The process of applying for scholarships takes a lot of work, but it’s worthwhile. Making a list of the items you need, gathering them, and placing them in your file or binder is the best course of action in that circumstance. The following items are a necessity before submitting a scholarship application:

1: Transcripts

Your official or unofficial copy of your school, college, or university transcript is the first item you need before applying for a scholarship. It is one of those things you need because your worth is determined by your transcript. Get a copy from the administration of your school, college, or university if you don’t have one already.

2: Test results prior to applying for a scholarship

Most institutions do not require a test score, making it an optional requirement. However, there are certain exceptions, such as when applying for scholarships at universities in the USA where test scores like the GRE or SAT are required. Therefore, be sure to have copies of the test results on hand in case they ask.

3: A list of possible recommenders

Make a list of persons you may approach for letters of reference because they are required for the majority of applications for overseas scholarships even if you have all the necessary paperwork. You might request an academic, non-academic, or personal reference letter for the overseas scholarships. Draw three lines on paper to create a list of these, then write down the names of people you believe you may ask for letter of recommendation.

• Academic: It is the sort of recommendation that is most frequently requested when you apply for an overseas scholarship. This might be your professor, your supervisor, the person with whom you collaborated on your thesis, or any other instructor with whom you collaborate on an academic endeavor. According to several foreign scholarship applications, the reference letter must to come from an academic source. Or occasionally they request that the academic source submit two out of the three recommendations.
• Non-Academic: It might be your boss at work, your team or sports coach, your acting teacher, your counselor, etc. You see what I mean? Basically, anyone who is a professional or semi-professional and has worked with you or seen you in a setting other than the classroom.
• Personal:
• Although the institutions offering scholarships don’t frequently need this kind of recommendation, it might be useful to have on hand in case one is required when applying for a scholarship.

In order to give them enough time to write you a persuasive recommendation, try to ask your recommender at least two to three weeks before the deadline. Before the deadline for foreign scholarship applications, you can send polite reminders. Just be respectful.

4: CV

If you don’t already have a resume, create one as soon as you can since it will be useful to you throughout your life. Before uploading your resume, make sure it is current and looks decent. Make sure to list any professions you’ve held, including social servers, internships, and full-time work.

5: Photo

Even though it is not very popular these days, some scholarship applications occasionally ask you to send your photo. However, why take a chance? You may be asked for your image by scholarship groups sometimes, and they may use it for publicity. Just send them a great, high-quality photo of yourself dressed nicely. If they ever mention needing a passport photo, send them one that was shot by a professional photographer in their studio. Please refrain from using any filters, even Instagram ones.

6: Essay

The scholarship institution or organization may require you to produce an essay on any topic based on a distinct particular question pertinent to you or the scholarship. It is a critical component, so don’t put it off till the last minute. Invest your time on it and prioritize it. And save them some timely questions given by other colleges so you may reuse them; this is not a good practice, but it is something you can do to save time. Make careful to update your documents before repeating them for each scholarship application (and follow all word count limits!).

Before submitting, have several others check your essay, preferably previous scholarship recipients, instructors, or parents. Make sure they have enough time to analyze your essay; don’t ask someone to help you the day before the international scholarship deadline!

7: Language test result

Many scholarships throughout the world need an English proficiency exam result, such as IELTS/TOEFL, while some colleges provide courses in their native language. It is critical to verify bands or the number necessary to be qualified for that scholarship.

8: A personal documentation

After you finished everything, you realize your passport has expired. So be sure you double-check your documentation before the deadline. Some overseas scholarships require a passport number, so make sure you have one, as well as an identification card with an expiry date. Personal papers are occasionally necessary when applying for scholarships.

So, now that you’re ready to apply for a scholarship, here are some possibilities:

• University of Toronto Lester B. Pearson Scholarship in Canada 2024 (Fully Funded)
• 2024 Sir Harry Evans Global Fellowship in Investigative Journalism at Durham University
• SDSN Youth Photography Contest and Webinar Series about International Year of Millets 2023
• The Wellcome Career Development Awards for International Mid-Career Researchers

You may also get additional information on our website: Scholarships.af