How To Apply For International Scholarships: We believe if members are properly informed and guided, most will take proactive steps which will give them their desire in travelling abroad to school and secure a scholarship.
Scholarship talk centered on different countries especially those we are familiar with e.g Canada, USA, Germany,UK and China.
We will talk about Canada/US,GERMANY and China.
How To Apply For International Scholarships In Canada
Let’s start with Canada because statistically, everyone now wants to go to Canada because of the great opportunities in the country.
READ: How To Apply For Canada Student Visa – Study Permit
Still on how to apply for international scholarships, it is pertinent to note that getting scholarship abroad is not a one day journey, it’s requires continuity, endurance, perseverance, hard work not neglecting the God factor.
The decision to study outside your home country is very enticing but is not always very easy,especially when you are trying to get funds from the school or professor as such you need top information on how to apply for international scholarship and you are in the right place for such information so keep reading.
Canada for instance is a good place to study especially if you would like to stay and work after study. Most schools don’t ask for GRE and Toefl especially if you are from Nigeria.
To get scholarship/grant in Canada requires great determination and consistency but believe me it is very possible.
The following are the things to put in place before embarking on a scholarship journey
Choosing your Proposed Course of Study
The number one thing is for you to choose your proposed Course of Study and also decide on the Research you will like to pursue. I mean your research title e.g “The Impact of Intelligentdude Consult in the Lives of Nigeria Youths”.
The world is filled with amazing opportunities; it is now imperative for you to know what exactly you are looking for. Knowing the title of the course and your proposed area of specialization is the first point of call.
The next move or task will be to embark on the look-out for where you can get what you want with what you have. Once you make a decision on the field you want to specialize on,take the next step by looking for schools offering your proposed course of study.
READ: Student Visa And Scholarships In Canada
The next major thing is getting a supervisor; Imagine thousands of applicants who dream of schooling in Canada on a free tuition basis.(You need a 100% commitment and determination if you want to follow the route of grant/scholarship)
GRE and TOEFL are not required in some Canadian universities but it is advisable to write TOEFL inorder to have lots of options.
Now the big question is:
How can I secure a supervisor?
Pay a visit to your potential university website.
Most of us know: www.usask.ca.
Canada has few universities unlike United States of America just for the record.
From the University website proceed to the departmental website of your chosen course, e.g environmental science department then look for lecturers that are spearheading research works in your area of interest. (there are various environmental science research, you just need to choose the one that interest you .It is always cool if have firsthand knowledge of the research especially if it’s related to your BSc research work or your work experience).
There is usually a link on university websites that shows you where to get a University lecturer’s contacts i.e your potential supervisor for your graduate courses.
Ensure you go through his or her past and present research areas of interest.They always have one particular research focus unlike what is applicable in our dear country.
When Sending Your Application To A Proposed Supervisor In Canada, Kindly Attach The Following Documents.
• Your Degree Certificate
• Your transcript
• Your Statement of Purpose
• Your Research Plan
• CV(Academic/Research)
How To Apply For International Scholarships: In the quest to further your education abroad, there are some preparations which should be made for your desires to be fruitful and one of such preparations is the preparation of your documents.
The Documents Needed For International Scholarship
Academic CV:
While applying for further studies, jobs, grants, fellowships and even conferences, you will be required to submit an Academic CV. This document is different from a business CV and has a different format.
An academic CV focuses on academic experience and accomplishments. Anything not relevant to this should be considered for omission.
There can be more pages in an academic CV compared to a general CV. This is due to the additional sections and information that may be required for academia.
The most important thing to keep in mind when writing your academic CV is to tailor it to each position you apply for. You should prioritize the accomplishments that are most important to the intuition/position you are applying for.
Statement of Purpose:
The Statement of Purpose is the single most important part of your application that will tell the admissions committee who you are, what has influenced your career path so far, your professional interests and where you plan to go from here.
The SoP is your chance to talk directly to the admissions committee. To make yourself stand out from among a multitude of similarly qualified candidates. To convince the committee that you have the spark, the thirst for knowledge that could add value to your class.
READ: International Scholarships In New Zealand – Top 5
“A statement of purpose should be between 500 and 1,000 words,” says Pierce. He advises that students use a traditional font at a readable size (11- or 12-pt) and leave enough whitespace in the margins to make the statement easy-to-read. Make sure to double-space the statement if the university has requested it, he adds.
Study Plan:
A study plan is a summary of the subject requirements of your course and indicates when planned subjects should be studied. It indicates the subjects you have completed; are currently enrolled in; plan to study in the future; and those for which you have been granted advanced standing (credit for previous studies).
For those applying to Universities in China, this document will come in handy in the course of your application.
Here are some of the points you will address when writing your study Plan.
1. Why did you choose to study abroad in your accepted program?
2. What is your utmost educational objective?
3. Why are you not undertaking a similar course in your home country?
4. Have done research about studies in your country?
5. Will the program you interested in enhancing employment opportunities in your home country?
6. What ties you to your country?
These are some of the documents you need to prepare while planning for further studies.
Statement of Purpose (SOP)/Motivational Letter (ML)(carries a good scoring,make yours scholastic because this is how they will know whether you know what you want to do or not) .
Furthermore, draft your Statement of Purpose/Letter of Intent in a way that will communicate your educational background,experience,passion,interest,the relationship between your undergraduate course of study and you proposed Masters course, your personality, why you choose the University, why the Lecturer etc.
Address the SOP statement of purpose) or ML (Motivation Letter) to the selected supervisors and send it to their respective email addresses; (Note that Foreign Lecturers treat emails seriously unlike our Nigerian lecturers).
You can possibly attach some regular documents such as your transcript and resume. If you don’t get a response after five working days you can attempt placing a call to their Office phones or send the email again. But avoid bombarding them with emails so they wont see you as nuisance.
“Getting a supervisor” is a very important part of the application process because for the majority of universities in Canada,securing a supervisor is almost tantamount to gaining admission. It is always good to get the consent of a supervisor before going ahead with the payment of the application fee; remember application fees varies but is usually 100$.
Don’t forget to Make Inquiries about the Availability of Research Funding and If you get a response from a Professor and he/she is willing to take you in as his or her student, then you just hit a jackpot and congratulations are in order because you have successfully secured an advisor.
You can go ahead to make inquiries from the Professor if it is possible to be a beneficiary of a research funding and work as a research assistant. If you get a positive response as regard the funding, you will be required to work with your supervisor on a specified research topic and this just secured a job for you as a Graduate Research Assistant. With a mouth watering pay, they call it stipends but it is sometimes around #400k/monthly but the amount varies. Some may even give you Field truck etc.
NOTE: Start as early as possible and be well-acquainted with the deadlines for the Winter semester (January), Summer (May) and Fall (September).
Also note that “Not all universities have openings in Summer, the predominant entry period for the majority of the courses in universities are Winter and Fall semesters”.
Here in schoolblog, we have a comprehensive list of international scholarship you can apply for, such as:
University of Twente Scholarship – Fully Funded Scholarship
Michigan University Scholarship – Fully Funded Scholarship
MBA Scholarships in Canada – Top 10 MBA Scholarships
USA Embassy Scholarships with Grant and Sponsorship to Abroad
Temple University Merit scholarships & Funding USA, 2023/2024
Scholarships For International Students- NSP Scholarship
After you might have equipped your mind on how to apply for international scholarships, you need to learn how write a good ‘Scholarship Thank You Letter’. Click here to learn now.
Schoolblog got you covered!
