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It’s just as necessary to apply for a college or university scholarship as applying for a degree course, so you should approach it with a lot of care and responsibility. As you already know, scholarships are only given to students with exceptional academic results, so you can either prepare in advance documents to apply for scholarships or be realistic about your chances of having one.
One of the most important things that you need to remember is this: before applying for a scholarship, even though you are 100% confident that you will get it, contact a university counselor to whom you want to apply (or have already applied) to get more comprehensive information.
The same documentation that the university will require from you when you apply for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree is some of the documents that you will have to submit for the scholarship application process.
Below are the required documents to apply for scholarships that you have to prepare in advance before you consider applying for any.
1. Application form complete in all respects
The complete application form is the very first and most critical document essential for winning a scholarship. Therefore, to prevent rejection, it is advised to review and fill out each and every column of the form before submission.
2. Copy of national ID or passport
A copy of your valid passport is the next prerequisite for a successful scholarship application. One thing to always bear in mind here is that your passport should be valid even for six months after the grade is completed. The first page of the passport, which includes all the necessary information about you, is recommended by most colleges and universities.
3. Attested copies of transcripts or diplomas
The submission of validated copies of your transcripts or diplomas is another very significant prerequisite for being successful in obtaining a scholarship. If you are applying for a degree program, it is important to have checked copies of your last graduate school or the school you are currently attending. It should be noted here that, in order to prevent rejection, the photocopies of all transcripts and diplomas should contain original signs and stamps from the college authorities.
The language proficiency test shown to be qualified for admission should also be sent to you. The courses are most frequently offered in English and include an English Proficiency Test before applying. However, for different countries, different exams are recommended. Some of these are:
- IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge for the English language.
- DELE for the Spanish language.
- DELF or DALF for the French language.
- And, DSH, TestDAF, OSD, or telc for the German language.
4. Statement of purpose
Another important document needed is your statement of intent or letter of inspiration, since it outlines your future ambitions and goals. Keep it up to 400 words long at all times and stop inflating it with details that is inaccurate or deceptive. The reasons for applying for that particular scholarship program have to be mentioned.
5. Personal statement
You will be asked by a large number of scholarships to compose a personal statement. You will need to write about your career objectives and your reasons for applying for the grant.
Many students struggle with a personal statement being written. To give you an idea of how you should compose your personal statement, be sure to use online tools and examples. In your personal statement, show who you are and what makes you special is important.
6. Recommendation letter
Along with your application form, you will have to send a recommendation letter. One recommendation form is required by most colleges and universities. There are, however, many institutions that need two letters of recommendation. In both cases, the teacher or supervisor’s letter of recommendation is necessary because it says a lot about academic achievements. The letter of recommendation helps the provider of the scholarship to assess more about the academic capabilities and the level of motivation for the particular degree to be attained.
7. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
You have to apply your CV to be eligible for the scholarships. This doesn’t mean that knowledge about your professional experience is needed by the scholarship provider. Instead, they want to recognize your knowledge of learning, your hobbies, your interests, your social skills, and eventually your qualities of leadership. Here, you need to be careful once again and always note your programming skills and level of competence in the field of studies. Do not exaggerate stuff and talk about your actual accomplishments.
8. Resume
Some schools might ask you to include, along with your scholarship application, a copy of your resume. For students who do not have previous job experience, this can be difficult. This is what the scholarship committee acknowledges. They are pleased to see other stuff on your resume as well.
Hobbies, charitable work, accomplishments, and various abilities may be included. Language proficiency and computer ability can also be included. This is a good place to list skills that are important to that major if you already know what you want to major in.
9. Your score in standardized tests
Nearly all scholarship-providing universities and colleges require you to pass SAT, GRE, ACT, GPA, or other recommended examinations. Always bear in mind that in these exams, learners scoring high marks are favored over those who get a low score. However, for awarding the scholarship, this is not what they mean. Instead, prior to the recommendation, they review all the documents minutely.
10. Additional documents to apply for scholarships
These include:
- Essay – You may be asked to write an essay in addition to the letter of motivation and touch on a certain subject, typically related to the scholarship. Think about what personal accomplishments you propose to earn the grant. Follow the essay’s guidelines as requested and make sure you do not surpass the number of words by too much.
- Portfolio – Students applying for art, architecture, and other related degrees are asked for a portfolio and it should include creative work and projects. In the case of an art degree, when it comes to displaying your talents, a portfolio is far more or just as important compared to your GPA score.
- Parents’ financial information, including tax returns
- A medical report/health evaluation form – Signed by your home country’s certified medical clinic/hospital. (If so, please notice that all documents must be translated either in English or in the official language of the country of destination, but first, the exact language specifications for the documents! The translation of documents must be done by an accredited translator and the original documents must always be accompanied by them.)
Final thoughts
Don’t wait until the last minute to start compiling all these papers. Organizing and gathering all of the documents to apply for scholarships will take a while. As soon as you start applying for scholarships, start gathering the requisite documents.
Send only the documents which have been requested. Also, make sure to make a copy of the records and retain them for you to have on hand. Finally, apply anything by the deadline for the submission or before!
That’s your simple checklist for the documents to apply for scholarships. Good luck with financial aid hunting!
