Okay, after going through the various types of scholarships you've completed your scholarship search and finally narrowed down your options to a selected few scholarships that completely suit your needs. Now the next step is to develop a first class scholarship application. In order to create a great scholarship application, the first thing you need to do is get organized. Start out with creating a file and start compiling copies of all the work you have submitted. Secondly, start making your resume.
Your resume should list details of your high school career, work experience and any social groups you belong to. Next, you sort all the scholarships available according to the scholarship application due dates and finally, make a list of requirements that each scholarhips application asks for.There are four basic elements of the scholarship application process:
# Letter(s) of recommendation
# Transcript
# Personal statement (essay)
# Activity Sheet
# Interview
The rest of the article explains in detail about the 5 essential components of the scholarship application.
Letters of Recommendation:
Most scholarships require (as part of the scholarship application process) you to submit a letter of recommendation as part of the scholarship application. This letter of recommendation can come from your high school teacher, an alumni, some prominent member of your community, or your employer. These letters are basically needed because the scholarship sponsors want to analyze your strengths and attributes from a point of view different than your own.
The first thing you should keep in mind is to make a request of a letter of recommendation early so you aren't panicking on the time of submission of the scholarship application. It should be well before your deadline so that the person who is writing the letter of recommendation has plenty of time to write a good and strong letter. You should notify the person when the scholarship application deadline is and contact them a few times before the deadline to remind them and see how the letter is going.
When you are selecting someone to write a letter of recommendation for your scholarship application, it is a wise decision to ask someone who knows you very well and admires you for the person you are and for what you have achieved. A person who knows you well can talk about your strengths and weaknesses better and can describe your accomplishments in a proper manner as compared to someone who does not know you very well.
As part of your scholarship application, make sure that you provide information about yourself to the person who is going to write the letter of recommendation. Give them your resume, your writing samples and other documents that display your talents and abilities. Talk to the writer and discuss the kind of image you are intending to portray and which part of your personality should be emphasized. Another thing you can do in order to help the person in writing a letter of recommendation for your scholarship application is to provide a written description of the scholarship so that the writer knows what you are applying for. As mentioned before, clearly inform the writer of the deadline of your scholarship application.
Lastly, don’t forget to write a thank-you note to the person who has written the letter of recommendation for your scholarship application.
Transcript:
Often, scholarship applications require a transcript from all of the schools you have previously attended. You should request this information from all of your past educational institutions as soon as possible. Sometimes, schools charge fee to issue official transcripts. Once you have contacted your past schools and requested a transcript, call them after a couple of weeks and make sure that they have mailed the your transcript to the proper address. In case you are delivering the transcript yourself, then make sure that you let it remain sealed and do not tamper with it because it may make the transcript invalid and ruin one of the most important elements of your scholarship application.
Several scholarship committees require students to submit an essay along with their application. There are several purposes due to which the scholarship committees require an essay. One of the main reasons is that these scholarship committees want to see a sample of your writing, and that they want to get to know the applicant. Another purpose is to enable the applicants to share something about themselves that may not be reflected in the statistics and facts they have provided. The essay is also very important because it allows the applicants to express their individuality and gives the scholarship committees an opportunity to know them.
The only way students can improve their chances of being selected from a huge pool of applicants competing for scholarships is by writing a stellar personal essay as a part of their application.
The way you write your application essay distinguishes you from the other applicants. It provides information about you that your quantitative data cannot.
The application essay is a result of hard work, often requiring countless drafts and several weeks of writing and rewriting. There are many approaches to writing the essay. There are some people who can sit down for six hours before the deadline and come up with a good essay, while others have to work laboriously for months writing and rewriting before turning in the finished product.
A good essay will distinguish you from the other applicants. Reviewers looks for essays that are consistent and reflect your life experiences, commitment to education and personal characteristics. Sometimes a common experience can also be memorable and influential. You may also decide to write about your knowledge about a certain ethnic groups or about some hardships you overcame. Essays should show the depth of your accomplishment and the quality of your character. It does not depend on what experience you choose to write about as long as it is appropriate and you should elaborate on the insights you have gained from that experience and they way it has influenced your life.
The people on the scholarship committee will be looking for reasons why you would be a good candidate, and why should you be granted the scholarship. Therefore, to present yourself in the best possible light, you could start out by making your essay flawless and following all the standards and requirements.
