Getting a scholarship is a dream that every student has in their student life. The scholarship provides financial aid and encourages students to discover new cultures in new countries, but here is the catch: Fully funded scholarship is more challenging. It requires proper guidance and expertise to fill out the application. Many candidates make silly mistakes that cause them rejection. We will discuss common mistakes students make while applying for international scholarships and their solutions in the following paragraphs.

1. Not Researching Enough

Researching a scholarship is very important. Before applying for a specific scholarship, you should have every possible information about it. Randomly applying for a scholarship that fits your education level won’t get you a scholarship.

Mistake:

A mistake many students make while doing scholarship research is that they don’t narrow down their required scholarship. For example, if you want to catch a fish, you will have more opportunities to catch them, whether in a vast open sea or a pond. Of course, your answer will be a pond because here, competition is less, and you have more opportunities according to your skill set. The more competition there is, the less your chances of getting the scholarship are.

How to Avoid:

The answer is simple: Information and Awareness. The more information and awareness about the specific scholarship you have, the less the chances of you making the mistake. This makes Scholarship research a bit tricky, but don’t worry, I will cut it down to a small piece that will be easy to digest, and you will get command over it entirely.

1.     Commence Early:

Every evening, when you land on your bed, research different scholarships. Mark those links that are new and have time in their submission date. This will ensure two things: the due date will be in your sight, and second, constant reminders of it every night will compel you to complete it in time.

2.     Employ Scholarship Search Engines and Databases:

Like Google’s search engine, which is used for searching different things, there are specific search engines for researching about latest scholarships, such as Fastweb, Scholarships.com, and The College Board Scholarship, which provide an extensive list of scholarships worldwide. Narrow down the search by applying filters that fit your profile that will niche down scholarships that fit you perfectly. The chances of getting a scholarship are higher this way.

3.     Visit the Websites of Universities and Colleges:

Every university and college announces its annual scholarships. Some Institutes announce them twice a year. Keep their websites bookmarked and keep them checking for available scholarships. The more opportunities you have, the more chances you have of getting the scholarship.

2. Ignoring Small Scholarships

Small scholarships having less financial value are less attractive for students. Hence, the number of applications submitted to such scholarships is less than those received by high-financial value scholarships. Applying to such a scholarship increases your chances of getting it higher and higher.

Mistake:

It is a common thought that the more the financial value of a scholarship, the better it is. Students skip applying for small scholarships to get more prestigious scholarships. The chances of getting a lesser-value scholarship are higher than those with higher financial value. The reality is that it’s not the value of scholarship that matters but the country and education institute offering it.

How to Avoid:

A comprehensive strategy is required to get small and prestigious scholarships easily. The important thing is your mindset; if you have such a mindset that allows you to apply for every possible opportunity, your chances of getting a scholarship increase. I will break the strategy into small paragraphs that you must adopt while applying for such foreign scholarships.

1.     Enhance Your Scholarship Portfolio:

A portfolio makes your first impression, so make that count. Contact experts and get help from them while making your portfolio. Once a portfolio is in your hands, apply for both small scholarships as well as prestigious ones. The more diversified your application list is, the more chances you have of landing a scholarship.

2.     Acknowledge the Cumulative Benefit:

Getting multiple small scholarships is better than having a single scholarship with more value. In a later case, your chance of getting that one is lower than that of multiple small scholarships. Combining the value of all these scholarships is mostly greater than one prestigious one.

3.     Reduced Competition and Enhanced Prospects:

It is a general rule that getting something with less competition is easier than with more competition. Small scholarships have less competition, so getting them is easier than getting prestigious ones. Applying for diverse scholarships with a unique portfolio will help you achieve your dream scholarship. So the rule is to search for less competition areas, invest time and money in optimizing your scholarship portfolio per institute demand, and hope for the best.

 

3. Submitting Generic Scholarship Applications

One of the most common mistakes most students make is sending one generic portfolio with every scholarship application process. They think that it will work, but in reality, it will never work. Those who scrutinize portfolios are pros at what they do and know whether this specific portfolio is optimized for their scholarship.

Mistake:

Due to lacking time and expertise, students submit one generic portfolio with every scholarship application. It is a common mistake most students make without realizing it. According to students, every scholarship is the same, so they don’t need to modify their portfolio. However, the reality is that every scholarship application comes up with different criteria for submission. You must fulfill those criteria to ensure your application is accepted during the first scrutiny.

How to Avoid:

Reading out scholarship applications carefully is very important. Half of the job is done by writing down the requirements. The rest of the problem is broken into the following paragraphs for better understanding:

1.     Research the Objectives and Values of Each Scholarship:

Keep in mind two things before starting to fill out a scholarship application. First is the Scholarship provider’s mission, and second is the Purpose of the scholarship. Both of these things will guide your application process.

2.     Personalize Your Essays:

Providing a Generic portfolio with every application is not a wise step. Modify your statement and portfolio as per scholarship provider requirements.

3.     Reflect the Language and Keywords of the Scholarship:

Ensure that your writing language meets scholarship provider requirements, and remember to use specific keywords in your statement. You can pick those keywords from the scholarship provider’s mission statement. This way, your portfolio will be portrayed as well-researched and personalized for specific scholarships rather than considered generic.

