Thousands of students apply for scholarships, but that only means that you need to find a way to differentiate your application and make your presentation stand out from the crowd. There are certain strategies that work much better than others and here are some of the most successful.

Bet on poverty– Being poor in the eyes of Universities may mean something completely different than what society thinks. Even with a very decent income per family you can plead for poverty and try to win the heart of the commission. You will need to provide evidence, tough.

Focus on qualities and potential– If your degrees are not so shiny, switch on presenting extra-curricular activities, your passions or your diverse achievements. The commission might read between the lines and figure out that you have immense potential even if you are not academically gifted.

Get something else– If getting a full scholarship does not work try to apply for getting a partial scholarship and then getting the other part from a different institution. You can also ask for something else like half-price boarding or some other benefits that will do you good.

Focus on the forms – You would be surprised how many students don`t read all the requirements on the form and fill it out in an incomplete or wrong manner. Study the application forms thoroughly and submit and excellent application. If you are applying for a means-tested bursary, make sure that you include all the documents that are needed in order to prove the income per family. Insert a phone number where you can easily be contacted for details.

Find one that interests you– Look for bursaries and scholarships that really interest you because the chances are you will be more likely to qualify and you will write a more heart-felt essay that will impress that commission. If you can, start doing a sport also. Swimming is very much appreciated lately and there are many swimming scholarships on the market.

Follow these strategies and most of all don`t give up. Find your specific approach to the scholarship and make a list of the things that qualify you for a scholarship or bursary and use them in the application form. Take a list of scholarships like the one offered by us and apply to all of them year after year. The general rule is that you need to apply for scholarships a year before the proposed entry date and not later than that.