Full scholarship, also known as full-ride scholarships, are the ultimate form of financial aid because they almost 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 scholarships are 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.
Know where to search
Where can you genuinely find 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 offer 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 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).
Prepare Ahead
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 crucial if you find yourself in a situation where you have to attend an interview. For example, some universities host 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 goals and motivations and how they relate to the institution and the course. If you have to go to a scholarship interview, treat it like any other formal interview by dressing appropriately, being well-prepared with responses to any questions they may have, and having a few follow-up questions prepared to ask them.
Work Hard and Stay Positive
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 study hard in your studies, but if you want to receive a full scholarship—the majority of which go to the most deserving students—you’ll need to work especially hard. High grades are essential since colleges may automatically consider candidates for full scholarships using your standard university application. Despite the fact that pushing yourself intellectually can be mentally draining, strive to stay motivated by remembering your goals and taking occasional breaks to unwind (particularly before and after exam season!).
Stand Out from Other Applicants
Given 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 passions and interests outside of the classroom and provide examples of times you’ve gotten involved 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.
The ability to lead initiatives in your extracurricular activities or volunteer work is a great way to show off your leadership qualities to scholarship providers.
Building strong relationships with your academic mentors is important because they’ll be able to provide a more accurate and personal reflection of you in their letter. Another thing that could really set you apart from the competition when it comes to scholarship applications is a glowing report on your academic and personal qualities through your letters of recommendation.
Read and Follow the Application Instructions strictly
Despite how apparent it may sound, you don’t want to accidently forget to submit a required document or piece of information, which could ruin your chances of receiving the scholarship. To ensure you don’t miss anything, read the application advice thoroughly and often. If you have any questions, email the provider.
Let Your Scholarship Essay or Cover Letter Be Exceptional
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 formatted, captures the reader with a compelling start, maintains focus on its main issue or topic, and has perfect spelling and grammar. Ask a friend to read it over and look for mistakes and any sentences that don’t read as well as they could to ensure that it is perfect rather than just proofreading it hundreds of times.
You may read a very helpful piece on submitting a successful scholarship essay that one of our QS scholarship winners authored here.
Be Moderate in Your Expectations
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 available are fiercely competitive, so many applicants who meet and surpass the requirements for a full scholarship wind up losing out. Don’t let this stop you from applying, but keep your expectations in check. Additionally, keep in mind that there is no restriction on the number of scholarship applications you may submit or the number of scholarships you can receive, so you may be able to combine two or more smaller awards to create your own full scholarship. Naturally, make sure to confirm with the service providers that you are eligible to apply for and receive funds from other sources
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Reference: Top Universities
