Do you want to win a scholarship to study abroad, but don’t know where to start?
There is a lot of information on the internet that can be overwhelming and keep you from moving forward, but you have come to the right place.
Here I will tell you the 10 most important tips that have helped me win 7 scholarships and study in 8 different countries.
In addition, I will answer the most frequently asked questions by someone who wants to win a scholarship abroad.
Let’s get started!
1. Define why you want to win a scholarship
To be able to get a scholarship you must start by defining what you want with it, because the scholarship is the means and not the end.
This step sounds cliché and that’s why many people skip it, but if you don’t know what you want, you won’t know which path to take… or in the case of scholarships: you won’t know which one is best for you.
So, if you haven’t thought about it yet, stop and ask yourself these questions:
- What do you want to study? Think about the program and level of study you want to do.
- Why do you want to win a scholarship in another country?
- Why do you want to specialize in an area that you are passionate about?
- Or maybe because you want to have an international experience or even settle in another country?
- Or perhaps why without a scholarship it would be more difficult for you to continue your academic training?
And these questions are not exclusive, maybe you want to get a scholarship because you want all of the above.
However, there must be a main reason and that is what will define how you carry out your process.
2. Look for scholarships according to your main purpose
There is a lot of information on the internet. Some tell you to look for scholarships at the best universities because they have more options and other people tell you to apply for lesser-known university scholarships.
But the truth is that there is no ideal search method for everyone, as each of us hopes to find something particular in our scholarship.
If your main motivation is to belong to one of the best universities, then you can start your search by reviewing the websites of the most recognized institutions.
But this is not recommended if your goal is to study abroad for free, as these universities tend to have very high prices and their scholarships may be partial.
The same goes for destinations. For some, it may be a great idea to look for scholarships in exotic Asian countries, but for others, it may not be an option because their plan also involves settling in the country they are going to study in.
In the end, your primary motivation is what determines your search and therefore your alternatives.
3. Learn to search for college scholarships in advance
The search for academic programs and scholarships should begin at least 1 year before the date on which you plan to study.
Most scholarships are offered annually, so don’t worry if the scholarships you see have already expired. You can use that information as a guide for your preparation and future application.
If you know in advance the requirements and documentation required by the different scholarships that interest you, then you will know what you must do and when to do it to achieve your goal.
In fact, the common process for winning a scholarship is that in the first year, you search and prepare, and in the second year you apply.
There are scholarships available all year round… all you need to do is find the one that fits your profile and interests.
4. Read carefully and organize the information
Every call is made up of 6 parts:
- Benefits: For example, if it is a partial or full scholarship. Or if it is a loan scholarship like the one from Colfuturo.
- Requirements: In case the scholarships are for people of certain nationalities, levels, or areas of study. Here you can also see if there are age or language requirements, and even whether or not you must return to your country after finishing your studies, among other requirements.
- Documentation: Such as a diploma, transcript, language tests, CV, Motivation Letters, and Recommendation Letters. Just like the requirements, the documentation that a scholarship will ask you for varies, so read the call for applications very carefully and follow the instructions.
- Application process: If it is online or if you must send the documentation in physical form. Here they also tell you if you need to make another application apart from the scholarship application since there are application processes that require it.
- Important dates: For example, application deadline and start of classes.
- Call link: To be able to verify the information over time and also because many times it is through the same call in which the application is made.
It is true that in some calls for proposals, this information is a little more difficult to find than in others, but ALL calls for proposals have it.
If for some reason you cannot find any important information about the scholarship or you still have questions about the call, the best thing you can do is send an email or even call the person offering the scholarship.
So whenever you review a call for proposals, you should organize that information so that you can compare alternatives and make important decisions.
For example, I organize my alternatives in an Excel table that allows me to easily see what I need for each of these scholarships and the time I have to prepare.
(Again, remember that if the call has already expired, you can save that information and use it as a guide for next year.)
Remember:
Scholarship requirements vary because the interests of the applicants are different. Applying for an undergraduate scholarship is not the same as applying for a postgraduate scholarship.
5. Have several scholarship alternatives
Winning a scholarship depends on several factors, so it is important to identify at least 3 university programs and 3 different scholarships. In addition, you can apply for several scholarships and study programs at the same time.
This way you not only maximize your chances of obtaining a scholarship, but you can also complement the benefits you receive to invest as little as possible to study abroad.
For example, my brother Esteban won 4 scholarships to finance his master’s degree and maintenance in the United States.
Or the case of Juliana Mosquera, who applied for a scholarship in Japan and another in Hungary, and although she was accepted for both, she decided on the one in Hungary because it covered everything.
There is also the story of Eduardo, who applied to Russia and the Swedish government scholarship, which he ultimately won.
And there are many other cases like this…
6. Prepare your profile towards your objective
Since the requirements for each scholarship vary, the profiles that each provider is looking for are different. That is why you should prepare yourself according to the scholarships you are going to apply for. However, there are 4 characteristics that most providers look for and they are:
- Leadership
- Social Consciousness
- Hard Work
- Languages
So, depending on the call and your profile, your preparation can be:
- Improve your academic performance
- Take part in extracurricular activities
- Improve your knowledge and/or certify your mastery of a second language
- Volunteering or doing social work
- Publish scientific articles
- Developing your research proposal
- Expand your professional experience
- Inter alia.
7. First the technical documentation
In order to win a scholarship and study abroad, you must present your legalized and/or apostilled academic certificates.
Additionally, if you are going to study in another language, you will most likely need to have your documents officially translated into that language.
The above is something you can get ahead of since your diplomas, academic certificates, their respective legalization, and translations do not have any expiration date.
In most Latin American countries the process is very similar:
- First, you legalize your certificates with the Ministry of Education
- Then they are apostilled by the chancellery or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Finally, you translate everything officially, if necessary.
Another technical document that you may need is a certificate of proficiency in a second language.
This is obtained by taking an international exam. Since these exams do have an expiration date, it is ideal to take them between 1 year and 6 months before the application deadline.
Other exams that some calls may require are the GRE or GMAT.
8. Understand the interests of the scholarship offerer
In order to submit a successful application, it is important to understand what the scholarship or academic program offered is looking for. Only in this way will you know if you have what the offender needs and how to communicate it assertively to win a scholarship.
And for that, I recommend that you read the call for applications very carefully and also the offeror’s website.
Another thing you can do is review the profiles of previous interns. This way you can analyze what they have in common and identify whether you also have those characteristics.
The goal is to find out what the offeror’s interests are so you can effectively communicate yours and align them with theirs.
9. Prepare your profile documentation in advance
Once you have identified the interests of the offeror, you must draft your profile documents such as:
- Letters of Recommendation
- Research Project
- Essays and/or Motivation Letters
- Personal Statement and Statement of Purpose
- CV for scholarship
- Application Form
Ideally, you should start with the documents that may take you longer to obtain, such as letters of recommendation and the research project. You should begin obtaining these documents between 3 and 2 months in advance.
Then, at least one month in advance, you will need to work on your Motivation Letter and finish your CV and application form.
10. Show your app to more people
Before submitting your documentation, it is important to have it reviewed by other people, ideally academics and people who can evaluate it objectively.
When you get a second point of view, you can improve the wording of your documents, make sure that you respond to what is requested of you, and that you are presenting yourself in the right way according to the interests of the offeror.
