TRICKS FOR WINNING SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDY ABROAD

The decision to Study Abroad has been taken. The road to expansion, growth, fun is awaited. But, even though you are on the verge of having an experience of your life time, and that this experience would be worth every penny, not everyone can afford to do so. However, lack of money should not stand in between you and your plans for studying abroad. Scholarships- are a great way of funding your study program. The term itself suggests nothing less than a lottery! And as we all know, lotteries are won by fate, to those lucky few-This is the major reason why not everyone applies for scholarships. They fear of failure, or they think they are not meritorious enough to win the scholarship. Composing a winning scholarship application is not very difficult as one might wonder, hence, It is advisable for all study abroad aspirants to not presume circumstances or under estimate oneself. However, there are some tricks that you might give a shot to achieve that much-wanted scholarship. Firstly, APPLY! A lot of people are reluctant to apply, as they assume that they won’t win a scholarship and hence think applying is just a waste of time. Unfortunately, many students get caught up in this fear of failing and end up not applying. This only increases the chances of winning of the brave few who apply for scholarships. Secondly, apply for as many scholarships as possible. Applying to more and more scholarships will increase the chances of your winning a reward. Give yourself 4- 6 months for preparing yourself. Apply to at least 10-20 Study Abroad scholarships. Thirdly, CATH THE EYE! We all have something in us that make us unique and special from others. Well, use this special quality to craft a captivating application that can catch the eye of the scholarship reviewers. You can demonstrate your diversity without any limits. If you have had certain exclusive or uncommon experience, or you are the first person from your family who will go abroad, then utilize these aspects of your background to enhance your application. Scholarship programs welcome diversity in scholarship recipients with open arms. Fourthly, applying to study in non- traditional locations or in critical languages is another way to increase your odds of receiving a scholarship. There are a lot of scholarship programs who want to provide scholarships to applicants going to diverse locations. There is a higher probability of winning if you choose to study in a less popular or less- rated countries. For example, if you are planning to study in Czech Republic and along with you there are only five other applications to study in Czech Republic, you have a greater chance of winning. Similarly in the case of language study, the applicant is taken to be more competitive if he or she is taking up a critical language. There are so many languages that are high in demand but only few people study. You can still increase your odds in case you don’t want to study a critical language. This can be done by choosing a non- traditional location to study that language. Instead of studying Spanish in Spain, you can focus on Latin American; this will make it easier for you to get that scholarship that you are longing for. Creativity is the key! Put your creative skills to use, demonstrate your one of a kind creativity to make the scholarship reviewer wake up and pay attention to your application. If the scholarship requires a video essay, make a video that is engaging enough. If you are required to write an essay, make it as interesting and engaging as possible. Let the reviewer create images in his head while reading your essay. If possible use metaphors and poetry to enhance your essay. You can even consider using foreign quotes written in the language or country of interest. Scholarship reviewers have to spend hours reading through heaps of uninteresting and boring applications. Let your application be a breath of fresh air, something that would stand out and catch the eye of the reviewer. Lastly, and most importantly, follow the rules- To save yourself from disqualification after putting so much effort and time to create a winning application. Jot down the requirements for the scholarship on a check list and then check off each requirement as you go through the process of completing the application. Following these simple yet impressive tricks will help you achieve your dream of studying abroad. A scholarship is always an added feather to your hat, make the most of it. Create a positive attitude in yourself and go ahead, start applying!