How to guarantee your selection for the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Program (MSP/MLSA)

HOW TO GET SELECTED IN MICROSOFT LEARN STUDENT AMBASSADORS PROGRAM 

 

What is Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Program?

Formerly known Microsoft Student Partners Program, Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Program is a program organized by Microsoft to help emerging developers and tech enthusiasts to learn about technologies and Microsoft products by providing resources and sponsorship.

Sponsorship in things that you do for your communities like seminars, events or workshops and also for premium educational packages for you like LinkedIn Learning, MTC Certifications, Azure subscription, VS Code spaces subscriptions, domain sponsorship and so on. This help is intended for students to practice and get along with Microsoft technologies and other emerging technologies so that they can be industry ready when they graduate.

 

It also aims to develop leadership among students by making them conduct workshops in their field of study, train fellow juniors and to develop and contribute for the technical progress of their communities.

What are the benefits of Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Program?

Because this whole program is sponsored by Microsoft, the ambassador will get every kind of help by Microsoft for your studies. From mentor ship to subscription aid and also financial aid while conducting workshops but not without some real efforts from your side as well. You have to earn these benefits by reaching specified milestones, like by learning new technology or educating people in your communities, organizing workshops etc.

Different benefits are unlocked when you reach different milestones and you have to prove your work to them to reach those milestones. These milestones are listed below:

• Alpha-I Milestone

        This milestone is achieved after you are selected to this program. Benefits include:

1. Microsoft 365 subscription
2. Microsoft Teams Subscription
3. Invitation to join with MLSAs all over the world
    

• Alpha-II Milestone

        It can be achieved by completing and reporting a completed learning path from Microsoft Docs. Make sure that you're completing a Learning Path and not a Module. Modules are the little sections that make up the big, chunky Learning Paths. The date of completion of that path should be after your acceptance to this program.

Benefits include:

1. LinkedIn Learning
2. VS CodeSpaces Subscription
3. VS Enterprise subscription
4. MTC voucher
5. Yourname.com domain for a year and maybe more
   

• Beta Milestone

        It can be achieved after you are at Alpha-II stage. You simply have to conduct a workshop or some seminars or boot camps and report to Microsoft. Essentially, you have to conduct some programs in your college or at your community where you enlighten junior fellas about some technical concepts, Microsoft products or guide them properly on how to advance in Innovative sectors. But you can target international audience as well if you like. The main aim of this event is to expand knowledge of Microsoft technologies and other technologies and develop leadership skills in you.

Benefits include:

1. Microsoft swag kits and goodies like pens, backpacks, T-shirts, pen drives and more
2. $150 worth of monthly Azure subscription
3. And all benefits below this stage
   

• Gold Milestone

        This milestone can be achieved through some exceptional community service in technological areas or others besides going for some badges. You have to create a positive technical impact in your society or your region and maybe you will be invited for this Gold milestone.

Benefits include:

1. All benefits below this milestone
2. Chance to be a regional leader
3. Chance to be a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional(MVP)
   

How to apply for Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Program?

I'll now guide you through a very simple process to apply in this program. Stick to the end to learn about some sure shot tips that can get you accepted in your first try.

1. First make sure you have a personal Microsoft account. If you don't then make one and proceed to the next step.
2. Go to this Ambassadors website and click on the big blue Apply Now button you see.
3. Now, login with your Microsoft account and give the access it asks.
4. Then again click on that Apply Now button.
5. Now you can see a form opened. It requires some information about yourself, your academic institution and some of your thoughts in some situations. This form will decide your acceptance to the program. Fill the form providing necessary information. Then, you're done. Oh wait, you want me to guide through this as well? No problem. Let's get cracking.

How to fill the form for Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors application?

Be sure to check its policies out before you join into this program. You have to pass certain eligibility criteria to be able to submit this application and get accepted as well.

Eligibility Criteria for Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Program

• You must be at least 16 years old at the time of submission.
• You must be a student from a university or college affiliated to some university.
• You need to have proper valid identification papers.

 Once you share this information along with this application, it will be shared to the leads that manage this program but will be deleted after 12 months of your acceptance or rejection. You may be asked to provide other information in case you are not selected. Else you are good to fill up this form.

1. In the left side, you can see listings of some things you need to complete. Green circles are the sections you've filled up completely and the red triangles /alerts are the sections incompletely filled. Initially in your case all of these are red alerts. So now, head over to the first one, Privacy and Terms.
2. Now, tick the I agree.... checkbox and click Next.
3. Now, in Personal Information section, fill your personal information. The red asterisks indicate those fields are not optional. You must fill them.
4. In Academic Institution Information section you have to fill up information regarding your university or college like where is the college located, your expected graduation date, your major etc. After you fill them up, click on Next.
5.  Now comes one of the two parts that has a significant hand to decide your acceptance, your written sample to three questions.

