Each year, the QS World Grad School Tour offers a US$10,000 scholarship to a recipient who has demonstrated academic achievement. So how do you go about applying for this scholarship and what do you need to stand out from the crowd?
Criteria:
To be eligible for the scholarship, you need to attend a QS World Grad School Tour fair. There are currently 47 of these held each year around the world.
Attending a fair is not only an opportunity to become eligible for this scholarship, but also to find out what financial assistance international graduate schools offer. As you speak with the different schools, ask them what funding options they have available.
"Due to the broad range of study areas covered by the World Grad School Tour, the best marker for measuring talent is excellence," says David McClelland, QS Graduate Scholarships Manager. "We want to award the individual that has channelled their success with clear goals and targets."
The application process:
Once you've attended a QS World Grad School Tour fair, you must then fill out an application form. You'll need to fill out a research survey on postgraduate education before you can apply.
You'll need to outline:
* where you're from
* which university you'd like to study at
* what kind of program you're interested in
* how you plan to fund your study if not from a scholarship.
QS also wants to find out more about you as an applicant and so will ask questions such as:
* what is your ideal career?
* how do you see an MSc or PhD helping you to achieve this?
* how do you intend to use your qualification to help your local community?
This is the initial round of applications. If the QS scholarship selection panel is impressed with your answers, you'll then be asked to write an application essay along the lines of:
"Describe how you plan to build on your academic achievement to date to a) maximise the benefits that your imminent postgraduate program can offer you and b) once you have the postgraduate qualification, apply it in your place of work to generate social, scientific or economic advantage."
"We're looking for someone who has the ability to think outside the square," says McClelland. "Someone who can genuinely demonstrate that their postgraduate qualification is going to be beneficial to, not only their career, but to the communities around them."
The selection process:
The scholarship is open from September to April each year, so you have plenty of time to apply.
"The QS scholarship team and I read through each application form and every essay that has been submitted to narrow down a shortlist. We then evaluate these applications to decide on a winner. There's usually an application that stands out from the crowd," he says.
The winning edge:
So how do you ensure that you, and your application, stand out from the crowd?
Follow these top five tips on putting together a successful scholarship application and you could be on your way to winning some money.
1. Provide all that is requested
"If an application is incomplete, we won't look at it," McClelland says. "We want someone who can follow instructions and go the extra mile, not someone who gives the impression of being unorganized."
2. Sell yourself
"Don't be afraid to sell yourself," says McClelland. "You're up against hundreds of other candidates, tell us about your academic, personal, professional and social achievements".
"Just don't exaggerate too much, because we'll be able to find out the truth from your referees," he says.
3. Presentation
You want to give a good impression and spelling mistakes or illegible writing don't look good. "Give your application the time it deserves - $10,000 is a lot of money," McClelland advises. "Take care when putting your application together. Ask a friend or family member to check it for mistakes as well."
4. Referees
Choose these people carefully - after all, there's a lot hanging on this application.
"We want to speak to a referee who can give us a genuine insight into a candidate's qualities - both personal and professional," McClelland says. "It's a chance for us to be able to ask questions to see what they're like as a person, a student or an employee."
Let each of your referees know when you're applying for a scholarship, so if they're asked, they're not taken by surprise and can give a detailed answer.
5. Don't miss the deadline
Always give yourself an extra few days when applying for a scholarship. You may need it if you're getting your application professionally printed, or are waiting for confirmation from a referee. The selection panel won't consider late applications.
Documentation checklist:
* Scholarship application form
* Scholarship application essay
* Covering letter
* CV
* Academic records
QS Education Trust
The QS World Grad School Tour Scholarships are administered by the QS Education Trust, a non-profit organization with a prime objective of providing a conduit for this, and other scholarships. Its mission is to become the world's largest independent community-based provider of postgraduate scholarships.