Hi all, I just joined Nairaland due to the wealth of information available here. Allow me to go straight to the point.
I plan to do my masters in the US and I'm hoping to get a scholarship but I'm not sure about the steps to follow.

I have already applied to my school of choice and this is the email they sent to me below:

Dear Vivian,

Thank you for your application to Sacred Heart University's.  Your application will be considered by the Admissions Committee once all your credentials have been received in the Office of Graduate Admissions.

To date we have not received the following:

College Transcript
Non-refundable Graduate Application Fee
Recommendation - First Letter
Recommendation - Second Letter
Resume
Bank Statement or Financial Guarantee
Copy of Passport
TOEFL or IELTS Score

You may log into your admission's portal to upload supplemental documents Click here to access the portal.

If your $60 non-refundable application fee is listed as outstanding above, you can submit payment online at http://graduate-appfee.sacredheart.edu .
 
If you have any questions about the status of your application, please contact me.

Sincerely,

So now from this email I believe I should start preparing to take the IELTS exam and since they didn't ask for GMAT then no need to take that.

Now my problem is since they need me to provide "financial guarantee" can I go ahead and apply for a scholarship? Or will I only be able to apply for a scholarship after I have been given the admission?
Please I need help, I'm new to this. Thanks.

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https://www.nairaland.com/3103711/general-u.s.a-student-visa-enquiries-part/107