For one to apply for international scholarship, it requires adequate planning and careful preparation. You must be readily prepared to avoid irreversible mistakes.
The following are step- by – step guidelines that will help you apply for international scholarship:
Table of Contents
1. Scholarship identification:
Scholarship identification simply means researching and choosing scholarship scheme that is line with your profession or personal career.
First you have to consider your academic qualifications, check scholarship specific to your field of study or educational value.
In scholarship identification, you have to look for a scholarship that suits your gender or background, for instance scholarship scheme for indigenes and non indigenes are not the same.
Financial stability is also a factor in determining scholarship identification, some scholarships are need-based while some is based on merit.
You have to be financially prepared in applying for international scholarship. Having special interest in sports, arts, or extra curriculum activities can fetch you an intentional scholarship.
One’s nationality or location can also influence your scholarship identification.
Online resources, scholarship websites and platform do offer international opportunities. Many institutions list scholarship for their students to apply.
Professional organizations do offer scholarship in various field. You can also identify scholarships by asking questions, speaking with academic advisors, professors or career counsellors.
You can as well join organization that share scholarship information, connect with people that has won scholarship for help, focus on the one you can afford, verify if it’s legit before applying for it.
These are ways you can identify scholarship.
Some common types of scholarship:
- Based on merit; Academic achievements can foster international scholarship
- Need base; the tendency of being financial stable.
- Field base; having interest in a particular field of study.
- Targeting a specific nationality can foster international scholarship.
Examples of popular scholarship:
Commonwealth scholarship; made for every country.
2. Eligibility criteria:
Having identified the type of scholarship you wish to apply for, the next step is to check its requirements to know what is expected of you for the application.
They include, your educational qualifications, your age limit to know if you’re of age or underage, language proficiency, this is to know if you can communicate effectively when you get to the place you’re apply for.
Do you have any experience on your field of study? These are the criteria that will determine if you’re eligible for the scholarship you’re applying for.
3. Preparation of required documents:
After checking the criteria necessary for the application, you get your documents ready.
Those documents includes:
- Academic transcripts and certificate; your results so far.
- Curriculum vitae (CV); containing your details and every information needed about you.
- Statement of purpose or personal statement, defining your aim for the scholarship, it can also contain your personal reasons for applying for the scholarship.
- Proof for English proficiency, English language been recognized as an official language, someone that’s applying for an Intentional scholarship is supposed to be very fluent in English language to enhance effective communication.
- Also letter of recommendation is also required to clarify your past experience on a specific field of study.
4. Meet Application deadline:
A person applying for an international scholarship is advised to start on time inorder to meet up with the application deadline to avoid penalties or cases of late submission.
5. Complete the Application form
In completing the application form, make sure you don’t leave any stone unturned, read and follow the instructions carefully, avoid mistakes, cross check your form over and over again to correct any mistake that may affect your application.
6. Write a strong personal statement:
Your purpose of applying for an international scholarship should be tangible and clearly defined. Throw more light on your goals and achievement and your personal contribution towards them. Let your personal statement worth the scholarship you’re applying for.
7. Secure strong recommendations:
In securing strong recommendations, you should obtain that from resource persons that is knowledgeable about scholarships.
The kind of relationship or legacy you left in your former place of work, or how you handle positions given to you determine how powerful your recommendation letter will be.
That’s why its advice able to do what is right where ever you find yourself. Be good, abide by the rules, have regards for work ethics and you won’t have anything to worry about.
8. Get ready for interviews:
Many scholarship requires interview. All you have to do is to research some questions and master their response.
Be confident enough to deliver your answer, defend your answers to the best of your knowledge when asked to do so. Articulate your goals clearly.
9. Submit Application:
Make sure the required documents are accurate and ready, try as much as possible to submit before deadline.
10. Be in touch:
Having submitted your application, you have to be in touch for regular update and clarification where necessary.
Being updated with checklist and calendar, applying for multiple scholarship and customizing your application can help to increase your chances of winning an international scholarship.