Are you wondering how to get a scholarship?

When I started working at Keystone, one of my first tasks was to review 4,000+ scholarship applications for the educations.com Master's in Europe scholarship.

During this review process, I noticed many mistakes candidates make when applying for scholarships.

Here's everything you need to know to perfect your scholarship applications.

Apply for our ongoing educations.com scholarships:

🏛 Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship (€5,000)

🗽 Study a Bachelor's in the USA Scholarship ($5,000)

🌎 Go Global MBA Scholarship ($7,000)

💃 Women's Scholarship for International Students ($5,000)

🌉 Graduate Study in the USA ($5,000)

🔬 Undergraduate in STEM Scholarship ($5,000)

The educations.com team reviews thousands of applications and essays for our study abroad scholarships. Read our insider scholarship tips to learn how to get a scholarship and make your study dreams come true!

If you're more of a beginner and are wondering how scholarships work, check out our scholarship guide.

Scholarship essay tips and application procedures from educations.com

1. Focus on best-fit scholarships for you

👉 Reserve your time and effort for scholarship applications that you have the best chance of winning, and spend the remaining time casting the net wider for less likely fits.

The first thing to know about the best ways to get a scholarship is to look for study abroad scholarships that you qualify for and are a good fit for.

Be realistic - there are usually thousands, if not tens of thousands, of candidates for a single scholarship. The scholarship committee will choose the best-fit candidate.

The good news is that there are many different kinds of scholarships that you can apply for. For example, scholarships in the United States might be awarded for academic merit or could be awarded as an athletic scholarship.

2. Speak to the values of who is awarding the scholarship

👉 Be the ambassador for the attributes the scholarship providers are looking for. Check out their mission statements to see what they hold dearest and look for examples of how you live these values - then include them in your essay.

Before even starting your application, carefully analyze the requirements and ask yourself, What do the scholarship providers want to see from me?

Here are some examples:

• Academic merit scholarships: academic achievements, high grade average, high standardized test scores, great study habits, and overall they want someone who will elevate the school's academic reputation.
• Athletic scholarships: offered to students who excel in sports and have a demonstrable experience in leadership and extracurriculars.
• Need-based scholarships: demonstrated financial need and student's dedication to education (often through grades) and long-term goals.

Of course, each university, company and scholarship is different, so do your research!

3. Share your vision of the future

👉 Clearly communicate what value you'd be bringing to the university/industry/field of study/world. Make your "why" the focus of your scholarship application essay.

Study abroad scholarships will make a meaningful difference to many students in their personal lives, but few students are able to effectively articulate how this scholarship will help them make meaningful differences in the world.

If you're applying for a need-based scholarship, it's good to talk about how the scholarship will impact your life and help you achieve your goals.

For every other scholarship type, it's important to present why you should be the one to receive the money. Why should the committee care about you specifically? Scholarship reviewers go over dozens of scholarships per hour (at my fastest, I was doing 100-120 a day), so it's important to be very clear on what value you'd be providing to the university/world/your field of study if you were the one to receive the scholarship.

Whether it’s making a change in academia, NGOs, the national government, the private sector, or your hometown, you need to explain your "why". So, one of our scholarship tips is to figure out what drives you forward and how it's special from all other candidates. If you’re struggling to frame this, take a look at our article on studying abroad and global citizenship to start with the “why” to inspire others to get invested in your mission.

5. Follow the submission instructions carefully to make it through the first round

👉 Don't underestimate the importance of submission requirements. A few minutes of your time can ensure your application is not disqualified.

Another simple yet often missed factor when students learn to get a scholarship is following all submission directions.

💡 Key things to look out for:

• Fill out all the required fields
• Use the correct file format
• Attach the correct documents
• Adhere to the assigned word count
• Stick to the specified language

These kinds of requirements the easiest to check, and therefore easiest to filter out candidates. When I was reviewing scholarships, word count alone disqualified 50% of candidates, and it only took me a few seconds to check.

Similarly, most tools organizations use allow us to filter out candidates based on criteria they've set. For example, if the scholarship is specifically for full-time Master's students, then everyone who selected "part-time" as their choice will be immediately filtered out.

6. Proof-read your scholarship application

👉 Have a trusted friend, family member, classmate, or mentor read over your application to give you feedback.

While the reviewer/committee most likely won't disqualify you for a typo or misspelling (we don't include this in our rubric), it may work against you. This is especially the case with academic merit scholarships, which tend to be some of the most rigorous ones with their expectations. These errors can suggest a lack of interest or professionalism, even if the content of the application is strong.

Here's a quick checklist of everything you should proofread before submitting your application:

• Check for spelling and grammar errors via spell-check tools (or manual review).
• Ensure consistency in font, font size, and line spacing throughout the document.
• Make sure your punctuation and capitalization are correct.
• Maintain consistent verb tenses and clear pronoun references.
• Edit for conciseness: remove redundant phrases or wordiness.
• Maintain a professional and consistent tone throughout the essay.
• Choose an easily readable font if one is not specified.
• Name files professionally (e.g., “FirstName_LastName_ScholarshipEssay.pdf”).

Bonus tip: don't get too creative with images unless they are permitted and speak to the message behind your application. For example, including photos of your volunteer work, or a photo with you presenting an academic project could bring your essay to life.

7. Don’t miss your deadline!

👉 Apply on time! Scholarships are typically run on firm deadlines.

You may not think about it, but the administrative procedures necessary to review thousands of applications, choose finalists and ultimately a winner will mean that an application cycle will be closely choreographed.

If you’re applying for multiple study abroad scholarships, it’s important to keep track and schedule of all of the scholarships you’ll apply for in order to complete and submit applications before the deadlines.

Don't count on the scholarship providers to be lenient and overlook a late submission - most of the time it'll cost you the chance to win the scholarship.