How-To-Successfully

What You Are About To Read

Hey there!

We wish to congratulate you greatly for getting yourself this book.

The book you have in your hands is unarguably an invaluable asset you may never find anywhere else around.

Alright!

Let’s go straight up to explain to you what exactly you are about to read in this book.

What you are about to read is a product of many years of research that has been painstakingly written to show you the easiest way to apply and win a foreign scholarship, away from home.

This book will make more sense to you especially if you are a student from a developing country.

So, you stay put, and make the most of the money you spent to acquire this book. Sincerely, you’re about to learn how to successfully start your journey to an academic life that is free from financial hurdles and stress.

It really does not matter if you have applied for a scholarship before or not. All of that does not matter, all that matters is that you want more from your life, your career and your financial position.

So, we would again congratulate you for getting this book. It indeed shows you really want an academic and career life that is free from financial devastation and we promise to keenly take you by the hand and guide you into it.

We have carefully packaged a step to step guide that will teach you how to successfully apply and win a foreign scholarship. And we assure you that after you’ve studied this book and followed all the tips given, you won’t miss or be denied your next application.

Interestingly, to make it easier for you to understand some of the things we’ll be showing you, we also included screenshots to further describe just how to do these pieces of stuff.

Do really take your time to read through. We also request you share the value you get here to your circle of friends and colleagues.

Table of Contents

General Introduction

CHAPTER ONE

Foreign Scholarships: Why You Need to Get One

Types of Scholarship Abroad

Government-Funded International Scholarship

 Full bright Scholarship Programme  Chevening Scholarship  Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme  Australia Award Scholarship  Scotland Saltire Scholarship  Hubert H.Humphrey Fellowship Programme

Universities-Funded International Scholarships

 Gates Cambridge Scholarship  Clarendon Scholarship at University of Oxford  Rhodes Scholarships  Knight-Hennesy Scholars Programme

Region-specific Scholarships

 Erasmus Mundus Scholarship

Country-specific Scholarships

Subject-specific Scholarships

Merit-based Scholarships

Program-specific Scholarships

CHAPTER TWO

Eligibility Requirements: What You Need to Win A Foreign Scholarship

What do you need to successfully apply and win the Rhodes Scholarship

Host Country

Eligible Countries

Documents Required

 Birth Certificate  Curriculum vitae  Passport  Head and Shoulders Photo  Personal Statement  Evidence of Residence  Evidence of English Proficiency  Transcript

Transcript Requirement

CHAPTER THREE

Step by Step Procedure On How to Apply for Rhodes Scholarships

Scholarship Timeline

 Application Opening  Application Closing  Rhodes Interview  Oxford Application  Arrive in Oxford

Scholarship Link

CHAPTER FOUR

Tips to Help You Apply for Rhodes Scholarship(Statement of Purpose, Motivation Letter and Recommendation Letter)

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Applying for Scholarship

 Forgetting to Proofread  Missing Deadlines  Not Reading the Fine Print  Pay to Play

How to Write Scholarship Letters If any (Essays)

Statement of Purpose/Motivation Letter

 What is Motivation Letter for Scholarship Application?  Difference between a Motivation Letter and Personal Statement  Things to know before writing your motivation letter  How to Write your Motivation Letter

Recommendation Letters

 What's the Difference Between a Letter of Recommendation at a Reference Letter?  Who should you ask for a letter of Recommendation for your Scholarship Application?  What's the Structure of a Recommendation Letter? - Introduction - Content - Closing

CHAPTER FIVE

A Night before the Scholarship Interview

How to Dominate your Interview

What to do When I get the Scholarship?

Testimonials of Past Winners.

CHAPTER SIX

Exclusive: How to Narrow Down a Scholarship Search

Scholarship Opportunities by Countries

Top 5 Scholarship Websites

Final Words

There are many reasons you need to get a scholarship to study abroad.

One of the benefits you’ll enjoy, and why you should really apply for foreign scholarships is that getting a foreign scholarship will help you stay aloof the burden of ever-increasing tuition fees.

When you get a full-ride scholarship or even a partial scholarship abroad, you’d really need not bother when your school is increasing its tuition because your scholarship covers all of it or at least the better part of it.