Your essay should be typed, double spaced, and should preferably use a twelve-point font with a standard font such as Times New Roman, and the margins should be standard size. It is very much preferable if your essay length is within the given limit, but if it is longer make sure it is no longer than ten percent. Try to make your essay as clear and concise as possible. Avoid sloppiness and stylistic errors. Make sure your essay satisfies certain basic requirements; you should pay attention on answering the essay question. Answer the question directly and address all its parts. Your essay should be well organized, logical, written with flow and easy to follow. The tone should be appropriately serious, sincere and modestly confident.
The first step in writing the essay is brainstorming. It is the process of coming up with ideas spontaneously from free flowing writing or talking. To brainstorm, you can simply sit down with a pen and jot down every idea that comes into your head. Another approach is to simply start writing and see where you end up. Record as much information as you can recall, such as schools attended, courses taken, jobs held, research projects undertaken. After you have jotted down the most basic and raw information possible, work on taking yourself deeper into the introspection process by tackling more specific topics.
Once you have completed the brainstorming process, you’ll have a rough idea of what you actually want to wri
te about. So after that, you have to select the essay topic. When selecting a topic, you should keep in mind to choose a topic that allows you to demonstrate your skills and individuality, a topic that answers the essay question while telling the reviewers what they really want to know. While deciding on the topic of your application, keep in mind that you have to keep the reader interested while at the same time, revealing something about yourself in a way that makes you an ideal applicant.
After you have selected the essay topic, get down to actual writing. The key to a good essay is revising and re-revising. Revising is an integral part of essay writing and it is only after a great amount of revising that you can come up with an excellent essay. Once the revising is done and over with, you have your final draft before you. Be sure to avoid sloppiness and poor English. Also avoid biases against any religion, sexist comments, whining and politics. And of course, be sure to keep a printed copy of your final draft.
As mentioned before, some scholarships committees ask you to provide an activity sheet. An activity sheet is simply a list of all the clubs you have belonged to, all the sports you have played, all the hobbies you have, all the awards you have gotten, all the volunteer work or paid jobs you have done et cetera. Make sure that all of these things are stated clearly on your activity sheet, some committees ask you to list them down in a chronological order while others require you to list these activities down in order of importance. The purpose of the activity sheet is that the scholarship committees want to know how much time you devote to the other things in life and how important extra curricular activities are to you. You should list down all the things that hold importance to you even if they are not organized is proper clubs or committees. The scholarship committees want to know all about your activities.
Interview:
Some scholarship committees take interviews, usually as a part of the final selection process. This is because the scholarship committees want to meet you to make sure that you are a personification of all the values and activities and academics you have discussed in your application. You can use this interview as an opportunity to talk about your interests and your plans for future education. You should dress formally and arrive at least 15 minutes before the interview is scheduled. Do not let the interview make you nervous, just remember at all times that all the scholarship committee wants to do is try to get to know you better.
FACTORS CONSIDERED IN THE SELECTION OF CANDIDATES:
There are many different scholarships and each scholarship has its own specified criteria. However, there are a few factors that are common in most scholarship applications. Those factors are listed below:
# Academic standing (class rank)
# Weighted GPA
# Standardized test scores
# Extra curricular activities
# Submitted essay
# Letters of recommendation
# Financial need
# Work experience
# School and community/civic participation
# Attendance record
# Potential for success
# Higher educational and vocational aspirations
# Written communication skills
# Character strengths (such as motivation, persistence, resourcefulness, etc.)
# Demonstrated skills, aptitudes or experience
As mentioned before, different scholarship committees look for different things. Some scholarship committees might consider your academic records and do not even ask you for your educational aspirations, while others might only consider your financial needs and not ask you for your work experience. Scholarship committees might sometimes only consider one or two of the factors listed above or sometimes, they might consider all of these factors.
FINAL WORD:
Most students seem to believe that the competition amongst people applying for scholarships is so fierce that it is only the most brilliant and outstanding students who are granted these scholarships. And due to this misconception, a lot of students fail to apply for scholarships. The truth is, that scholarships are not awarded to students who are brilliantly outstanding; it is true that some scholarships consider academic brilliance but there are a lot of scholarships that concentrate more on extra circular activities and special talents of students.
Apply to as many scholarships as you are eligible for, and make sure that you complete your application well before the deadline. Have your application proofread before you send it. Good luck!
