Calls for applications and scholarships

When you apply for a scholarship, it is important to be aware of some truths about scholarships and truths about yourself. Am I really qualified for an international scholarship? Are my grades high enough? What can I do to improve my opportunities? These are some of the questions that will be answered.

The Hard Truth about Scholarships:

An important thing that we should know about scholarships is that they are not given to anyone who asks, requests or prays for them. They are not given only because the requestor is poor or disadvantaged. They are not given only because the applicant is from a developing country or because he belongs to a minority group. The truth is that scholarships are not given, they are earned. You can earn a scholarship by demonstrating your powers and establishing your qualifications. 

Am I qualified for an International Scholarship?

Although it is true that a situation of disadvantage initially qualifies you for a scholarship (that is why there are scholarships for minorities, economic needs, developing countries), you must also comply with other characteristics established by the scholarship provider.

Let's review some general things of typical qualifications that the profile of a fellow requires.

• You must verify that your nationality is within the profile of calls.
• You must meet the age limit established by the scholarship provider. Consider that there is not always an age limit to apply.
• You must already have a Bachelor's Degree when you apply to a bachelor's degree; a bachelor's or engineering degree to apply to a Master's program and a Master's degree when applying to a PhD.
• You must meet the academic requirements of the program to which you are going to apply. In most cases, you must already be accepted into the university program before being considered for scholarships.   
• Have a good knowledge of the English language with an official certificate such as TOEFL or IELTS. 

Specific Features 

• Have high school grades on the 90% 
• Excellence: Have a GPA required for the scholarship (usually 3.0 or 4.0) (43.2-50.00)
• Leadership: Demonstrate leadership potential and leadership skills and experience. It is always good within the resume to show leadership activities within the academic community and social activities. 
• Written expression skills, most scholarships require an essay that demonstrates why you deserve a scholarship.
• Usually after obtaining a scholarship it is necessary and mandatory to return to the country of origin after completing the studies. 

Are my qualifications enough?

Even so ties with the qualifications of the scholarships, does not necessarily mean that you will get the scholarship. Yes, the probability is good, but you still have to take into account that there will be hundreds or thousands of applicants with the same qualifications. Therefore, scholarship providers filter out the best students who will be chosen. Here are some criteria that may be taken into account:

• The academic excellence of the student and an evident potential within their field of study, the applicants must be able to demonstrate connection between the subject of study and the long-term objectives of their career. 
• The motivation letter or the essay.
• Quality and accuracy of the application form
• In development scholarships in particular, students are evaluated based on the potential to contribute to the development of their country of origin. 
• In the case of student researchers, they will be evaluated as to the merits and relevance of their study proposal. 

Knowing these criteria, you can look for an advantage over the other applicants. For example, if you do not have academic excellence, the motivational letter or essay will be the perfect opportunity to show that you deserve the scholarship. Another example is that you can investigate a little about the areas of concentration of studies or research, verify if it aligns in any way with the vision and mission of the scholarship provider. It is also useful to know the profile of those people who have previously won the scholarship; It will give you an idea of ​​the type of student the organization is looking for. 

Translated and adapted from: Scholars for development: https://goo.gl/MYPmDg