Secondly, when you get a scholarship, you’ll have all the time you need to focus on your studies. You won’t have to bother on how to raise money for tuition, books, accommodation, or every other concern you may have. The reason is that this scholarship will cover all of that and even more. Thus, it gives you more time to study, gain more knowledge, and secure better grades.

Furthermore, this scholarship will help keep your head above the waters. Sadly, as you may want to know, two-thirds of college students now graduate with loans, and their average college debt is nearly $15,000-$30,000 and sincerely I tell you, getting a scholarship will help save you all of this financial stress.

Another interesting reason why you need to get a scholarship abroad is that awesome feeling-the sense of fulfilment that comes with the thought of going abroad to study for Free. You know that feeling right?

There is a euphoria that usually comes along with going out of one’s home country to study. You’ll be privileged to meet new folks and new teams. You’ll be privileged to grace a new way of life and eat new kinds of dishes and all.

The next reason is the prestige it adds to you and your CV. Acquiring your degree from a foreign university adds a whole lot of respect to your professional stance as you’ll always be allowed to share some of your knowledge and experiences with your team.

Honestly, there are usually so many new things traveling abroad to study brings to you most importantly if you are going to study on a scholarship. The scholarship covers your airfare, accommodation, tuition fees, books, and lots more.

It might interest you to know that some scholarships go a step further to provide you with well- meaning career opportunities once you are done with your program.

These are just a few out of the numerous reasons why you need a scholarship abroad.

Now let’s quickly show you some of the many types of scholarships you can win abroad.

Types of scholarships Abroad

There are just so many scholarships you can find to study away from home. In this very section, we are going to highlight some of them and look more closely at them. So, what we want you to do is grab a cup of coffee and sit tight and follow closely too.

Okay!

We are going to list some of the most prestigious and high rewarding international scholarship programs for international students from some choicest locations around the world.

If you are from a developing country, and you desire to study away from home on scholarship, carefully check out these scholarships that will be listed below.

The scholarships are grouped into 8 types according to what organization that is funding them and how they are funded. Here below are some of the various types of international scholarships that you can find;

I. Government-funded International Scholarships II. Universities-funded International Scholarships III. Region-specific Scholarships IV. Country-specific Scholarships V. Subject-specific Scholarships VI. Merit-based Scholarships VII. Program-specific Scholarships

Now that we have listed the various types of foreign scholarships available to international students, let us look at them more closely and describe them for better understanding.

I. Government-funded International Scholarships

Government-funded International scholarships are international scholarship opportunities, organized, funded, and sponsored by governments of various developed countries in their bid to support bright minds from developing countries. Sometimes, government-funded international scholarships are bilateral exchange arrangements between these selected developing countries and the developed countries to support their students. Examples of Government-funded International Scholarships a. Fulbright Scholarship b. Chevening Scholarship c. Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme d. Australia Award Scholarships e. Scotland Satire Scholarships f. Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program

Let us quickly describe some of these scholarships so you can understand their origin and sponsors. a). Fulbright Scholarship Program: The Fulbright Scholarship Program is the flagship international exchange scholarship program between the U.S. Government and 155 other countries of the world to sponsor bright minds from their countries.

Each passing year, close to 1,800 Fulbright scholarships are awarded to outstanding international students who wish to pursue a Master's or Ph.D. Degree in the United States.

The Fulbright Scholarship Program provides full funding for the duration of the study which includes tuition, textbooks, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance.

Get more details and how to apply for this scholarship https://www.academicrelated.com/fulbright-scholarship/

Note: A scholarship is said to be fully-funded when it covers every possible expense the beneficiary might likely make in the course of his/ her study. Usually, a fully-funded scholarship will cover the tuition fees, textbook costs, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance.

10 b). Chevening Scholarship: The Chevening Scholarship is the flagship global scholarship program offered and sponsored by the British Government.

Every year, the scheme provides scholarships to over 1000 outstanding students from over 130 countries of the world to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK.

