Providing I don't gain an offer with a firm of my choice for trading/sales, I'm consideing applying for a scholarship for two well known UK master programmes directly related to Investment banking and trading. Now on the application statement would they prefer me to say that my direct motivation for applying to the course is to further my education to pursue a paricular PhD in finance/derivatives/financial markets or can I just claim the "truth" that I want to get into a bulge bracket bank within a front office role?I would be really interested in hearing the views of any successful scholarship holders.Cheers.

Tell them you want to pioneer an historic partnership between business and academia, that will spare us 30,000 years of barbarism by ushering in a new Galactic Empire.MP

Are you sure that they'd prefer you to say your motivation is to get a PhD afterwards?I was talking to the admissions guy at one of the MFE programs... he told me specifically that they definately do not want people who want to get a PhD after the MFE program, and that it is mainly for people who want a career in the industry. But maybe the masters programs in the UK are totally different then the one I talked to; like the MSc/MPhill kind of difference.I think the "truth" is fine.

Any one knows if King's college provides scholarships to international students in PhD in Financial Math program?I saw people from king's college posted messages in this forum before.

Dear Starbuck,I am exactly in the same position as yours, and I have to make a statement justifying why I should deserve the Scholarship.It's for Cass Business School.Do you have some ideas to help me please make a relevant letter to optimise my chances ?Thank you very very much.Velkro

From what I've been told Cass only offer about 20% of the fees in their scholarship based purely on your grades.

Ok...:-(And besides, as i'm French, I'll face heavy odds...I hope I'll have more chance with the British Council.Yours SincerelyPS: +10% for the CAC last 2 days !+2% while annoucing Osama Bin Laden being captured-1.5% while CIA refutating this statement 10 minuts later !The Markets are particularly dynamics nowadays, aren't they?

Have a deadline approaching very fast so would appreciate any further advice, so far I'm going with the front office trading career. I spoke to the admissions officer and they said the scholarships are based purely on your degree/Uni and then a slight % on your motives. Still I would be really interested to hear from anyone who has actually attained a scholarship for one of these programmes. This course will just hedge against me failing my coming interviews...