When planning for masters abroad the first thing that comes to our mind is about finances , how much it costs to complete the course?, how much scholarship can i get ? etc. Getting a good amount of scholarship for study abroad program can significantly reduce the financial burden. But, often due to the lack of guidance and preparation, students miss out on the attractive scholarship that they can get if they have good guidance .
lets deep dive into the secrets of bagging these attractive scholarships.
Start early
Start your application process as soon as possible. Begin your university search, arranging application materials a year or more before the intended start date. Many universities do offer scholarships to early applicants and they do have an early application deadline for the merit scholarships. At UniMeet, we do recommend to our students to complete the application process by November for Fall and September for the Spring intake.
Research about the scholarships
Doing extensive research about the abroad education scholarships will give you the overall picture of the scholarships and the eligibility to get those scholarships. Go through the shortlisted Universities’ websites thoroughly to know the scholarships offered by the universities. If you have any doubts regarding the scholarships, do not hesitate to reach out to the university’s specific department, they will be more than happy to clear your doubts. Look for the scholarships that are specific to your course or country, for this kind of scholarship you may face less competition, unlike general ones.
Maintain the good academic record
Although academic excellence is not the only deciding factor in getting a scholarship, maintaining a good academic record will improve your chances of getting a scholarship. Many universities do give importance to your academic record while giving scholarships, so strive to maintain your academic record as good as possible.
Profile evaluation & Profile building
Profile evaluation and profile building is one of the most important and at the same time ignored by most of the students and overseas education consultants in the application process. Get your profile evaluated by the experts to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Work on your profile with guidance from the study abroad consultancy experts . This will ensure that your profile is up to the mark for scholarship consideration.
Make your SOP very strong
If you’re looking to get a scholarship, having a strong SOP (Statement of Purpose) can increase your chances by 2X. So it’s important to start working on it well in advance and not rush in the last minute. To make your SOP stand out, list out all your achievements in academics and outside of it, and take note of your strong qualities and extracurricular activities related to those qualities. For instance, if you have experience working as the president of a club or organization, you can use that experience to demonstrate your leadership skills. It’s essential to be honest and not exaggerate your abilities because reviewers are smart and can easily detect any false statements. If you are unsure about the format ,consider reaching out to experienced study abroad counsellor or SOP writer.
Get strong LORs
Be proactive while choosing recommenders, choose recommenders who observed you closely and can give good positive reviews with authenticity. Again, do not mention any false statements in your LORs, it will negatively affect your profile, leave about the scholarship, and your admission may get canceled.
Focus on your test preparation
Getting good scores in English proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo, and PTE is very important. Also, be prepared to take the GRE, this is one of the important factors that students ignore, even though some of the universities waived the GRE ,getting a good score on the GRE is really important to get a good scholarship. If you are not sure about the preparation strategy make sure to get advice from experts like UniMeet, getting guidance from experts can definitely increase the chances of getting a good score.
Be Proactive
Be proactive in monitoring the deadlines for scholarship applications and make sure you submit the application on time. Create a checklist of all the required application materials and arrange those documents well before the deadline. Do not depend upon one scholarship, apply to multiple scholarships. Prepare for the interviews well in advance.
By following above strategies , you can definitely increase your chances of getting scholarships. If you are still unsure about the process, consider getting 1:1 free profile evaluation from Study abroad education consultants with expertise in the process like UniMeet.
Good luck !