4.    Procrastinating on Applications

All scholarship applications have a due date, usually after 10-15 days of publication. Human nature is that he thinks he has time, while in reality, due to procrastination, we lose that time and are left with the last few moments. In moments of hurry, we often make mistakes and mess up our scholarship application. To avoid this, we must plan and execute our plan promptly.

Mistake:

Humans have two modes: fight and flight, while the other is relax and eat. Stressful conditions come under flight and fight mode. All our neurons work super-fast during this mode, while the opposite occurs when our body is relaxed. Students commit a common mistake by not considering the due date important when they first see the advertisement. Our body doesn’t perceive it as urgent, and we relax regarding its deadline. As a result, last-minute incomplete submission often leads to rejection. It is important to consider that creating strong application material, including Optimizing portfolios and writing personalized personal statements, takes time.

How to Avoid:

It’s simple: Time management, application assessment, and completing the application on time. I will break it down further for a better understanding.

1.     Develop a Scholarship Calendar:

Get yourself a digital planner (They are freely available on the internet and can be downloaded from the app store on mobile phones). Mark your dates and set reminders every night before bed to remind you to complete the scholarship application. This way, you can complete the scholarship application on time without delay or hustle.

2.     Deconstruct the Application Procedure:

Break down the application process into small steps and then manage it on time. Dedicate some days to completing the initial requirements of the application, some days to writing and perfecting your essay, and some days to rechecking it by the expert so that it is complete from every aspect. Everything should be completed two days before the due date so you can submit your application.

3.     Establish Personal Deadlines:

Divide your days before the due date and leave some of the days for an emergency that may be unforeseen so you can be prepared for it. You should stick strictly to the deadline and complete your task before the deadline. For this, you need to have strong discipline and willpower.

5. Neglecting the Essay

You can prove yourself before the scholarship scrutiny committee to attain a good scholarship. You have to impress them beyond your academic and extracurricular activity. Your essay should represent you and explain why they should select you for this scholarship.

Mistake:

Most students make this mistake, and they skip an integral part of the scholarship application process: Essay writing. Essay writing helps you build your rapport with the scrutiny committee and helps them decide whether they should award you this scholarship. Slight mistakes in an essay due to any reason show a lack of strength and confidence in your writing and weaken your application.

How to Avoid:

An excellent essay needs time and dedication. Here are some tips that will help you improve your essay.

1.     Get Started ASAP:

Start as soon as possible. When you finish the first step of the application (collecting required documents and other requirements), you should get started. The earlier you start, the more time you will be there to proofread your essay, and if you need expert help, you can get it in time to make your essay look well-researched and polished.

2.     Show, Don’t Tell:

Show your personal stories in the form of writing. Tell your reader why you need this scholarship and what impact it will have on your life if you are awarded. Don’t use generic sentences like you are a diligent student; show them your recent work, which will show your work ethic and commitment.

3.     Be Sincere:

Please talk about your real-time experience; it will help readers connect with you. A genuine essay can help you stand in a crowd and make deeper connections.

6. Failing to Proofread Applications

A single mistake can significantly impact your application and negatively influence it in front of the scrutiny committee. It shows how efficient you are in your writing. This mistake may indicate a lack of focus on specifics. Take time and proofread your application. It matters the most.

Mistake:

Students make common mistakes by not proofreading their applications. I know you have made all the efforts, and now it’s the end, but it’s what matters the most. Silly grammatical and spelling mistakes give a wrong impression and negatively influence your application.

How to Avoid:

Refresh yourself before giving a final read to your research application. Here are the tips that will help clear mistakes and submit a perfect application:

1.     Allocate Time for Several Review Rounds:

Don’t leave proofreading to the end. Whatever you write in a day, allocate some time and proofread it the same day. This way, you will have little proofreading in the end.

2.     Employ Technology Sensibly:

Nowadays, technology can do anything, and most students rely entirely on it and check their drafts with these technologies, which results in correcting grammar that ruins the structure of sentences. You hardly can get any meaning out of it. Therefore, the use of technology should be reasonable.

3.     Last Review Before Submission:

Check the format of your scholarship application before submitting it. Ensure you have checked and listed every point required in the application. Don’t make last-minute mistakes to avoid a wrong impression.

Conclusion

Understanding that writing a scholarship application is an art. Many students make common mistakes while applying for scholarship. Scholarship mistakes can easily be omitted by proper research, hard work on your essay, and managing time to complete your application on time. Every scholarship application is an opportunity to demonstrate your goals and accomplishments. Give every application proper time and attention to boost your educational goals.

Why many students are not able to get future supervisor consent letter for BS, MS, PhD, Post Doc Scholarship/Fellowship?
They dont write proper emails to professors in foreign / international universities to get acceptance letter from them which maximizes their application acceptance chances near to 100%.
Below is excellent guide on how to write an email to get an acceptance letter from the professor. This will make your application stand among other applicants.
How to write an email to get an Acceptance Letter from the Professor

Please do share with us your scholarship application rejection story so that we may help you will that in future. We are here to guide you to become successful.