The process of higher education abroad with scholarship is quite long. Preparation for studies is necessary, on the other hand, various issues related to documents and procedures are not less important. Again subject wise admission process is also different. If students start preparing from the beginning of the year, then they can easily master the subjects related to scholarship.

Step One—Preparation 

Proficiency Tests: IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is the most familiar to Bangladeshi students when it comes to language skills. An IELTS score of 7.0 or 7.5 is accepted for competitive and prestigious scholarships. But a score of 6.5 is also accepted for university-based scholarships. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score is required for admission to various universities in the United States. Therefore, language proficiency test should be given as needed. German, French, Chinese — you can learn many languages. Getting that language related scholarship will be easy.

For those who pursuing business education, GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is important. And GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) score is required if you want to study various subjects related to science and engineering, humanities and social sciences. However, GRE-GMAT score is not required for postgraduate admission in various universities in Europe.

Leadership qualities, work experience as a volunteer or researcher are given importance in most scholarships. Therefore, attention should be paid to these achievements in advance.

Certificates, Recommendations, Passports, Educational Qualification Certificates, Mark Sheets etc. should be collected. In many educational institutions of our country, we have to go through some kind of bureaucratic complications to get the certificate. So collect the certificate as soon as possible without leaving it for the last minute. Keep up-to-date passport also.

Statement of Purpose (SOP) and Letter of Recommendation (LOR) are very important for scholarship. Our students often apply for scholarships with a standard SOP and a letter of recommendation from a teacher. Since all scholarships are competitive, many people get left out due to these scams. You have to write your own statement of purpose to study in different American universities. Get a letter of recommendation from a teacher or expert in the subject you are trying to major in. Sometimes language skills or a low GRE-GMAT score will put you ahead with a good letter of recommendation.

Step Two—Finding and Applying for Scholarships

The application process varies by country and university. Scholarship can be found on various online platforms. Apart from this, you can get information from government agencies, university authorities and teachers by e-mail.

Ministry of Education website is quite useful for Bangladeshi students. Updated government scholarship information is always available. Scholarship information is also published on the website and Facebook page of the education and culture department of various embassies. Apart from this, you can keep an eye on the website of the University of your Choice. There is an opportunity to get regular information from various university websites.

You have to look at the work of the professors of the subject you want to study or research. It will be easy to apply if you know what a professor is researching, how he is getting grants. 

Step Three—Interview

At the last stage of the scholarship, the student often has to face an interview. Apart from the online oral interview, the embassy of the respective country can also conduct the interview. Scholarship students have the opportunity to participate in orientation programs at various embassies. For government scholarships in some countries including India, China, Japan, South Korea, students are also required to participate in written and oral tests based on general knowledge through the embassy.

Funding: For higher education in various universities in Germany, certain funds are required to be deposited in the bank through a blocked account. In this case, you can know about the process by contacting the concerned embassy and university authorities. Again, for various university-based scholarships, the student file has to be opened through the bank. In the current situation, students are facing a crisis in opening student files. Many banks have stopped opening student files. In this case, you can contact the university by e-mail stating the situation.

Application Time: Applications must be made before the scholarship deadline. Many people cannot submit the application due to various complications as many applications are submitted at the end of the online application for various scholarships. Again, due to the pressure of many applications at the end, there is a danger that good applications will be ignored. So take some time to apply.

Monthly plan at a glance

January-March: Preparation of necessary certificates, letters of recommendation and statement of purpose

February-April: Preparation and participation in tests for the Language Proficiency Certificate IELTS-TOEFL

March-June: Required test preparation and test participation including GRE-GMAT

March-December: Researching and applying for scholarships through various government websites and scholarship agencies and university websites.