How to win a full ride scholarship to UBC

If you're someone who applies to things, you already know the rhythm. Scholarships, grants, fellowships, awards. And a lot of no's.

I'm Ziyaan Virji. I run Leaders of Today, a platform that helps young people find opportunities, and before that I spent years on the other side of the application process.

I've been where you are. I applied to hundreds of these and got rejected constantly in the early days. After enough iterating and enough feedback, I slowly started seeing results: the Diana Award, a prize set up in memory of Princess Diana for young people doing social impact work, a place as a Global Teen Leader, and eventually a full ride scholarship to the University of British Columbia worth $250,000.

Below is the essay that won that scholarship, quoted in full, broken down move by move. Take what works for your own applications.

The prompt

The prompt was: What is important to you? And why? (250 words)

Two hundred and fifty words is not much. That constraint is the point. You can't list everything you've done, so the only real option is to pick one specific story and tell it properly.

One thing worth knowing before you read the quotes below. The essay is about a three week stretch when I was seriously unwell and acting completely out of character, something I only understood properly once it was over.

Here's how I used the space.

Step 1: Start with a hook that makes people lean in

The essay opens like this:

3 summers ago, I fell asleep into this uncontrollable long dream. The dream brought out this unfiltered version of me in which I was hypersexual and hyperactive. I sang and danced during a prayer ceremony in the mosque. I buddied up to every single girl that I could possibly recognize. I told doctors that I wanted to be a porn-star. I even posted videos of myself acting like I was a reality star hyping up my fans.

Why this works:

• Unexpected start. Most scholarship essays open with "Ever since I was a kid..." or "I have always been passionate about..." This opening grabs attention because it is raw, surprising, and personal.
• Vulnerability. I led with something that was uncomfortable to share. That honesty makes the essay memorable and human.
• Specific details. Instead of a vague "I was acting strange," I gave real scenes. That imagery sticks in a reader's mind.

Takeaway: start with a moment that makes people lean in, not a resume summary.

Step 2: Deliver a turning point

But I woke up with ease, pleased to know that my dream wasn't reality. But that wasn't the case when the calendar on my phone said it had been three weeks since I fell asleep. I felt so out of body when I read hundreds of messages from my friends asking what was wrong with me.

Why this works:

• It's a plot twist. The reader goes from "it was just a dream" to "it was real, and three weeks had passed."
• The out-of-body moment invites them to feel my disorientation with me.
• Short sentences make the revelation hit harder.

Takeaway: after your hook, deliver a shift that raises the stakes and deepens the emotional connection.

Step 3: Sit in the questions

It took me a while to believe that all that had happened in my dream was in fact real. I began to question literally everything from then on. How could I have done all those things? Who am I really? What should I do next?

Why this works:

• I'm open about all of it without rushing to "the lesson."
• The questions are universal. Even if someone hasn't lived my exact experience, they've probably asked similar things about identity and purpose.

Takeaway: don't skip straight to "and here is what I learned." Let the reader sit in the uncertainty with you.

Step 4: Show the transformation

With time, I began to realize that I hadn't fulfilled my purpose on this Earth and that wasn't the legacy I wanted to leave behind. I felt like those three weeks was a wake-up call and that I had a responsibility to change.

Why this works:

• It's a purpose-driven pivot, turning the negative into motivation.
• It shows ownership. "I had a responsibility to change" makes it clear I'm taking accountability, not playing the victim.

Takeaway: show growth by connecting your experience to something larger than the experience itself.

Step 5: Land a principle, then make it actionable

When my life was almost taken away from me, I realized that I don't have to wait until "tomorrow" to do what I believed in and that I can start today. I started valuing every second that passed.

Why this works:

• The tomorrow versus today line is simple, sticky, and becomes a mantra.
• The shift is actionable. I'm not just saying "I value life more now," I'm showing it.

Takeaway: end your lesson with a principle that is easy to remember and repeat.

Step 6: Tie it back to the prompt

Since I had no control during that phase, I've decided I want to be in full control of what my future holds for me. Service is what is most important to me and positive impact is the legacy I want to leave behind.

Why this works:

• The prompt asked what is important to me, and the final lines answer it directly. Not implicitly, not by suggestion. Directly.
• My values feel earned, because they're tied to a lived experience rather than a generic statement.

Takeaway: always circle back to the prompt in the last lines so the reader has no doubt you answered it.

Why this essay worked

• Radical honesty. I told a story no one else could tell.
• High stakes. A health crisis, an identity crisis, a shift in purpose.
• Clear transformation. A chaotic experience turned into a mission.
• Strong closing. The reader finishes with total clarity on my values.

What to do with this

It's vulnerable to break down your own essay in public. I do it because there are so many people doing serious work, with exactly the right talent, who still lose out because of how the application reads.

The structure above is not a template to copy word for word. It's six moves, and almost any real story can be told through them. Pick the story only you could tell, then give it a scene, a turn, the questions, the change, a principle, and a return to the prompt.