Just like the Fulbright Scholarships, the Chevening Scholarships are fully-funded scholarships that cover tuition fees, monthly stipend, and various other allowances as well as international airfare to and from the UK. c). Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme:

The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme is organized and taken in France. The scholarship is designed to attract outstanding international students to pursue masters and Ph.D. degree programs at some selected universities in France.

The Eiffel scholarship is not fully-funded. This is because it does not cover tuition fees. Its beneficiaries only receive a monthly allowance in addition to various other benefits that cover expenses like airfare back to the home country, health insurance, and cultural activities. d). Australia Award Scholarship: Australia Awards Scholarships is designed to provide opportunities for students from developing countries to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at selected Australian universities and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutions. e). Scotland Saltire Scholarship: The Scotland Saltire Scholarship is not for students from developing countries.

The scholarship is designed and packaged for students from developed countries like citizens of Canada, China (including Hong Kong), India, Japan, Pakistan, and the USA, to study full-time Masters degrees in Scottish universities.

The scholarships are offered for students pursuing their master’s degree in the areas of science, technology, creative industries, healthcare, and medical sciences, and renewable and clean energy.

11 f). Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program: The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program is designed to provide one year of professional training in the United States for experienced professionals from designated countries throughout the world.

These scholarships listed above are not all the government-sponsored scholarships that are available for international students but are the most notable and prestigious.

Get more details and how to apply for this scholarship https://www.academicrelated.com/hubert-h-humphrey-fellowship/

Now, let us move on to see the next type of international scholarship.

II. Universities-funded International Scholarships Universities-funded International Scholarships are international scholarship opportunities provided by various prestigious abroad universities to students from developing countries to pursue bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs.

Examples of Universities-funded Scholarships a) Gates Cambridge Scholarship b) Clarendon Scholarships at University of Oxford c) Rhodes Scholarships d) Knight-Hennesy Scholars Program

Now let’s take a closer look at these scholarships listed up above. a). Gates Cambridge Scholarship: The Gates Cambridge Scholarships are one of the most prestigious international scholarships which are open to all international students from all over the world.

The scholarships are full-cost awards for graduate study and research in any subject available at the University of Cambridge in London.

The scholarship covers university fees, maintenance allowances, airfare, etc. About 100 new Gates Scholars are awarded every year.

Get more details and how to apply for this scholarship https://www.academicrelated.com/gates-cambridge-scholarship/ b). Clarendon Scholarships at University of Oxford:

The Clarendon Scholarship Fund is a prestigious graduate scholarship scheme that offers around 140 new scholarships every year to eligible graduate applicants at the University of Oxford. 12

Clarendon Scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence and potential across all degree-bearing subjects at the graduate level at the University of Oxford.

The scholarships cover tuition and college fees in full and a generous grant for living expenses.

c). Rhodes Scholarships:

Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards that support exceptional international students from selected countries at the University of Oxford. d). Knight-Hennesy Scholars Program:

The Knight-Hennessy Scholars program is a sponsorship program offered at Stanford University. The award seeks to grow a diverse, multidisciplinary community of emerging leaders from around the world and guide them to collaborate, innovate, and communicate as they prepare to address the complex challenges facing society.

The scholarships are towards full-time Masters and Ph.D. degrees in any subject offered at Stanford. Knight-Hennessy Scholars receive a fellowship applied directly to cover tuition and associated fees, a stipend for living and academic expenses, and a travel grant.

III. Region-specific Scholarships

Region Specific Scholarships are scholarships that are awarded to international students looking to study in certain continents or regions of the world. International students looking to study abroad through region-specific scholarships find scholarships like Example: a). Erasmus Mundus Scholarship: Erasmus Mundus is an international scholarship offered to students looking to study in Europe.

It is an initiative led by the European Commission to provide funding for students all over the world to study in Europe at selected institutions.

Conversely, region-specific scholarships are also offered to international students from certain regions and continents of the world looking to study abroad.

For example, an international scholarship for students from Africa is a scholarship designed specifically for African students to study in the host country. No other country or continent is permitted to apply.

IV. Country-specific Scholarships

Country-specific Scholarships are special scholarship opportunities packaged for outstanding students from some selected countries to study abroad.