Written sample for the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors program

In this section you have to submit at least one video explaining the answer to at least one of the three questions. Don't worry the video needn't be the best or professional looking, it just has to be proper enough that the application reviewers can clearly listen and see you. Although making the video as much clean and professional looking as you can will increase your chance to make positive impression to reviewers.

I here can provide you some sample to the written answers but it's not recommended to copy paste just because you are lazy. You can't be lazy once you are selected and maybe they could spot the fraud thing you're trying to do here. So, no copy-paste. I'm typing these extra words just for you. Use your own words. Those are far better than these noob writings anyway. Also, you will not receive such large space to write these all down. I also found that after I tried to submit. It's for general idea only.

Qsn1: If you were hosting an event at your school how would you get students to attain?

Note: I chose this question for video submission as well.

It depends on what kind of event. If it is something related to fun and parties then I do not have to do anything. It will lure them like how a Green Heron lures fishes out of the water but without bad consequences, obviously. But if it is something related to academics or things they have to use their brains for, then some planning is necessary. Not everyone in here is that concerned for their future that they will attend some hours of lecture. I’m not talking about students who are serious, for them, a good introduction is enough. Limitation is just the reach.

Here are the steps in brief:  

1. Go to every class and speak about the event briefly but to the point, but in a sarcastic way so it is not boring enough to scare them off. Like how they do a standup comedy but serious enough to make it seem like the event is necessary for them.
2. Tell them how if they miss this event might make them regret letting go of great opportunities.      Tell them how it can help them get what they dream of.
3. Tell them what they will achieve and get knowledge at the end of the program.
4. Assure them this is for the best of them.
5. Use materials like free snacks to lure them because why not it’s good for both of us.
6. Advertise about the event in social media like Facebook, Instagram etc. It's the most effective method.
7. Inspire them by giving examples of what they can do after they gain the skill from that event and what others have achieved participating in this event.   Maybe use some visual help like banners and posters to get to more students.

Qsn2: What excites you about technology and why you want to help other students explore and learn?

Note: I’m a big fan of theoretical Physics. So bear with the philosophical parts that may come along with the answer.

The answer is Power.

I mean look how the world has changed in a decade. When there was no technological side in our society, we couldn’t fly like we do now. Starvation was everywhere. World seemed like a vast universe and voices were not heard. I know there were good things that the technology took away but it’s how evolution works. While knowledge is the base of human civilization, technology is the structure above it that enables us to touch the moon. If only we could use this power in the right way, then the limitation that remains is only our imagination.

For the tail question, the answer is to survive the wrath of our will-be Red Giant, the Sun.

I know it seems like a stupid answer that I’m thinking about events that’s billions of years from now but’s not only that. What I believe is that the faster we advance the more we have the chance to continue our race as humanity. We are so weak that we are the dinosaurs of the 20th century if an asteroid reaches us tomorrow. If we inspire more people in technical fields like robotics, programming, bioengineering, not only our efficiency will grow exponentially and we will advance faster but the numerous problems we are facing right now like poverty, unemployment, starvation, well, I can’t guarantee violence and war, will themselves vanish. For people who say technology is the thing that is ruining this Earth, I agree with them, but I could also say, it’s the thing that will heal our mother if we do it right. It’s the only thing we can do now. Solar energies(maybe a Dyson sphere if we got to type-2 civilization), fusion energies, geo-thermal energies or so called renewable energies are a must to replace the opposite if we are to save humanity for long enough. A single person cannot take whole humanity along, humanity has to save itself by working together. So we all should learn and explore the ways to do so. I want to contribute from my side as much as I can, to those who have such a vision and want to learn, explore and contribute because it’s for us and our mother.

Qsn3: How would you take a technical concept and teach it to a friend or peer that has never heard of it?

The best way to do that is through practical analogy. Such analogies which they can easily relate to. To teach the core of the topic, the best way to do so is by starting from the basics and using arguments that are based upon the things they have used before, understood before or are familiar with. Nothing comes from vacuum, right?

**Virtual particles screaming: Or do they?

Using animations for this is the most effective way.

For Example: If I was asked to teach a small boy about the concept of programming for the first time. I’d first search about the boy’s interest and link the problem to it to gain his attention to the fullest when I’m explaining that concept. Like if the boy likes to play football, I’d tell him,” You know football is just like programming. In football, you call your friend for a pass, or call on him to be ready to receive a pass. That’s an order you gave to your friend to do a task of passing the ball to him to take the ball towards the opponent’s goal post and strike a goal. The same is with programming. You give instructions to the little parts of the computer by writing the commands instead of telling but in sequence. The computer will then take your command and obey one by one in sequence until it strikes a goal i.e. does all the thing you wrote it to do.

