THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE APPLYING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP

Getting a scholarship can be a transformative educational experience especially for students that desire to gain academic heights. However, being successful in getting a scholarship especially fully funded or competitive ones requires intense preparation, personal clarity, strategic planning and excellence.

Here are things to know before applying for a scholarship

 Clearly Understand the Course You Want to Study

Prior to your application for any scholarship, you must have a very deep understanding of the course you want to study. You should not just select a course due to its popularity or because a lot of people are going for it. Your choice must correspond with your passion, career goals, and long-term purpose. This brings us to the next point; passion.

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Passion

Lack of passion equals lack of resilience not just in education but in everything. The passion an applicant has for the course as well as the purpose for embarking on the scholarship is the feature watched out for during interviews. While checking applications scholarship reviewers usually evaluate individuals who show strong enthusiasm and commitment to their chosen field. Whether it’s Engineering, Public Health, Arts, or Computer Science, you should show serious passion for the course.

Career Alignment

Before applying for any scholarship it is important that you think about how this course will help you make a great impact. How will it help solve the problems you want to solve? In your life, in your community as well as your long-term career objectives? One can say that this why scholarships often require statements of purpose.

Academic Excellence 

Research has shown that a good amount of students after their first degree seek scholarships abroad for their post graduate studies. Undergraduate who seek scholarships to further thier education must take their studies seriously. This is because most scholarship use academic performance as a first filter to determine how eligible candidates will be.

Especially fully funded scholarships, they have strict grade requirements. Usually, a minimum CGPA of 3.5/5.0 or 4.0/5.0 is required for application. This implies that the higher your grades, the more chance you have to get to the next phase of the scholarship.

It is also important to note that it is not just about having a good CGPA, some levels of academic consistency must show throughout your academic journey. It shows diligence and reliability.

Building a Strong Portfolio with both Academic and Social Activities

Before applying for a scholarship, it is important to know that a strong academic record alone does not guarantee a success. Most scholarship look for individuals who have shown interest on not just academics but in leadership, initiative, and other social engagements. These activities can help in building a very strong portfolio.

Joining clubs, NGOs, or community development programs also gives an edge to getting. Scholarships like Chevening, Commonwealth, and Erasmus value such participation and the ability to drive change.

Platforms like YALI centered on leadership, civic engagement and entrepreneurship

You can check them out on their website  and ONE Campaign centered on fighting extreme poverty and can be helpful. Also check them out on their website 

Participate in Research

Research is a fundamental in scholarship. Most scholarship are actually research oriented. So it would be a very unwise decision for someone interested in getting a scholarship not to participate in research. Undergraduates with research interests must participate in any form research, like writing term papers, or assist in faculty projects, data collection, data analysis etc. Your research involvement shows how intellectually curious you are and also adds significant value to your CV.

Conferences and Workshops

This is a crucial point anyone aspiring for a scholarship should know. Attending and, if possible, presenting an article at an academic conference or participate in workshops related to your field gives you an edge over other participants who haven’t. When you do this, it shows that you are actively contributing to your academic community.

Financial Preparedness

This is an important point in every form of scholarship including fully funded scholarships. Although it sounds strange but even with a fully funded scholarship, there are still some expenses that might fall on the student. Some scholarships may not cover visa fees, passport processing, medical tests, flight costs and personal money for unplanned expenses. These expenses usually require upfront funding.

Get updates on other academic related information 

Knowledge about Scholarship Requirements

Any scholarship aspirant must have in-depth details about the requirements, features and eligibility status of what you’re applying for.

Don’t waste your time chasing a scholarship only to discover that it is country-specific, or it has a target gender, course or underrepresented groups. Do your home work!

Also keep track of deadlines, to achieve this you can set reminders to keep track of time. Some scholarship cycles begin almost a year before the intended start date.

Start gathering the required documents like transcripts, certificates, CVs, letters of purpose, recommendation letters, language tests etc.

Similar Posts 

Fulbright Scholarship Programme | Fully funded by the United States Government

University of Paris-Saclay Scholarship | Fully funded | France

Eric Bleumink Scholarship | Full funding | University of Groningen, Netherlands

Bradford University Scholarship | Fully funded | UK

Chevening Scholarship | Fully funded | UK

Course that attract international scholarships 

Types of international scholarships 

Beijing Normal University Scholarship

University College Birmingham Vice Chancellor Scholarship

Strong networking and Guidance 

No one succeeds with any scholarship alone. Linking up with other people that know well about academics and people who have succeeded will surely help you immensely. There are groups online that you can join on platforms like Facebook, Telegram and LinkedIn where current and past scholarship participants share tips and updates about their academic journey.

You can also check our website for more updates on available scholarship 

Final Thoughts

Anyone interested in getting a scholarship must know that it’s not just about seeking financial aid or going abroad. You must be ready to take steps toward your academic and professional future. To thrive and get a scholarship you must have a clear sense of direction, strong resistance and passion.

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