For instance, international students from South Africa and Kenya can find certain kinds of scholarships specifically designed for them to study abroad. Country-specific scholarships are not offered to all students but students from some selected countries.

V. Subject-specific Scholarships

Subject-specific scholarships are scholarships specially designed for students pursuing certain careers or studying certain courses. A typical example is the CUBA Medical Scholarship. It is a scholarship program designed for Medical students to study in Cuba, South America.

Also, students in the engineering field can find various engineering scholarships to study abroad. In the same vein, students in other career fields can find tailor-made scholarships for their courses abroad.

VI. Merit-based Scholarships:

Merit-based scholarships are not offered for academic purposes. They are majorly offered to outstanding candidates in certain non-academic careers like boxing, athletics, football, beauty pageantry, weightlifting, etc.

VII. Program-specific Scholarships:

Program-specific scholarships are offered to outstanding students looking to pursue certain degree programs abroad. There are numerous scholarships for international students to pursue and acquire various degree programs abroad.

International students can find scholarships for undergraduates, masters, and doctoral degree programs to study abroad.

Having described and explained the various types of scholarships there are, let’s quickly look at some of the requirements you’d need to meet to be eligible to apply for some of these scholarships.

Just follow me to the next chapter where I’ll fully reveal all of these to you.

A popular saying goes saying that “Nothing good comes easy”. Yes, indeed nothing good and worth the while is found and gotten on the platter of gold.

Every good thing of value has a corresponding price that has to be paid to acquire or earn it.

Therefore, it is important to understand that foreign scholarships, as you may want to know is not just open to everyone who desires it. Yes.

Truly anyone can desire to want to get a scholarship abroad but not until you some certain requirements. You must be eligible to apply.

So, in this chapter, we are going to really take out some good time to discuss the various eligibility requirements that you’d need to satisfy to be considered for a foreign scholarship abroad.

In the light of this book, we won’t be giving out the requirements for all the international scholarships but we’ll highlight one of the high-end scholarships in USA.

Find out the one we chose in the next line.

After so much consideration, we chose to use the Rhodes Scholarship in USA since it is a high- value scholarship awarded to international students abroad.

So, keep reading for all of it.

What do you need to successfully apply and win the Rhodes Scholarship?

The Rhodes Scholarship Program, as we described at first is a flagship international exchange scholarship program between the UK Government and other countries of the world to sponsor bright minds from their countries.

A report has shown that each passing year, close to 1,800 Rhodes scholarships are awarded to outstanding international students who wish to pursue a Master's or Ph.D. Degree in the United Kingdom.

Like we already said to you in the opening words up there, you are not going to have a free pass to this scholarship. Certain standards are important you meet.

Now let’s look at them more closely.

Host Country:

The Rhodes Scholarship is a scholarship program organized by Oxford University in the United Kingdom. The scholarship is offered in the UK. It is a scholarship offered by the bilateral agreement between the government of the United States and other countries.

Eligible Countries:

The Rhodes Scholarship is specially designed to sponsor bright students from developing countries around the world to pursue graduate programs in the UK. Some of the countries eligible for the Rhodes Scholarships include Nigeria.

Documents Required:

Every scholarship program requires that its applicants provide some specified documents for successful application and consideration. This is the same as Rhodes Scholarships. There are some vital documents you’ll need to provide to be eligible for the scholarship.

The following is a list of some of the required documents. These documents are the usual documents required by most schools in the UK.

Documents Required for Rhodes Scholarships include;

 Birth Certificate  Curriculum vitae (CV)  Passport  Head and shoulders photo  Personal statement  Evidence of Residence  Evidence of English Proficiency  Transcript I will kindly explain how you can get these documents required for the application.  Birth Certificate:

