17 Strategies on How to Win an International Scholarship

Want to increase your odds of winning any scholarship? Here are 17 strategies on how to win an international scholarship to raise the chances that you can earn a college student scholarship.

1. Create a list of your unique traits

Did you know there’s a scholarship out there for about everything?

There are scholarships which are offered depending on citizenship, personal interests, GPA, spoken languages, extracurricular activities, etc. There are opportunities for surfers, musicians, professional football players, students who have grown up with some struggles, graduate students of the first generation … you’ve got the picture.

And here’s the key: scholarship beneficiaries aren’t taking a tactical strategy to applying for scholarships; they are making sure to find ones that suit them.

So we suggest you start by listing all of your specific characteristics. You might be very amazed by the amount of scholarships that match your individual strengths and attributes out there, so don’t take anything off.

2. Search for scholarships based on these traits

You should continue looking until you have your list of unique traits ready. It actually has hundreds of thousands of grants out there. Many are possible to find, such as the Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarship, popular, high-competition scholarships. This is a big name which offers fantastic rewards!

However several thousands of others can be hard to find, particularly specialist ones and some with less competition (they have less competition because they are hard to find), so you’ll want to be highly thorough in your study. Don’t be shy to ask for guidance from teachers and counselors; they can be wonderful support.

3. Apply for as many scholarships as you can

The advice that we learn the most from scholarship winners is to register for as many scholarships as possible. Treat it as a part-time job and allocated some hours per month to seek for scholarships and apply for them. For as long as you’re in school you can start applying for scholarships.

4. Apply for scholarships with smaller awards

Many students are hunting for scholarships that offer the greatest dollars but still the most competitive ones. Smaller grant grants typically have fewer candidates and the winning odds can be higher.

Such grants will assist with costs associated with education such as tuition, resources and living expenses. Paying off the smaller costs will add up to big savings immediately.

5. More work equals to better chances

Many applicants avoid scholarships which have more complicated requirements, such as essays, videos, and tasks that require a lot of effort. As a result, the candidate list is significantly lower, ensuring you will have better chances.

Over 1,000-word essay scholarships often have less than 500 candidates, compared with the 5,000 students who join easier scholarships.

6. Get personal

Rather than burning out applying for any scholarship you eligible for, have some fun.

Apply for opportunities that suit your needs, and enjoy them. Under the sun, scholarships exist for everybody. The more specific the scholarship is, the greater the chance that the interest will come through, leading to a higher application.

7. Don’t introduce yourself in your essay

It’s cliché and could even disqualify you. Most scholarship panels perform random readings, then automatically reject papers that contain names or other identifiers. Get to the topic as soon as possible.

8. Don’t repeat the essay prompt

One needs to reread the same word hundreds of times a day. Therefore, seek to be as original as possible. Use the start of your essay to highlight your style and separate yourself from the other candidates. Attempt to start your essay by setting the plot scene, or jumping straight into your reply.

9. Refrain from using quotes

Your essay is about you. The finest essays are exceptional and differentiate themselves from the rest so be creative and use your own words.

10. Satisfy all the requirements

You may compose the best essay in the world but you will be excluded if the question calls for a list of five items, and you mention just four. Please ensure you answer every question and follow every criteria with accuracy.

11. Stick to the word limit

Come as close as you can to the word mark just don’t go over. You can be disqualified for breaching the word limit.

12. Proofread, proofread, proofread

Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes will disqualify you. Ensure sure the article is read at least twice, and encourage the parents and friends to read at it too. The bigger the audiences, the better.

13. Submit early

We suggest applying for the scholarships as early as possible. Why? For what?

For starters, early applicants are given preference in certain scholarships. So even though you don’t get extra points to apply early, you’ll be buying yourself ample time to make sure your application for a scholarship doesn’t cause any issues.

We’ve just been waiting at the last minute to send something online and find out whether the website is down or that there are other “technological glitches.”

Besides, if you submit soon, you’re not going to be hurried and offer your best performance. And you’ll be able to apply for more scholarships with more time.

14. Always do the “optional” work

It’s just that nobody wants to do more work, we get it. But if a fellowship has any “extra” conditions, such as an essay, a recommendation letter, we advise you to make it “obligatory” to do so.

Here is why: doing the supplementary work reveals your commitment and motivation, which will differentiate your proposal from other applicants who could not have given the extra content. Go beyond onwards!

15. Don’t rush your scholarship applications

Be sure that you give any submission the time and attention required to be a solid choice. You want your application to pop out, to represent your desire to be hard-working and attentive.

Take the time needed to qualify for a scholarship including:

• Thorough reading of all instructions
• Familiarize yourself with the scholarship giving organization
• A reflective analysis on certain questions or essays
• Writing and justifying a good essay for the scholarship, if necessary

In short: don’t phone it in and you’re going to increase your chances of winning that free tuition funds.

16. Beware of scholarship scams

There are grants to give you free tuition and not to steal your earnings, so look elsewhere if you see a scholarship with a suspected “submission fee”. In fact, brazen promises such as “you were pre-selected” or “it’s guaranteed or your money back” are evidence of dubious business.

17. Don’t give up

When you’re really not playing, don’t take it seriously and don’t give up! Like for other aspects in life, those who keep trying are the most successful scholarship beneficiaries. Find scholarships you’re optimistic about and continue to apply for. Best of luck!