6 mistakes that prevent you from winning any scholarships (and how to overcome them

Mushtaq Bilal PhD

❌ Writing skills

👎 Your application essays are used to evaluate your writing and communication skills. Poor written expression will leave a poor impression on your evaluators.

✅ Write regularly, build a writing habit, and hone your writing skills

❌ Not investing in yourself

👎 People (like myself) with working-class backgrounds are often reluctant or unable to invest money to upskill. It costs them a lot in terms of missed opportunities.

✅ Find a job, save money, invest in your self, upskill. You'll be unstoppable.

❌ Asking Permission

👎 Some students ask others questions like "Can I apply for XYZ scholarship?" as if they need some kind of permission.

✅ Find a scholarship you want to apply for, fill in the application, and submit. You don't have to ask for anyone's permission.

❌ Overdependence on others

👎 Some students ask others to find a scholarship for them. No one can tell you which scholarship best aligns with your interests.

✅ Ask others for suggestions, but it's you who has to decide which scholarship is the best match for you.

❌ Entitlement

👎 Some students feel they are entitled to obtain feedback on their applications from people who have already availed a scholarship. They get disheartened when they receive no response.

✅ Network and cultivate relationships before you ask anyone for feedback.

❌ Victim mentality

👎 Some students, especially from Global South, fill their essays with sob stories of a poor life in a third-world country. These stories present them as someone with no initiative.

✅ Tell the story of your hard work not of your victimhood.

If you want to win a scholarship, follow these 6 steps:

1. Figure out the academic fiel of your interest
2. Figure out the country you want to study in
3. Figure out the universities that align with your academic interests
4. Read about the requirements of your target scholarship
5. Reach out to students who have availed your target scholarship
6. Start preparing your application materials

credit: Moses Udoisoh Facebook page