Why You Are Not Able To Get MS or PhD Scholarship? – There are 8 common challenges in Ph.D./MS Scholarship hunt and how to overcome them.
These are the common questions that every student asks and we have provided the best answers to them on how they can get MS or Ph.D. Scholarship to Study abroad.
If you are serious about studying abroad on a Scholarship then understand the ethics of getting a Scholarship and how you can make your application strong than others.
Follow these 8 rules which will lead you to get a Fully Funded Scholarship in a Foreign country.
1. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 S𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦?
Many students don’t know where to start – what is the first step? The first step is to identify what are the different scholarships available around the world. Some are too common – US Fullbright, Erasmus Mundus, Australian RTPS, etc. Others are based on the professor’s funding. Join & follow relevant social media groups & people.
𝟐. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐆𝐏𝐀:
Many students are reluctant to even apply because they think their GPA is low. First, GPA is not the only determinant. Second, not all scholarships are equally competitive. The solution is (i) to cover a low GPA with other strengths such as publications and (ii) to apply for less competitive scholarships (happy to share these).
𝟑. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
This mindset also makes students less confident. Yes, publications are a huge plus but it’s not the only determinant either. Even if you don’t have publications, you should still apply. While you are hunting for scholarships, start working on a publication. It’s not as difficult as it may look from a distance.
𝟒. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬:
Many students give up just because they don’t receive a reply from a few professors. Not getting a reply doesn’t mean that your profile is not good. (i) send a couple of reminders and try the back door & (ii) move on to other professors. Eventually, you will land where your profile will be valued.
𝟓. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝 𝐂𝐕 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐎𝐏:
Some students are lazy to make a solid CV and SOP. There are many excellent templates available for CVs and SOPs, just pick a good one and insert your content. Make a solid CV and then slightly customize it as per the position.
𝟔. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐂𝐕 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐎𝐏:
Some students are reluctant/shy to seek feedback. There are many amazing people around you and on platforms like LinkedIn who would be happy to help you improve your CV and SOPs, etc. Reach out.
𝟕. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞:
Many students keep waiting for English scores such as IELTS. In this wait, they waste a lot of time. Don’t wait, just apply. If a professor agrees to supervise you, then you can give IELTS test. Also, in some cases, you can instead provide your university certificate. Don’t let it become a bottleneck.
𝟖. 𝐈 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲:
Some students get rejection too seriously, which leads to thinking – oh I am not good enough. Everyone aiming for something high will stumble a few times on the way.