Postgraduate Research in Chemistry - Herriot Watt University
Two Postgraduate Positions
Computational solid state chemistry
Project Supervisor: Prof. M Gutowski (m.gutowski@hw.ac.uk)
Application deadline: 31 July 2006
One position for a student who has been a resident in the UK for 3 years; one position for a student worldwide
You will develop and apply computational methods of chemistry, physics, and materials science to study chemical transformations in condensed phases. You will use and develop electronic structure methods for molecular and extended systems and you will develop mesoscale models based on the results of electronic structure calculations. Your work will be carried out as a part of a multidisciplinary team and your results will be tested against the results of experimental studies that will be performed in parallel.
The applications will be primarily in areas relevant to hydrogen economy (materials for hydrogen storage, catalysts).
You will receive an excellent training in modern computational methods including electronic structure and kinetic Monte Carlo. You will benefit from working in parallel with excellent experimental groups.
Maintenance payment will be at the standard EPSRC rate. Fees are covered at the UK Home / EU student level for the first position and are waived for the second position. Well motivated students with an Honours degree in Chemistry / Chemical Physics / Physics/Materials Science at 1st / upper 2nd class, or equivalent, are encouraged to
apply.
Computational solid state chemistry
Project Supervisor: Prof. M Gutowski (m.gutowski@hw.ac.uk)
Application deadline: 31 July 2006
One position for a student who has been a resident in the UK for 3 years; one position for a student worldwide
You will develop and apply computational methods of chemistry, physics, and materials science to study chemical transformations in condensed phases. You will use and develop electronic structure methods for molecular and extended systems and you will develop mesoscale models based on the results of electronic structure calculations. Your work will be carried out as a part of a multidisciplinary team and your results will be tested against the results of experimental studies that will be performed in parallel.
The applications will be primarily in areas relevant to hydrogen economy (materials for hydrogen storage, catalysts).
You will receive an excellent training in modern computational methods including electronic structure and kinetic Monte Carlo. You will benefit from working in parallel with excellent experimental groups.
Maintenance payment will be at the standard EPSRC rate. Fees are covered at the UK Home / EU student level for the first position and are waived for the second position. Well motivated students with an Honours degree in Chemistry / Chemical Physics / Physics/Materials Science at 1st / upper 2nd class, or equivalent, are encouraged to
apply.
Doctoral Research Studentships-New Zealand
World Class Opportunity
New Zealand institutions provide the opportunity to study under
internationally recognised academics and researchers in a wide range
of disciplines. Qualifications attained from a New Zealand
university rank with the best internationally. New Zealand degrees
have a reputation globally for being practical, modern and
desirable. In some niche areas, such as biotechnology, forensic
science and marine engineering, New Zealand degrees are acknowledged
as world-leading. Students educated in the New Zealand education
environment are earning a reputation as a new breed of innovative
thinkers and are enjoying success the world over.
Entitlements under the New Zealand International Doctoral Research
Scholarships are as follows:
Full tuition fees for three (3) years of full-time doctoral study
NZ$18,000 per annum living allowance (NZ$1500 per month)
Up to NZ$600 per annum health insurance allowance
NZ$2000 (across 3 year tenure) travel allowance. This is intended to
be used for conference attendance and field research
NZ$800 (across 3 year tenure) book and thesis allowance
NZ$500 One-off establishment allowance. Only to be paid to those
students who are travelling to NZ specifically to take up the
NZIDRS. No student already located in NZ is eligible to receive this
amount Additional funds are not available to support accompanying
dependants
Please note :
The New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarships (NZIDRS) are open to all International Students meeting the eligibility criteria.
Prospective candidates are advised to start corresponding with academics in the relevant departments of New Zealand universities regarding the availability of appropriate supervision well in advance of submitting their application papers. Evidence that supervision is available is required as a part of the NZIDRS application process. Please see the 'NZIDRS Terms & Conditions' for further information.
---------------------------------------------------------------
NZIDRS Applications will be accepted until 5pm on Monday the 17th of
July 2006 (NZ Time).
No applications will be considered by the Selection Panel if they
arrive after the stated close date.
NZIDRS Terms and conditions
NZIDRS Application Form 2006
NZIDRS Frequently Asked Questions 2006
http://www.newzealandeducated.com/scholarships
New Zealand institutions provide the opportunity to study under
internationally recognised academics and researchers in a wide range
of disciplines. Qualifications attained from a New Zealand
university rank with the best internationally. New Zealand degrees
have a reputation globally for being practical, modern and
desirable. In some niche areas, such as biotechnology, forensic
science and marine engineering, New Zealand degrees are acknowledged
as world-leading. Students educated in the New Zealand education
environment are earning a reputation as a new breed of innovative
thinkers and are enjoying success the world over.
