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Show Me The Money: 6 Tips To Winning Scholarships To Study Abroad

Posted on January 08, 2019

The lack of money doesn’t have stand between you and studying abroad. Hundreds of scholarships are available that can cover the cost of your program, and then some. Unfortunately, many students do not apply for scholarships because they feel that their chance of winning a scholarship is as likely as winning the lottery. However, composing a winning scholarship application doesn’t have to be difficult. Having been on both sides of the scholarship process, once as a scholarship recipient and then as a scholarship application reviewer, I have learned several simple yet effective "secrets" that can improve your chances of winning scholarships to study abroad!

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Secret 1: Apply!

This might seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many students convince themselves that doing so is a waste of time because they won’t win. Unfortunately, too many students take this point of view leaving only a brave few with the increased probability of winning.

Secret 2: Increase your Odds

Apply for as many scholarships as possible. The more scholarships you apply for, the better chance you have of receiving an award. This point might seem obvious too, but most students only apply for 1-3 scholarships believing that number is enough to cover the cost of their study abroad program. Very few individual scholarships can pay for your entire study abroad program. To increase your odds, think about applying for at least 10-20 scholarships.

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Secret 3: Stand Out!

We all have something about us that makes us unique and different from others. Whatever makes you unique, use it to craft a captivating application that gets the scholarship reviewers attention. If you have certain experiences from being an ethnic minority student or if you are the first person in your family who will go abroad, use these aspects of your background to enhance your application.

Secret 4: Choose Non-Traditional Locations and Critical Languages

Another way to increase your chances of receiving a scholarship is by applying to study in non-traditional locations or critical languages. Many scholarship programs, such as the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, want to provide scholarships to applicants going to diverse locations. For example, if you are applying for a scholarship to study in London and a hundred other students hand in quality applications to study in London, your chances of winning the scholarship is 1:100. However, if you are planning to study in Vietnam and only five other applicants hand in applications to study in Vietnam, you have a higher probability of winning.

This principle also applies for scholarships for language study. The more critical the language (by “critical” I mean languages that are in high demand, but which few people study), the more competitive the applicant. In some cases, like the Boren Scholarship, studying a critical language is a scholarship requirement.

If the language you want to study is not a critical language, you can still increase your odds by choosing a non-traditional location to study that language. Instead of studying French in France, choosing another Francophone country in which to study would make you more competitive.

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Secret 5: Be Creative

Creativity can help you win scholarships. By being creative, you demonstrate that you are willing to go far and beyond most other scholarship applicants. This dedication impresses scholarship reviewers who spend hours reading hundreds of applications. Let your application be the one that makes them wake up and pay attention. Being creative can take many forms. If the scholarship requires a video essay, make a video that engages the reviewer. The last thing you would want to do is open your laptop and press record on your webcam. Put some effort into it. Pay attention to your lighting, and add quality audio and background music. If the application requires a written essay or personal statement, make it as engaging as possible. Produce a creative narrative that not only answers the essay question, but creates images in the reviewers mind. Consider using metaphors or even poetry or foreign quotes written in the language or country of interest. Having your essay start with a quote in Chinese followed by an explanation that ties into the theme of your essay might work wonders!

Secret 6: Follow the Rules

A common mistake many make when applying for a scholarship is not following the rules. Do you really want to disqualify yourself after putting in all the time and effort to create a winning application? During nearly every scholarship season, some students disqualify themselves from the competition simply by not following the rules. Write down the requirements for the scholarship on a checklist and check off each requirement as you go through the process of completing the application.

Resources

To find out more about scholarship opportunities visit the following link:

https://www.diversityabroad.com/scholarships


Author: Antonio Reyes

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