Tips
in Preparing for The FALL 2023 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
As
you prepare for the Fall 2023 application, you need to prepare yourselves for
the application and post-application period.
Please,
find below the expected challenges encountered by prospective scholars and
their solutions:
Financial
Challenges
Lack
of finance is the most common challenges faced by prospective scholars as money
is needed to pay for application fees, WES evaluation, official transcripts and
standardized tests.
It
is important to reduce application costs by the following means:
Ø Apply to schools offering app fee waivers,
have low app fee like most universities in Florida, USA with app fees of $30 or
external scholarships like Chevening and ERASMUS that do not charge app fees.
However,
please note that schools or scholarships with zero app fees are usually
competitive due to the higher number of applicants applying since it's free. Hence, it will be wise to apply to few schools
that do not offer app fee waivers in addition to the numerous ones with app fee
waivers. This could increase your chances of securing funding
Ø Opt for schools that do not require WES
evaluation or official transcripts until funding is secured. However, note that
WES evaluation of transcripts could be beneficial for those with low grades or
HND degree holders interested in pursuing grad studies in the USA.
Ø Apply to organizations like Education USA,
iScholar and others that covers application and post application costs for
selected applicants.
Document
Review
It is important to have a second eye review
your application materials prior to submitting them. Drafting your essays long
time before deadline will give you ample time to get numerous persons to review
your essays and give you quality feedback.
Failure
to draft your documents early enough would lead to the submission of haphazard
documents due to little or no time for third party reviews. Start drafting your
essays now!
Securing
a Supervisor
It
is general knowledge that securing a supervisor before applying improves your
chances of securing funding. However, not having a supervisor should not make
you quit applying for Fall 2023. Not all schools or scholarships require you to
get a supervisor before applying. Search for schools that offer a lab rotation
policy for incoming graduate students and submit a very competitive
application. Apply for external scholarships and keep all hopes alive. Lack of
a supervisor is not a dead end.
Standardized
Test Preparation
Having
excellent standardized test scores could be the game changer especially if
other areas are weak. However, note that the preparation for the exams is
daunting and rigorous. To make your journey easier, network with other
persons preparing for same exams and possibly join groups created for such exam
preparations. This will keep you motivated and provide you with better insights
and secrets on how to ace your exams. Remember, two good heads are better than
one.
Waiting
Period
The period of
waiting for admission decisions is the toughest part of the application
journey. However, it is important that you stay positive and engage in other
activities that would distract you from over thinking. You can use this period
to learn some statistical, programming and software tools that would be helpful
for your graduate studies.
Also, you
could prepare for upcoming applications in other less popular destinations as
your backup plan. However, in all you do, stay positive and guide your mental
health.
Dealing with
Interviews
Getting an
interview invite signifies that you are a competitive applicant. Ensure you
prepare well by engaging in mock interviews with other scholars in your field.
Do not panic or fidget, you got this covered.
Handling
Rejections
It is soothing to always have in mind that
every rejection brings you closer to that desired scholarship letter. Every
scholarship recipient has been rejected before. Instead of beating yourself up,
ask for constructive feedback on your application from the graduate programme
coordinator you applied to. Also, reach out to other scholars to go through
your application document so as to proffer possible ways to make your
application better to achieve your scholarship goals. It's okay to cry but do
not give up.
In summary,
follow these steps:
- Review your
previous application materials.
-
Restrategize
- Relaunch a
more competitive application.
Good Luck!!
Cool😎😎
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