Entitlements under the New Zealand International Doctoral Research
Scholarships are as follows:
Full tuition fees for three (3) years of full-time doctoral study
NZ$18,000 per annum living allowance (NZ$1500 per month)
Up to NZ$600 per annum health insurance allowance
NZ$2000 (across 3 year tenure) travel allowance. This is intended to
be used for conference attendance and field research
NZ$800 (across 3 year tenure) book and thesis allowance
NZ$500 One-off establishment allowance. Only to be paid to those
students who are travelling to NZ specifically to take up the
NZIDRS. No student already located in NZ is eligible to receive this
amount Additional funds are not available to support accompanying
dependants
Please note :
The New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarships (NZIDRS) are open to all International Students meeting the eligibility criteria.
Prospective candidates are advised to start corresponding with academics in the relevant departments of New Zealand universities regarding the availability of appropriate supervision well in advance of submitting their application papers. Evidence that supervision is available is required as a part of the NZIDRS application process. Please see the 'NZIDRS Terms & Conditions' for further information.
---------------------------------------------------------------
NZIDRS Applications will be accepted until 5pm on Monday the 17th of
July 2006 (NZ Time).
No applications will be considered by the Selection Panel if they
arrive after the stated close date.
NZIDRS Terms and conditions
NZIDRS Application Form 2006
NZIDRS Frequently Asked Questions 2006
http://www.newzealandeducated.com/scholarships
PhD scholarships in Optics and Photonics-Spain
Eligibility
Candidates must hold an internationally-recognized Bachelor or Master-equivalent degree of a minimum of officially 4 years studying period.
The degree must be in a field of science and engineering related to optics and photonics.
Suitable backgrounds include optics, physics, mathematics, electronics and telecommunications engineering.
Conditions of fellowships
The fellowships are offered for periods of one year, renewable for a total of four years.
The renovation of the fellowship is conditional on satisfactory performance in research and teaching activities.
Selection procedure
Selection of ICFO-UPC predoctoral fellows is based on merit and potential, measured in terms of the academic record and personal achievements. Proactivity, participation in community activities, and capacity for team-work are also taken into account.
Please note that the selection procedure employed at ICFO, as well as the description of the documentation to be submitted for application, can be found more detailed at http://www.icfo.es/index.php?section=job_openings0⟨=english.
Usually, to apply for a predoctoral position with ICFO, suitable candidates are requested to submit:
-The fulfilled application form (attached to the call at our homepage)
-A presentation letter with declaration of research interests,
-A Curriculum Vitae, including a full address, a contact phone number and e-mail address and a copy of the passport,
-A scanned copy of your University academic transcripts in English or Spanish,
-A scanned copy of the degree, if available at the time of application,
-The contact e-mail of three potential referees.
Applications should be submitted by e-mail to: icfojobs@icfo.es
E-mail submissions must be coded in DOC, PS, or PDF formats and must include the subject line General PhD.
Applications can also be submitted by post to:
PhD Screening Committee
ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences
Mediterranean Technology Park
Av. Canal Olímpic, s/n
08860 - Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
The deadline for the submission of applications for the present call is: 31st of August, 2006.
Please, beware that ICFO established three periods of applications for pre-doctoral studies positions per year. The next submission deadline will be the 31st of December, 2006.
Applicants will be notified of the results of the first evaluation stage at ICFO by the 5th of October, 2006.
More Info: please visit http://www.icfo.es/
Candidates must hold an internationally-recognized Bachelor or Master-equivalent degree of a minimum of officially 4 years studying period.
The degree must be in a field of science and engineering related to optics and photonics.
Suitable backgrounds include optics, physics, mathematics, electronics and telecommunications engineering.
Conditions of fellowships
The fellowships are offered for periods of one year, renewable for a total of four years.
The renovation of the fellowship is conditional on satisfactory performance in research and teaching activities.
Selection procedure
Selection of ICFO-UPC predoctoral fellows is based on merit and potential, measured in terms of the academic record and personal achievements. Proactivity, participation in community activities, and capacity for team-work are also taken into account.