Steps to strike a goal(In programmers way):

1. You receive starting ball from keeper
2. You move towards the opponent post with the ball
3. If you encounter an opponent, you either pass the ball to your mate or deceive the opponent.
4. You then proceed with the ball and do the step number 3 until you are near goal post
5. If you lost the ball, you move towards the opponent to try to get the ball and check each opponent for their pass.
6. If you are near post prepare for a clear shot either by deceiving the player near you or passing it to other players with a clear shot.
7. Repeat step 5 until you have a clear shot.
8. Finally, you hit a shot towards the post.

Similarly, look at these steps to make a computer read a CD:

1. You first, wait for the user to press the open CD drive button.
2. If the button is pressed, you send a signal to the motor controller to rotate the motor in ‘X’ direction.
3. Then wait for the user to press the button again.
4. When the button is pressed, you send a signal to the motor controller to rotate the motor in ‘Counter X’ direction.
5. You then detect if a CD is present.
6. If a CD is detected, you read it. Else exit the program.

So, this is programming. You now just have to learn the language of the computer to tell it to do these steps.

Note for video part: You can find many videos on YouTube where people talk about themselves and how they are appreciative for the chance. That's good but not required. I didn't make any kind of video like that neither it was mentioned anywhere. I did one video explaining one of the questions and that's it. But if you want to then it's good. If you don't, that's totally fine as well. You're not disadvantaged by just not posting it.

Guide to Ace for Social Media section - A Significant Portion of Application

Apart from all eligibility criteria and other application scenes, these are the most important to dos for you that can significantly change your odds of selection to the program. These are not compulsory and it's not that without doing these you won't be selected to the program but if you want to maximize your chance, then these are the most effective steps you can take. This section reflects your past work on technical field and your interest in technical aspects. And there is a single thing you need to do here, fill up all the vacant dialog box with information it asks.

 

 

These are the things you need to do to fill up this section completely and fill it effectively so that you prove yourself a worthy student to be an ambassador. The main motive of this section in my opinion is to reflect your tries, time, hard work you've put to upgrade your skills, how curious you're and your enthusiasm in technical fields. This is what kind of candidates Microsoft wants in this program. Those who can teach themselves and the community.

1. Write some technical blog posts.
• When I applied, I had written several posts in my personal blog and in this blog as well. But all are so simple. Like How to dual boot two operating systems, how to install and use multiple OSes in same computer using virtual machines and so on. So, you can do that as well. Give it couple of days and prepare articles and post it.
  Where? Oh, Medium is a good place but if you can do a bit more for your chance in this program then make a simple blog of your own. You can use Blogger if you're not into Web development or you're in a hurry. Or you can build a good one using WordPress. Here is an article on how to setup WordPress and get going.
  How to install WordPress locally?
2. Make some videos on technical "how to" topics.
• It's doesn't hold a lot of value if you're not well recognized "YouTuber" but it's not bad if you have couple of videos you made in spare time. People get contacted by recruiters from "fang" companies if they have well established YouTube channels because they have proven their talent and it's reached to the recruiters. They bypassed the conventional method of reaching to recruiters by making them stand out from the crowd. So, go on if you already have some videos else it's not necessary to make one. But I recommend to make one or two.
3. Make a decent portfolio site.
• Portfolio is your internet avatar. If your portfolio is good, internet will find you good. Having a compelling portfolio is crucial not only for this application but for all sorts of areas. From recruiting candidates by large companies to applying in the first place, portfolio is the first thing people seek. Here as well, reviewers will find a lot about you if you have a impressive portfolio. If you can impress them through this, you have pretty high chance of being shortlisted.  
4. Do some projects and post it in your GitHub page.
• Good projects gives good impression. Because we are on technical fields and this program is community service centered, doing some personal projects and contributing in some other peoples projects or open source projects are absolutely impressive. You are solving real world problems from them and already collaborating with other developers, aka Problem Solvers.
5. LinkedIn clearly shows you're professional. So, explore it a bit.
   
• Making a LinkedIn account and being active there can also give good impression to the reviewer. Also it's a Microsoft product. Looking professional is crucial and it shows you are serious in about your career and work.
6. If you have time, make a simple technical blog site.
• I've already explained about what and how to write, now writing in your own space is cool. It shows you have some technical knowledge in Web Development as well. I didn't have any WordPress site, neither I hosted my own site. I used blogger and this article is currently hosted in Blogger as well. But I think it's cool and impressive that I have my own custom site and can show for it. I can certainly help you win hearts. No joke.
7. The Stack Overflow profile, the technical Area51. 
• Make a decent Stack Overflow profile and remain active there. Ask questions and answer others' questions if you are eligible and you know the solution.
8. The last two social medias, I didn't do them.
   
•  In my opinion, when I applied as well, I didn't think these social medias like Facebook and Instagram and Twitter have any impactful sides because I didn't use them to share my work. Of course if you have technical pages and share your technical works there as well, you can link them. But since I didn't have them, I didn't add social links.

If you did all of these above mentioned steps then, you have almost guaranteed your seat in this program. Sit back relax and wait for your acceptance email.