alien World
(WAX - It's now just a mining simulator, but mores are coming in this sci-fi universe)
RPlanets
(WAX - Stake your WAX NFTs for rewards and invent new elements!)

How to Land a Scholarship: Tips on Securing A Scholarship + Perspectives From Scholars & Managers