Here’s what I learned about earning full-time scholarships

When you are from a developing country (Fun fact: It was actually not until I moved abroad that I realized that the first worlders do not use the term “third world”, as it is considered derogatory), earning a full scholarship to study in a developed country is a huge accomplishment.

In this article, I will be sharing how I, a “normal” Central American 28-year-old guy coming from a humble background, a middle-class household, raised by a single mom with no contacts in the government, earned 3 scholarships so far in my career, and have been accepted into over 5 universities in different European countries, and am currently studying in the lovely country where Paris is located, France.

Take massive action **“It is a numbers game.” **A very recurrent phrase yet applicable to many life areas, and scholarships are no exception. It was only when I took massive action that I realized I had a big shot at studying abroad since I was getting rejected left and right. In that moment, I realized that I was getting closer to my target. Earning scholarships to a certain extent is like simple maths; the more times the “send application” button is pressed, the more possibilities there are of earning a scholarship.

Trying to have the perfect application is also a very common misconception. Although I recommend putting effort into the documents that an opportunity demands, especially the motivation letter, thinking too much about whether to apply or actually send it (Yes, I once worked on an application that required building a motivation letter, and I never sent it, mainly because I did not want to feel like I spent 150 euros on the application fee) can actually lead to little to no progress or waste of time on an application when another could be worked on its way.

Prepare the application at least 6 months in advance. “Preparation is key for you to become successful” is advice my mother gave me when I was a kid, and how right she was. Pause for a second and analyze it. Who has better chances of earning a scholarship? A candidate who prepared their application in 6 months or someone who prepared it in 1 week, the response is blatantly obvious, and it is simpler than it actually is; the first of these two is clearly the priority for the scholarship grantors. For that, the key is, like previously exposed on the first element, to take action; this fastens the progress on the studying abroad journey, because otherwise it is just procrastination.

Being flexible allowed me to have more options. There are dream destinations when studying abroad. I do not advise choosing a master's based on the country, since it might lead to choosing a career path that does not fit that well, and therefore will most likely lead to rejection, since that will be reflected in the motivation letter. However, I do encourage brainstorming about potential institutions to apply to.

Having a list of desired places is a great strategy since not all the eggs are being put in one basket; opting for them based on the programmes available is a great idea. Basing them on the country is an option too, and choosing them based on the available cards, like if French fluency is in the candidate’s resume, then having French-speaking nations such as France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada is a better idea rather than just sticking to France.

The motivation letter is the most important document in the entire application. It is incredible how such a piece of paper with a couple of paragraphs is much more important than is usually thought. This letter single-handedly determines whether a candidate is getting accepted at that university and, even more critically, whether they are granted a scholarship.

Motivation letters are crucial since there, the candidate exposes why that degree in specific is key for the next step in their career, why they are a deserving candidate, and what they want to accomplish once they obtain it. Learning to put oneself in the mind of the scholarship selection committee and professors is crucial, as it allows you to properly put into words the knowledge and skills acquired.

Again, a whole article can be written exclusively for the motivation letter, but in essence, the motivation letter must meet certain general rules to merit a full scholarship. It has to be prepared, as in written at least 3 months in advance, slowly built, as in broken down into pieces, so that it is built day by day, storytelling, as in telling the decision makers who oneself is by narrating a story with concrete examples.

Moreover, the letter should be coherent, as the candidate’s academic and professional background must align with the desired career pursuit, specific, as the details about the university like the programme’’s courses, professors, and laboratories should be mentioned, statistical, as numbers such as statistics, percentages, timeframes, and quantified accomplishments should be added, and reviewed, as in a professor or, ideally, a scholarship holder, proofreads the letter. Once this has been ensured, the letter is ready to be sent.

Volunteering matters. A lot. It matters more than professional work. Social and ecological volunteering significantly increases an applicant’s chances of receiving a scholarship, but it also contributes to personal growth and skill development that can elevate self-awareness and support the process of choosing a career path.

The book Atomic Habits provides a valuable tip stating that it is highly encouraged to facilitate one’s life in order to gain consistency and therefore make a habit part of one’s routine. Hence, volunteering at a nearby location is a great strategy, especially at a young age, when there are not many choices when it comes to transportation. Then, contributing to a local non-profit organization, public school, or hospital is a great way to resume enhancement.

Studying foreign languages, especially English, 10x possibilities. And actually certify them. As for the language tests, I can create a whole separate article, but as general advice, you should prepare for them, as they can be more challenging due to their structured format. Being fluent in a language does not necessarily translate into knowing how to actually do a test.

Ideally, if you already have a level of fluency in the language, you should prepare with at least 2 months of anticipation. This amount of time allows for the practice of lots of pilot tests. I encourage practicing them with a timer. Starting the practice per section, and as time goes by, gradually increasing the duration can slowly wire the brain to adapt to the test structure. Lastly, like I said above, getting the certificate is crucial since it is proof that you can genuinely speak those languages.

The best way to learn a language is full immersion; enrolling in a course is not enough since most of them do not give you a personalized learning curve, so going the extra mile by practicing it daily is necessary. Content consumption is crucial for me, whether it is oral, such as series and films on streaming platforms, and audios and videos on social media, or verbal, like books and articles.

It is of great importance to realize that production is a whole other skill for many language learners. Yes, I speak with myself sometimes in front of a mirror and record voice notes about varied topics. When it comes to the written part, writing in a journal consistently did the trick for me. Since we live in a digital era, it is probably more realistic to write on digital software rather than an actual physical notebook made up of pages.

Discipline beats motivation, always. Let’s leave the motivation for the motivation letter; the rest of the scholarship guidance should be driven by discipline. Hence, it is important to have a system that improves consistency, for example, working on applications early in the morning when the body has more energy and the brain feels more active, or at night when the tasks of the day have been completed.

Researching and building applications, especially in days when the desire is not there, is fundamental, since these tricks the brain into building the habit of progressing on the scholarships. It is more efficient to research 30 minutes a day, at least 5 days of the week, for half a year than to research intensively 2 hours daily for 2 months and then completely stop the scholarship hunting project.

Normally, since inexperience causes the first applications to be a bit ineffective, a point where rejection will arrive, and in that moment, it is important to remain motivated and consistent because rejection is redirection, and that only means that an acceptance letter is closer on its way.

After reading this article, I really hope you learned some new tips about the science behind getting full scholarships to study abroad, and you apply these to your scholarship hunting strategy, as I firmly believe that you are capable of earning one.