So how did I get the scholarship?

Disclaimer: I'm not a pro or anything, I just have too many DMs and I can't reply everyone.

So here goes, this is what I did, it may or may not work for you so just pick what suits you and drop the rest.

I got 2 scholarships this year

1. 10k pounds off tuition to the Uni of Glasgow
2. Full scholarship to the Uni of Pretoria.

These are major components in almost all applications

1. CV
2. Essays
3. Reference Letters
4. Work Experience
5. Transcripts
6. English proficiency

1. Transcripts: I'm a 1st class graduate, but not being one shouldn't be a deterrent, it's just grades, what matters more is what you know and how you've applied it.

If ur still in school tho, get the best grades you can, good grades open doors faster cus people assume ur smart.

Application season for most schools is September- December. If u attended a govt school start processing your transcripts months ahead, this affected some of my friends & they have to wait until next year as most applications have closed/ are closing.

• Certifications: your mindset for scholarships should ALWAYS be; what will make them pick me over others ie what sets you apart. Yes I had a 1st class but so do thousands of others. So I started getting certifications in MY field.

Don't get random certifications

2. English proficiency: Most schools require IELTS & the likes.

For my Glasgow admission, I waived this by getting my Uni to send a letter that stated I got my Bs.c In English. You can do this as well (not all schools accept it) but it can save you money and time if it works.

3. Work Experience: this can either be full/part time/voluntary.

I'm a psychologist & I have my own practice. I've volunteered for the past 3 years with @StandtoEndRape and @MentallyAwareNG all these buffed up my CV as well as work hours
Volunteering offers so many opportunities

Also don't be limited by distance you can virtually volunteer with organizations in your field outside of Nigeria. Remember you want your application to stand out so always do things that'll make you memorable among thousands of other applicants.

4. Reference letter: WHO writes your letter is so important.
Is your referrer someone who is known in the field that you're applying to? Are they nationally/ internationally recognized?

I was very intentional with my referees (their names carry weight in my field)

You can cold email potential referees with ur cv and ask if theres any project they're working on and require assistance. U can work for/with them and show your skills as such they'll be able to write ur letter.
(Do this months ahead). Remember you want to stand out.

5. Essays: thousands of people around the world apply, how do you get your essay to stand out?
1. Write your essays weeks ahead so you can reread, correct & perfect it.
2. Have multiple people read so you get new perspectives.
3. @MomentsWithBren has amazing threads on essays

For both scholarships, I had my essays reviewed by @Owjay_ he does amazing work for anything research related. He also created my CV as well. Check him out

https://twitter.com/Owjay_/status/1231170096233578496?s=19

Most importantly, write authentically, don't be generic. Write to stand out.

6. CV: This is the sum total of everything above. Last last it's true that all na packaging but you have to have something to package first of all, so you have to put in the work.
Theres too many people with too few opportunities so you HAVE to stand out from the crowd.

7. Follow @MomentsWithBren I cannot overemphasize this. She tweets about scholarships across the world.
Heres the thread for 2020: https://twitter.com/MomentsWithBren/status/1321675521361612800?s=08

8. Dedicate an hour a day to work on your applications/look for new opportunities.

So yea that's that. Hope it helps.