How to Get into Habib University as a HUTOPS Scholar

Habib was a dream for me. The moment I stepped onto Habib’s Campus back in December 2023 for the Emerge conference, I knew that I had to come here, and this was the university I wanted to choose for myself. The students, the diversity, the programs offered, the community, and especially the campus- it was all exactly what I was looking for. Scholarship was a big aspect of why I got to attend Habib University in the first place, and when I got my admission letter for a 100% scholarship, I couldn’t be happier. That is why I would like to share my experience and guide many more students like me to achieve their dreams.

It all begins with your application. Make sure that when applying for scholarships, either HUTOPS or HUEOP (if you are from a local examination board), your grades and percentage meet the requirements of the application. But grades are a small aspect of getting your scholarship. Obviously they matter for the eligibility criteria in order for you to qualify for a certain scholarship, but the grades aren’t all. A very important aspect of the application process is the Meta Curricular Form. This is a form all students applying for a scholarship must fill in. The form requires you to put in your top five extracurricular activities that you did during your college years.

Filling the Meta Curricular Form

A pro tip for filling in the form is to add in every single activity you’ve done. Try to group activities together and write them under a single heading. For example, instead of using an entire heading for an activity to write one community service experience like a beach clean-up, write all your community service experiences together under the heading of volunteering. Now you can add 5 volunteering experiences you’ve done under one heading, automatically making your Activity stronger.

Once you fill in your application with the Meta Curricular, you must prepare for the HU Entrance Exam.

What makes up the HU Entrance Exam

For the test, Habib also offers a test preparation program to help you be fully prepared. The test consists of an English, Math, and Essay component. The difficulty and specifications of these differ according to the school and program you are applying for. Focus a lot on the Essay aspect. The topics of the essay can be diverse and are usually argumentative essays where you give and justify your opinion. In your essays, try to be unique, instead of having a typical opinion. The essay doesn’t require you to agree with it; instead, it wants to see your opinion and how well you can justify it. So don’t be afraid to disagree, and don’t disagree without a reason. Have a strong and valid argument.

What to expect in the interview

After the entrance test, shortlisted students are called in for an interview. In the interview, be confident and make sure you are self-aware of your strengths, your weaknesses, and the reason why you want to come to Habib. During the interview, they have your applications, grades, extracurricular form, and your essays open, and they can ask and cross-examine you on them. Just be honest and know what you’ve written. Sometimes they’ll make questions out of the answers you give, so it’s best to never lie in your interviews.

Their interview questions can range from why you want to come to Habib to the major you chose. For example, I had good grades overall in college but was an average student in Urdu so they asked me if I liked Urdu as a subject. I told them the truth that I have always been an average kid in Urdu, and they asked me how I feel about studying Jehan-e-Urdu, a compulsory Liberal Core Course all students are required to take. I told them that despite not being the best at it, I understand how these compulsory courses are a core part of our personality development. Overall, just be yourself, be confident, and be honest with the answers you give. Show them that you care and that Habib is a dream for you. Also show them how you are willing to contribute if you get in and what positive changes you can bring to their diverse community.

In conclusion, the biggest tip for applying to Habib and getting a good scholarship is to give it your all. Don’t miss any aspect of the admission process thinking you can do better in another part. All aspects of the process have their own rubric and points, and they look for students who have collectively done well in every aspect. Make sure your grades are good, your meta curriculum and application are strong, you do well in your test, you write a good essay, and do great in your interview. Once you check all the boxes, you should be good to go. Habib looks for all-rounder students who have good standing in academics and ample extracurriculars, are good communicators, and can overall positively contribute to the university.