How to win a scholarship for your Master's/PhD:
Step 1:
Figure out the academic field/discipline of your interest
Advanced degrees like Master's/PhDs are quite field-specific.
It would help if you have a clear understanding of the kind of work you want to do.
Figure out the academic field/discipline of your interest
Advanced degrees like Master's/PhDs are quite field-specific.
It would help if you have a clear understanding of the kind of work you want to do.
My advice: go with the field you are passionate about and NOT what's fashionable.
Example: if everyone around you is doing software engineering and you want to learn creative writing, go and learn creative writing.
Life's too short to have regrets.
Example: if everyone around you is doing software engineering and you want to learn creative writing, go and learn creative writing.
Life's too short to have regrets.
Step 2:
Figure out the country you want to study in
This is important because every country has its own system of higher education.
You must learn how it works before you start working on your application.
Figure out the country you want to study in
This is important because every country has its own system of higher education.
You must learn how it works before you start working on your application.
Example: for a Master's or a PhD in the US, you apply to a university's graduate school.
For a PhD, you do a couple years of coursework after which you take your written exams and then you choose a supervisor.
For a PhD, you do a couple years of coursework after which you take your written exams and then you choose a supervisor.
In the UK (as far as I understand) you choose a supervisor before you have even secured an admission.
A PhD is considered a graduate degree in the US and a postgraduate in the UK.
A PhD is considered a graduate degree in the US and a postgraduate in the UK.
Familiarize yourself with the admission cycle in your target country.
Admissions for most Master's/PhD programs in the US open in September and close in December.
The decisions are announced around March/April.
Admissions for most Master's/PhD programs in the US open in September and close in December.
The decisions are announced around March/April.
Also learn about the kinds of scholarships your target country offers:
β’ Fulbright (US)
β’ Chevening (UK)
β’ DAAD (Germany)
β’ Endeavour (Australia)
β’ Erasmus Mundus (EU)
β’ P.D. Soros (US)
β’ Gates-Cambridge (UK)
etc. etc.
β’ Fulbright (US)
β’ Chevening (UK)
β’ DAAD (Germany)
β’ Endeavour (Australia)
β’ Erasmus Mundus (EU)
β’ P.D. Soros (US)
β’ Gates-Cambridge (UK)
etc. etc.
Step 3:
Figure out the universities that align with your academic interests
Go to the websites of you target universities and read about the kind of departments they have.
Then read about the academic programs these departments offer.
Figure out the universities that align with your academic interests
Go to the websites of you target universities and read about the kind of departments they have.
Then read about the academic programs these departments offer.
While choosing a university, don't get swayed by academic prestige.
Don't be one of those people who only want to go to Harvard/Oxford regardless of their academic interests.
Speaking from experience, doing so will set you up for lifelong anxiety and insecurity.
Don't be one of those people who only want to go to Harvard/Oxford regardless of their academic interests.
Speaking from experience, doing so will set you up for lifelong anxiety and insecurity.
Pay attention to the kind of funding opportunities your target university/department offers.
Also important is to find out if the university wants you to secure an admission first or funding.
Also important is to find out if the university wants you to secure an admission first or funding.
When I applied for a Fulbright scholarship, I had to secure the funding first and then got an admission.
I also had an offer from a British university where I had to secure an admission first with no guarantee of getting any funding.
I also had an offer from a British university where I had to secure an admission first with no guarantee of getting any funding.
Step 4:
Read about the requirements/conditions of your target scholarship
Example: Chevening (UK) provides scholarships only for Master's, but Fulbright (US) funds both Master's and PhD.
P.D. Soros funds only immigrants and children of immigrants living in the US.
Read about the requirements/conditions of your target scholarship
Example: Chevening (UK) provides scholarships only for Master's, but Fulbright (US) funds both Master's and PhD.
P.D. Soros funds only immigrants and children of immigrants living in the US.
Remember that
your search for the target program/department
and
your search for the target scholarship
should complement each other.
You don't want to select a program only to realize that your target scholarship will not fund your study.
your search for the target program/department
and
your search for the target scholarship
should complement each other.
You don't want to select a program only to realize that your target scholarship will not fund your study.
Step 5:
Reach out to people
Reach out to two sets of people:
1. Former/current students in your target department
2. Former/current students who availed the scholarship that you are targeting
Reach out to people
Reach out to two sets of people:
1. Former/current students in your target department
2. Former/current students who availed the scholarship that you are targeting
Most universities publish contact information of their PhD students/employees on their websites.
For example, you can find my contact details on the website of the Hans Christian Andersen Centre where I work.
For example, you can find my contact details on the website of the Hans Christian Andersen Centre where I work.
Request former/current students in your target department for any advice they may have regarding the admission process.
Similarly, request former/current students who have availed your target scholarship for advice.
Similarly, request former/current students who have availed your target scholarship for advice.
Remember to be *absolutely professional* when requesting this kind of information.
Don't by pushy.
Never ask anyone to share their application materials like personal statements/research objectives. In many cases, these documents are confidential.
Don't by pushy.
Never ask anyone to share their application materials like personal statements/research objectives. In many cases, these documents are confidential.
Don't ask people generic questions like I'm looking to get funding for XYZ program, could you help me?
Questions like these will make you look unprepared and people will not respond to your request.
Questions like these will make you look unprepared and people will not respond to your request.
Ask short, specific, and to-the-point questions.
Example: I'm preparing to apply for a Fulbright scholarship. I'm not sure what the difference between personal statement and statement of purpose is. I was wondering if you could help me with it.
Example: I'm preparing to apply for a Fulbright scholarship. I'm not sure what the difference between personal statement and statement of purpose is. I was wondering if you could help me with it.
Step 6:
Start preparing your application materials
Most scholarships ask for a statement of purpose or research objectives.
This is usually THE MOST important part of your application.
Start preparing your application materials
Most scholarships ask for a statement of purpose or research objectives.
This is usually THE MOST important part of your application.
A good statement of purpose should showcase how your past experiences and skills have prepared you for your target program.
It should also tell the reader how your target program will help you accomplish your long-term goals.
It should also tell the reader how your target program will help you accomplish your long-term goals.
While preparing your application materials, seek tough-love feedback from your colleagues and professors.
You can also ask the alumni of these scholarships to critique your application materials.
But again be respectful and professional while doing so.
You can also ask the alumni of these scholarships to critique your application materials.
But again be respectful and professional while doing so.
Apply once your application materials are ready.
If you make it, you make it.
If you don't, apply again.
One of my colleagues knows someone from Pakistan who applied for a Fulbright scholarship 9 times and every time got rejected.
But they got it in their 10th attempt.
If you make it, you make it.
If you don't, apply again.
One of my colleagues knows someone from Pakistan who applied for a Fulbright scholarship 9 times and every time got rejected.
But they got it in their 10th attempt.
Found this thread helpful?
1. Scroll to the top and retweet the first tweet to share it with your friends who want to apply for scholarships.
2. Follow me @MushtaqBilalPhD for more threads like this.
1. Scroll to the top and retweet the first tweet to share it with your friends who want to apply for scholarships.
2. Follow me @MushtaqBilalPhD for more threads like this.
If the first tweet of this thread gets 5,000 likes, I will do a FREE seminar on how to prepare your application materials for scholarships.
Looks like I wonβt be doing the free seminar π€
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