Global Courant
Managing to apply for a scholarship requires the commitment, disposition, attitude and determination of the applicant. Each program asks for specific requirements that are related to the objectives of the institution that grants the scholarships and the career that you want to study.
If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, you must provide the information that the program requests, submit the required documents, study, win exams, and attend interviews, among others. But there is something else, meeting the objectives is the most important thing, but your attitude towards the process will be decisive in order to be elected.
What is the procedure to apply for a scholarship?
Determine with certainty what you want to study. Research the institutions that offer scholarships and write down the start and end dates of the calls. Analyze the scholarship options available, as well as the requirements, application procedures, benefits and conditions. Prepare the documentation required to apply for the scholarship. Submit the application file before the call deadline, it can be in person, at a local or foreign office, in print or online. Stay tuned for the notifications they send you, answer emails and questions, participate in interviews and follow up on the results.
What is the function of the selection committees?
A selection committee is made up of a group of experts in the area, who carry out a fair and transparent selection process.
The main function of the selection committees is to review and evaluate the scholarship application files to verify that they meet the requirements established by the scholarship institution. If they meet all of them, they pass the file on to the final selection process, in which the most outstanding profiles and the candidates who will benefit from the scholarship are chosen.
Requirements to apply for a scholarship
Requirements are necessary conditions that must be met in order to acquire a scholarship. These vary, depending on the scholarship program to which you apply. Some requirements are recurring in most programs.
General requirements
Age Nationality Gender, ethnicity or rurality Health certificates Lack of criminal records Year of graduation of the last degree obtained University of origin Sector where you work Socioeconomic situation
academic requirements
Transcript of qualifications and title of previous studies Admission or acceptance letters Promotion ranking Admission exams and standardized exams Academic congruence Language knowledge Portfolios Work experience (in postgraduate scholarships) Research project or thesis draft Acceptance letter from the professor responsible for laboratory or research program Priority academic areas of the scholarship program
personality requirements
Essays or letters of interest Interviews Letters of recommendation Extracurricular activities
Tips for applying for a scholarship
If you plan to apply for a scholarship to start your professional studies for a bachelor’s or master’s degree, Luis Arenas, a specialist in scholarship counseling, suggests following these tips.
Define the career or area you want to study according to your vocation. Scholarship programs favor those who have clear goals because they apply what they learn better. Research what organizations or scholarship programs exist for what you want to study. Get to know the cooperant and verify that your objectives coincide with those of that institution. A year in advance, make a plan or calendar in which you write down scholarship programs, application deadlines, and requirements. Apply to more than one scholarship, do it with determination and a clear purpose on how you will apply what you study. Read the calls in detail and pay attention to the “answers to frequently asked questions” section of each program to which you apply. Review the requirements and confirm that you meet all of them. Some scholarships are not complete, so before you apply, clearly establish how you will cover expenses that are not paid by the scholarships. When you prepare your file, take a good look at all the details: good presentation and that it contains all the documents in the order in which they are requested. Prepare your essay, project your personality, social commitment, leadership and your life plan into it. Convince the reader of your qualities, of the good application that you will make of what you have learned and how you will project it to society. Make sure that the letters of recommendation that you include in your file are from people who know you well, so that they best describe your characteristics and skills. Do extracurricular activities that reflect your social commitment, leadership and academic vocation. During interviews, respond clearly, concisely and consistently. That your answers agree with what you expressed in your essay and your entire file. Request the scholarship, explain the reason for which you request it. Assume the commitment of your application process, deliver all your paperwork in the stipulated time and attend the interviews on time.
Sources: Application procedures, benefits and documents, Requirements and 16 tips to obtain a scholarship, Luis Edgar Arenas, director of Indesgua, Indesgua.org.gt, FB: indesguabecas, IG: @indesguagt.
