Full scholarship, also known as full-ride scholarships, are the ultimate kind of financial aid because they nearly completely cover the cost of attending college for three or four years. The supplier will pay for your living expenses and tuition, allowing you to concentrate on your education and social life without having to worry about money.
Great, isn’t that right? Unfortunately, there aren’t very many of these “dream” scholarships available. Full scholarship is hard to come by and extremely competitive when they do. Even so, you should still apply for them. Continue reading to learn how to improve your chances of receiving one of these coveted scholarships.
Understand where to look
Where can you genuinely locate complete scholarships, first and foremost? Your first stop should be the official website of the university of your choice, as they may list external scholarships you may apply for or provide their own financing possibilities for students in your area or studying your field. In addition to your university, you could check websites like FastWeb.com and InternationalScholarships.com, as well as our own Scholarships to Study Abroad page, which lists financial aid opportunities in various study destinations, scholarships targeted at specific student groups, and scholarships focused on particular subjects (e.g. African students).
Be ready in advance
It’s crucial to start planning as soon as you realize you’ll require a full scholarship to support your attendance at university. This is particularly crucial if you discover that you must attend an interview. Some universities hold special “scholarship weekends,” where 50–100 students are invited to campus for an interview with a faculty member. During the interview, they are asked about their objectives and driving forces and how they fit with the institution and course. If you must attend a scholarship interview, you should approach it like you would any other formal interview: dress formally, arrive prepared with solid responses to any questions they may have, and be ready to ask them questions when asked to do so at the conclusion of the interview.
Read also: The GREAT Scholarship: See Eligible Countries
Work hard and remain inspired
Despite the fact that some full scholarships will be given solely to individuals who demonstrate remarkable merit, others will consider both factors. It goes without saying that you should be working hard in your studies, but you’ll need to really put in the effort if you want to win the full scholarship, since the majority are offered to the highest-achieving students. High grades are essential since colleges may automatically evaluate candidates for full scholarship using your standard university application. While pushing yourself intellectually might be psychologically draining, strive to stay motivated by keeping your goals in mind, and allow yourself a breather every now and then to relax (particularly before and after test season!).
Create a strong impression on potential employers
With the fierce competition for full scholarships, it’s critical to distinguish oneself from the other applicants by showcasing a genuine desire to develop personally. To demonstrate your hobbies and interests outside of the classroom and offer instances of times you’ve been engaged with the local community, perhaps by participating in volunteer work for a worthwhile cause, you must have a few extracurricular activities to showcase to scholarship providers.
Scholarship funders place a high importance on leadership qualities, which you may demonstrate by offering to lead initiatives in your extracurricular activities or community service. Building strong relationships with your academic mentors is important because they’ll be able to write letters of recommendation that are more accurate and personal, which will help you stand out from the competition when applying for scholarships. Another thing that could really help you stand out from the competition when applying for scholarships is a glowing report on your academic and personal qualities.
Read the application guidelines thoroughly
Although it may seem quite obvious, you don’t want to ruin your chances by forgetting to provide a required document or piece of information as stated in the scholarship’s application guidelines. To reduce the likelihood of missing anything, be sure to read the application guidelines several times. If you have any questions, email the provider.
Read also: 6 Important Tips For Obtaining The GREAT Scholarship
Send in a standout cover letter or scholarship essay
Your application essay and cover letter must unquestionably be of the highest quality. This is another obvious point. This entails ensuring that it is crystal clear and succinct, properly structured, captures the reader with a compelling start, maintains focus on its main issue or topic, and has perfect spelling and punctuation. Get a friend to read it over and look for mistakes and any phrases that don’t read as well as they could to ensure that it is flawless rather than simply proofreading it hundreds of times. One of our QS scholarship recipients produced a really useful post on how to write a successful scholarship essay.
Be realistic
Last but not least, as we briefly said earlier, the terrible reality is that there aren’t many full scholarships available, and those that are are fiercely competitive, so many applicants who meet and surpass the standards for a full scholarship wind up losing out. Don’t let this stop you from applying, but keep your expectations in check.
Moreover, keep in mind that there is no restriction on the number of scholarship applications you may submit or the number of scholarships you can get, so you may be able to combine two or more smaller awards to create your own full scholarship. (Of course, make sure to confirm with the providers that you’re eligible to apply for and get funds from other) If you are rejected, try not to let it depress you; get back up, brush yourself off, and keep trying till you succeed in life.