Please note that the selection procedure employed at ICFO, as well as the description of the documentation to be submitted for application, can be found more detailed at http://www.icfo.es/index.php?section=job_openings0⟨=english.
Usually, to apply for a predoctoral position with ICFO, suitable candidates are requested to submit:
-The fulfilled application form (attached to the call at our homepage)
-A presentation letter with declaration of research interests,
-A Curriculum Vitae, including a full address, a contact phone number and e-mail address and a copy of the passport,
-A scanned copy of your University academic transcripts in English or Spanish,
-A scanned copy of the degree, if available at the time of application,
-The contact e-mail of three potential referees.
Applications should be submitted by e-mail to: icfojobs@icfo.es
E-mail submissions must be coded in DOC, PS, or PDF formats and must include the subject line General PhD.
Applications can also be submitted by post to:
PhD Screening Committee
ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences
Mediterranean Technology Park
Av. Canal Olímpic, s/n
08860 - Castelldefels (Barcelona), Spain
The deadline for the submission of applications for the present call is: 31st of August, 2006.
Please, beware that ICFO established three periods of applications for pre-doctoral studies positions per year. The next submission deadline will be the 31st of December, 2006.
Applicants will be notified of the results of the first evaluation stage at ICFO by the 5th of October, 2006.
More Info: please visit http://www.icfo.es/
Various Scholarships at Monash University-Australia
Monash University
For undergraduate and postgraduate applicants to
You will be automatically assessed and if you meet the selection criteria, will be made an offer. You do not need to apply for this scholarship unless you are an international student doing VCE in
This scholarship amounts to a grant of $6,000 for a full scholarship and $3,000 or $1,500 per annum for partial scholarships. You must maintain a distinction average to retain your scholarship.
More information about scholarship opportunities for International students
Sir James McNeill Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship
For postgraduate research students.
This is a living allowance scholarship. The Sir James McNeill Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship is one of the most prestigious of the University's awards and offers relocation, research and thesis allowances, as well as a living allowance.
You are eligible for this award if you are a Doctoral candidate in the field of science, engineering, medicine, or music.
This award may be held for up to three-and-a-half years.
More information about the Sir James McNeill Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship
Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship
For postgraduate research students from all countries except
This is a tuition fee scholarship and does not provide an allowance for living expenses. You may also apply for a living allowance scholarship.
You may hold this award for up to two years for a Masters by Research and up to three years (with possible extensions of 12 months) for PhD or Professional Doctorate degrees.
Approximately 40 scholarships are offered each year.
More information about Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarships
Monash Graduate Scholarships (MGS), including the Silver Jubilee Postgraduate Scholarship
For postgraduate research students.
These scholarships offer a living allowance, an establishment/relocation allowance (within
The Monash Silver Jubilee Postgraduate Scholarship provides a higher living allowance and an additional research allowance.
These scholarships may be held for up to two years for a Research Masters and up to three-and-a-half years for a Doctoral program.
More information about Monash Graduate Scholarships
More information about the Silver Jubilee Postgraduate Scholarship
Monash departmental and research scholarships
For postgraduate students.
Several
You can obtain more information from your chosen faculty.
Other research grants and awards
For postgraduate research students.
You can apply for a range of other grants and awards including:
Postgraduate travel grants to assist with travel expenses to present a paper, collect data or use specialist equipment.
Conference organisers' grants to help you initiate, plan and run a postgraduate research conference.
Postgraduate publications awards to provide an income to authors during the preparation of articles or books.
Postgraduate teaching and research fellowships to students nominated by their faculty.
Statistical support grants to provide private tuition on statistical methods.
More information about these grants and awards
For more information and application details for postgraduate scholarships, visit the Monash Research Graduate School
Australian Government scholarships
Australian Development Scholarship
International Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Australia
For undergraduate and postgraduate students from nominated countries in Africa,
The scholarship covers fees, health insurance, travel expenses, establishment costs and includes a fortnightly allowance and individual tutorial assistance.
More information is available from the external aid nominating authority at the Australian Diplomatic Mission in your country.
International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS)
For postgraduate research students from all countries except
This is a tuition fee scholarship and does not provide an allowance for living expenses. You may also apply for a living allowance scholarship .
You may hold this award for up to two years for a Masters by Research and up to three years (with possible extensions of 12 months) for PhD or Professional Doctorate degrees.
Other scholarships
Many more scholarships are available from:
Government departments in your country
Businesses
Charities
Current or prospective employers
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