6 Tips to Win Scholarship to Study Abroad

Unaffordability is a common notion about studying abroad. And guess what? It is a misconception. Thousands of scholarships and grants are awarded each year to students who want to study abroad. Studying in a different country will groom you better and will give you a lot more exposure than your own country. You will have better and bigger adventures.

When I applied for a scholarship in Greece, all I did was research, research, and research online. And when I finally landed on the right spot, my Optimum internet cost and all those hours I invested were rightly awarded. In addition to comprehensive research and determination to fill out some huge forms, you also need some smart tactics to save up and some financial aid.

Let’s help you with some useful tips to help you win a scholarship that you have always dreamt of.

Win a Scholarship Aboard with These 6 Guaranteed Tips

1. Be Prepared for All the Hard Work.
2. List down Everything You Qualify For.
3. Know the Goals & Values of the Scholarship Awarding Body.
4. Understand the Evaluation System.
5. Study Important Languages.
6. Apply Early.

Be Prepared for All the Hard Work

First things first, the whole procedure of procuring a scholarship is hard, tiring, and time taking. Get ready to take some pain. You should prepare yourself to invest time and effort to get through the whole process. You will have to apply for a dozen opportunities in order to hope to win one. It will take its time. And setting up a proper schedule can help you do that. Fix three hours every Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday to work on the applications. You can choose the days according to your routine and schedule.

Need motivation? Take a look at your bank account. Or, looking at the photos of your friends who have won a scholarship and are now studying in Italy or Brazil can help too. You got to do this!

List Down Everything You Qualify For

Work wisely in those three hours, which you have dedicated to winning a scholarship. Follow a proper strategy. Start with checking out your home university and any programs offered by external sponsors. Meet some folks at the offices and career centers, which offer studying abroad.

Figure out all the details about the available programs and all the eligibility terms. Check out every requirement and the deadlines of each one of them. Take a strategic approach and make a spreadsheet.

Google is your go-to resource too. You can find plenty of reliable sites about available scholarships in different countries. Keep adding to your lists and shortlist the ones you want to apply for.

Know the Goals & Values

Once you have shortlisted the ones you want to apply for, spend a little time in understanding your audience. Check out the university or organization that is awarding the scholarship. Check out their home page, “about us” page, values page, mission statement, and all the relevant stuff. Observe how they talk about themselves and which values are pivotal in their narrative. Identify their ambitions and keywords.

And when you are finally writing the application, use all this info to your advantage!

Understand the Evaluation System

Again, keep a keen eye on the kind of candidates they are looking for. Take a look at some of the past winners. Take advantage of the FAQ section on their website to know them better. Give multiple reads to the sections where they describe their evaluation system for the candidates. Once you are done with writing your application, recheck it against the criteria of the sponsoring organization.

Study Important Languages

We know the deal. Americans usually want to go to Europe to study while Europeans want to go to America. People from other parts of the world have their priorities too according to what is considered privileged in their country.

It’s time to refocus on the opportunities and take a different course. You don’t have to essentially go to the places, which others consider appealing. If you have a knack for learning new languages, you can go to countries like Spain, Greece, Ghana, and so many others. You will have better chances of winning the scholarship in these countries as compared to the countries where everyone wants to go. For instance, if you want to study French, you have better chances to win a scholarship in Senegal than in France.

Apply Early

You can wait until the deadline to apply. But know that you have the best shot of winning if someone gets to read your story in those early dates and finds it appealing as compared to when they are being bombarded by thousands of applications in a single day. That’s exactly what happens when you are close to the deadline. If you put in an effort to apply early, your application has better chances to get a proper read-through. Don’t waste this chance. It’s almost like those Optimum deals for new customers, which are offered for a limited time. The sooner you get hold of them, the better are your chances to avail them.