You can obtain it anywhere in your local authorities or the National Population Commission Office. In most cases, you will be required to obtain an Age Declaration or Affidavit from a court before the birth certificate can be issued.  Curriculum Vitae: This is a written overview of someone's life's work (academic formation, publications, qualifications, etc). This often aims to be a complete record of someone's career and can be extensive. This is different from a resume, which is typically a brief 1-2-page summary of qualifications and work experience. In this very context, Curriculum vitae may also be requested for applicants to scholarships. Rhodes University is not interested in a detailed description of all your jobs and extracurricular activities, although you should definitely include them. They want to see how your experience matches or shows your interest in the program you want to study.  Passport: Assuming you are a Nigerian, you can obtain your International passport with the Nigerian Immigration Services. This can be gotten either going to their office or you apply online.  Head and Shoulders Photo: This is the usual passport photograph that captures from the head and some part below the shoulders. A head and shoulder photo is best with a white background with your full face void of ambiguity. This can be obtained in a studio or maybe if you've got to see anybody with a camera hanging on his neck, just say "Hello", may I get a shot from you, I mean a passport photo? Then wait for a response, I hope he says "YES".  Personal Statement: This is written by the intending scholar who wants to apply for the scholarship. Writing a personal statement is your chance of convincing the scholarship committee that you deserve the scholarship. There are five elements you will need to consider and they include;

1. Personality: Make a unique description of your person not your just your grades but what you as an individual can offer or skills you've got. I hope you got this? Alright!

2. Authenticity: Here, you've got to be honest and genuine. Write about what you hold so dear to your heart and not what you think readers expects.

3. Concrete Examples: Scholarship judges have a lot of applications to go through. Make yours unique. Use personal anecdotes and examples.

4. Structure: Here, you have to make your essay flow clearly and concisely which should include; an introduction, body, paragraphs, and a conclusion.

5. Goals: Make sure that your goals are clear to the reader. Organizations award scholarships to invest in a student's futures. Convince them that winning the scholarship will help you achieve your education and career goals.

 Evidence of Residence: This is a document or card required in some regions, allowing a foreign national to reside in a country for a fixed or indefinite length of time.  Evidence of English Proficiency: When applying for a Scholarship abroad, chances are that you will study in English. For this reason, universities need to know that language will not be a barrier to your studies. Imagine where you don't understand Dutch language and a course is being lectured using the language, you will be far off using the word "Damn! I’m really lost in this course", If I may ask, why are you lost, man? I hope your reply will be, “I just can't understand what they are saying". You see, that's why the document on English proficiency will let us know that you can understand and use the English language at an academic level. Here are some certifications that show that truly you are indeed proficient in English. Certificates such as TOEFL, IELTS, CI Advanced, and others.  Transcript: A transcript also known as the transcript of records or academic records is an official document that specifies the courses, research, and training/teaching activities one achieved while in school. It consists of a list of the course units taken, the exams you have passed and credits gained.  Transcript Requirement Academic transcripts give full details about the courses and modules you studied at the undergraduate level and the grades you received. Universities expect these transcripts to be official copies and not screenshots or printed pages from the school where you had your bachelor studies.

Yeah! Please try not to forget this part. Once you get your transcript of records, double-check to see if all the required fields are completed, especially; - "Date" - "Signature" - "Stamp of the Institution". If the transcript is incomplete, it may be denied by the university.

Pheww!! Okay! We are already through with this chapter. Go stretch out in a few seconds and let's continue with the next phase.

As we all know the saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, so also is the journey towards applying for Rhodes Scholarships. The interesting thing to know is that the journey wouldn't be in thousands.

Got it? Okay! Let's continue and please endeavor not to miss your step as we proceed.

Application for Rhodes Scholarships consists of steps that will guide one through the process.

There are general steps you need to have in mind before applying for the scholarship. These general steps for the application process are as follows;

 Eligibility  Choice of Oxford Course  Personal statement  Reference Letters  Checking and Gathering Documents  Social Engagement  Final Interview This is a typical format for applying to the Rhodes Scholarship. You can find out that most of the general steps have been talked about in the previous chapter. I will explain briefly on Eligibility, Choice of Oxford Course, and Social Engagement here. In the next chapter, we'll reveal more on Reference letters and lastly the final interview.

Good to go!

Eligibility:

The majority of the applicants will be eligible to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship through one constituency. You may be wondering, "What is Constituency?". A constituency is a group of countries, and/or territories, and/or states to receive the Scholarship.

