Before applying for scholarships, it is best to sort out a few questions: How are scholarships set up in overseas universities? Why do they give scholarships? What can I bring to the school? Know yourself and know yourself, and you will win every battle.
First of all, we should collect a lot of information about scholarships.
There are three kinds of scholarships: government scholarships, college scholarships and other institutional scholarships. Many countries offer these three kinds of scholarships at the same time, and the conditions are different. You should consult and understand them in detail before choosing.
In addition to understanding the types of scholarships, we should also know some inside information, such as when and what kind of awards will be given and the proportion of scholarships in previous years. This information can usually be obtained by sending a request letter to the dean of the college.
Judging from the distribution stage, scholarships for different projects are also very different, some are only tuition fees for one semester, some are tuition fees and living expenses for one academic year, and some are even tuition fees for the whole course.
In addition, it depends on the stage of studying abroad. At present, the scholarship programs established abroad are mainly aimed at master's degree or above, and the probability of applying for scholarships at the undergraduate stage is very small.
In addition, different countries have different scholarship priorities. Generally speaking, when applying for scholarships, business disciplines such as accounting, international finance, computer and other applied disciplines are included in the highly competitive disciplines, while basic disciplines such as mathematics, physics and chemistry are relatively easy to apply for scholarships. For example, students studying science and engineering and basic subjects in European countries are more likely to apply for scholarships; Most scholarships in Britain are for business, so international students majoring in business have the most opportunities to apply for scholarships. However, due to the large number of domestic students applying, the competition is fierce. Therefore, when applying, we should pay attention to avoiding the important and avoiding the light. If you choose a relatively popular major from the beginning, in order to reduce the difficulty of applying for scholarships, if conditions permit, you can increase the probability of winning scholarships by applying for different majors. This can be said to be an "evolution" in applying for scholarships. But it must be remembered that the majors should be relatively close.
2. Strength+skill, no one can be less.
The factors examined by the award committee mainly include students' GPA, grade ranking, standard test scores (such as TOEFL, GRE, GMAT and LSAT), extracurricular activities and hobbies, work experience, awards and honors won, family background, etc.
To get a scholarship, first of all, one's own strength should be excellent. It is best to graduate from a national key university, especially the university that entered the national project 2 1 1; University professional performance requires excellent grades in all subjects, and it is best to get scholarships; Excellent language performance. If you have internship experience or research results in professional fields, it will undoubtedly increase the weight of winning.
Of course, scholarships are not based on grades, but also on comprehensive performance in extracurricular activities, such as being a student union leader, participating in community service, and having special skills. If students have participated in national or international competitions and won rankings, it will be very beneficial to get scholarships. Foreign universities hope to give scholarships to outstanding students who are well-developed in all aspects, rather than nerds who can only read.
Generally speaking, you have a better chance of getting a scholarship by applying to a school whose research direction is in line with your major. In addition, when writing resumes and study plans, candidates should also highlight their past professional experience and background, such as career-related activities, design and creation. The more prominent the professional background, knowledge and interest, the greater the chance of applying for a scholarship.
Applying for a scholarship is not only a competition of strength, but also a technical activity that requires skills. The most important thing is whether the students' scientific research ability and direction can attract the attention of teachers, that is, whether the so-called "magnetic trap" is effective. Students should make use of their unique background and potential to engage in magnetism, so as to win more scholarships.
It is also very important that you need to prepare for the scholarship application in advance. Some need to be submitted at the same time as the application for admission, and some can submit the application after the admission is approved. Both the United States and Canada need to prepare their applications 8- 10 months in advance, and Britain even needs 12 months in advance. This is because only by submitting the application before the deadline of 1-2 months can the possible problems caused by incomplete materials be avoided; Secondly, schools usually give priority to those students who submit scholarship applications earlier.
3. Details determine success or failure
When applying for a scholarship, you must not have the mentality that "heroes are not limited to details". Numerous painful cases of Waterloo fiasco on the battlefield show that details often determine success or failure.
1. Submit the application form on time.
Punctuality is one of the most important conditions. Whether applying for scholarships or grants, as long as the deadline has passed, the school will not handle these expired documents.
2. Don't have typos.
When submitting any application form, please carefully check all typos, even a small spelling mistake will affect the application. Please take five more minutes to check the form before sending it.
3. Meet the basic application conditions.
If the scholarship application condition is that the GPA must be 4.0, then please be sure to get a score of 4.0, because if you apply before reaching the standard, the audit department will think that the applicant doesn't even understand the basic rules and should have no achievements in academic performance. Applicants should not take chances, which will only make things worse.