For instance, Rhodes Scholarships are given to students from all parts of the world, then supposing a Nigerian intends to apply, there's no option specifying directly to Nigeria rather can be seen under the constituency for West Africa.

Okay, I think it would be more understandable if I make a list of the Constituencies that are eligible to apply for Rhodes Scholarships.

Constituencies for Rhodes Scholarships

There are twenty-two constituencies eligible for the Rhodes Scholarship. The constituencies include;

1. Australia 2. Bermuda 3. Canada 4. China 5. East Africa 6. Germany 7. Hong Kong Sar 8. India 9. Israel 10. Jamaica and the Commonwealth Caribbean 11. Kenya 12. Malaysia 13. New Zealand 14. Pakistan 15. Saudi Arabia 16. Singapore

17. Southern Africa (INC. South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, and Eswatini). 18. Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine (SJLP), United Arab Emirates. 19. United States 20. West Africa 21. Zambia 22. Zimbabwe 23. Global (Any other country).

You can figure out that no matter the part of the world you are from, you can apply.

Rhodes Scholarship is for all. Once you are a talented young person, your application is warmly welcome. It doesn't matter your diverse background, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, color, religion, social background, caste, or disability. No!!! It's all for you, so no worries.

Okay!

Having known what a constituency is and seen the list of constituencies eligible for the Rhodes Scholarship, you should now know whether you are eligible or not. Let’s forge ahead.

Choice of Oxford Course:

Rhodes house as a Scholarship Foundation works with the University of Oxford. In the course of applying for the scholarship, the Oxford application is the third stage in the scholarship timeline.

Here, it means that you’ll need to apply and secure an admission in Oxford before you can consider the Rhodes scholarship. This means that when you get the scholarship, you are going to study at the University of Oxford on scholarship. The University of Oxford offers many courses of which you are going to make your choice in relative to your undergraduate discipline. When you log on to the official website, you will get to see the options of the various courses offered by the University of Oxford.

Social Engagement:

One of the processes for applying for Rhodes Scholarship is your social engagements in your country and how you have impacted positively on the growth of your community and likewise

24 your willingness to impart within the Rhodes community and wherever you may find yourself. This engagement may also entail your social skills and abilities to relate with people from different backgrounds, races, gender, religion, and lots more.

I hope you are getting along with the explanation? We are now going to go thru the major steps.

Procedures on How to Apply for the Rhodes Foundation Scholarship

Step 1:

Log on to the official website of the scholarship here http://www.rhodehouse.ox.ac.uk/apply

Step 2:

When you land on the official page, look at the top where you will see a green rectangular- shaped box written "Application Now Open".It is recommended that before you start applying, you read through the online information on the Rhodes scholarships and the application guide.

This information can be found across the pages on 5 cylindrical shaped boxes with varying sizes with a blue color background. I hope you see something exactly like this one below:

Step 3:

Select your region/constituency and start your application.

Here, you will find out the various constituencies and countries within each constituency. There, you will also get to know the opening date and closing date for each constituency.

Example: For West African Constituency

Opening date:01 June 2020

Closing date: 23:59 GMT,30 Sept.2020.

Step 4:

After you’ve selected your region or constituency, the next step will be to start your application

Step 5:

Click on the blue rectangular box to begin your application process.

Here, there's a blue rectangular box with another white square box within. Here, you enter the following;

 Email  Password  Log in to your account.

Step 6:

After you’ve created your account, a window opens to the next stage of application. The page that opens is where you’ll create your profile. There are about twelve application steps which you’ll need to click and complete.

On each step you click on, it requires details of information to be provided for the application.

Click on each of the following below, fill and save.

 Preliminary Screen  Inter-jurisdictional  Personal Details & Contact information

 Nationality & Residence  University/Higher Education & Secondary/School Education  CV/ Resume/ List of Principal Activities & Photograph  Referee Registration  Proposed Course of study, Personal Statement & Statement of Originality  Outreach  Request Eligibility Check  Final Confirmation  Review

The review is the step before the final step. Here, you ensure that you've given a response to all options asked in details and accurately. Also, ensure to upload accurate documents before the final application submission.

Preliminary Screen