The first step to applying for a scholarship is usually to submit an application. Therefore, the question of how to fill out a scholarship application is one of the most frequently asked. That’s why today we come with answers and tips to make applying easier!

In this article you will find out:

• what are the types of scholarship applications,
• what elements such applications usually contain,
• some tips on how to get down to business. 🙂

If you’re thinking about studying check out our other articles:

• explaining how does an academic year in Poland work
• arguing why it is worth it to study in Poland 🙂 
• explaining the formalities of studying in Poland 

Types of scholarship applications

The question of how to fill out a scholarship application depends on the type of application itself. It is worth knowing that there are:

• dedicated generators or online forms,
• paper applications that must be signed and sent to the organization’s address,
• job interviews (usually in the second stage of recruitment),
• open questions/requests to write an essay, and record a video.

Each program has its specificity, so read carefully the regulations, stages, and methods of recruitment to prepare specifically for a given recruitment.

For example, in the case of scholarships awarded by local governments, there is often an obligation to send signed documentation and to collect specific documentation. This requires contacting various people or institutions and time to prepare and send the letter.

Also, make sure whether the decision makers consider the date of shipment (postmark) or the date of delivery of the document when checking the documents. This is an important step. to ensure 100% compliance with the formal conditions. Interestingly, sometimes it happens that the organizer asks you to submit the file both electronically and in paper form. Such details can be surprising, but if you read the regulations and announcements in advance, nothing will scare or surprise you. 🙂

On the other hand, electronic forms can be complicated, so it is worth “clicking” beforehand, testing the form, and preparing the answers in a folder on your computer. Unfortunately, many of us have experienced data loss after clicking the “send” button. Avoid this by having your answers saved in a text editor.

Tell us about yourself

Well, sometimes a form or a decision maker during an interview will ask you to ,,tell us something about yourself”. I don’t know about you, but it can be stressful for me. Where to start? What to focus on? How not to “go overboard” when talking freely about yourself? We are supposedly talking about ourselves, but the question is not so obvious.

Don’t worry, there are ways to prepare for it! How?

• Read the biographies/profiles of scholarship holders of this program from previous years. How are they constructed? What elements do they contain? What language are they written in? This may be a valuable clue about the scholarship committee’s expectations!
• Read the regulations, especially the purpose of the scholarship program. Do the organizers want to support specific talents? Equalize educational opportunities? Promote solidarity attitudes (volunteering, social involvement)? The goals and motivations of organizations granting scholarships say a lot about which people, with what motivations, they want to support.
• Follow the promotional channels of the organization awarding scholarships: what does it boast about? How does it communicate about its programs? What does it emphasize in external communication?
• Do the mirror test and the loved ones test. Talk about yourself in the mirror and then in front of the person whose opinion you value. This will be valuable practice and a warm-up before the “final”. And if the description is only required “in writing” – make a note and read it aloud Then you can give it to another person to read.
• Try to not come across as performative. After all, it’s your story and your narrative – speak from the heart. 🙂

Don’t forget the attachments

Believe it or not, attachments often get lost. 😉 It happens to everyone, but the lack of attachments may disqualify you from the very beginning. And we wouldn’t want that, right?

So some tips:

• Create a folder on your computer where you will regularly collect diplomas, certificates, references, CVs, statements…
• Start preparing your scholarship application by collecting the documentation: how long does it take and when can you obtain a given certificate from the office? Who can give you references? Who you should ask for a copy of a diploma that has been lost somewhere? The problem is that attachments are often beyond your control – it takes time for someone else to prepare them for you. Therefore, let this be the first step, and in the so-called ,,meantime”, you can prepare the remaining parts of the application. 🙂
• Just before sending a letter (always registered/registered) or sending the application electronically, check twice whether you have filled out all mandatory fields and added all attachments to 100%. If so, let the application go out into the world!

Show off your successes and passions

Successes and passions – this is probably the most pleasant part of applying for a scholarship. Describe them carefully and show off what makes you proud. Sometimes it happens that we ourselves do not notice what we could be proud of. Ask your loved ones, and take a look at your current activities – you will definitely find something cool. 🙂

What is taken into account?

• Average grade,
• Olympiads, competitions,
• Volunteering, activity in school/student government, scientific clubs,
• Knowledge of foreign languages,
• Student exchanges, training, courses,
• Passions, interests,
• Motivation, desire to develop,
• “Pushing forward”, your activity despite the difficult situation and development barriers…

… and many others!

Think about your plans and why the scholarship is important to you

Moreover, many organizations ask in applications or during job interviews how you want to use the scholarship you receive. So consider:

• Why is this scholarship important to you,
• How you can use it,
• How will receiving this scholarship help you?

A description of your motivation and needs may weigh heavily when the scholarship committee reads a variety of applications.

Don’t wait until the last minute

Although we know that it is extremely difficult and procrastination affects all of us, try to collect and organize the elements needed for the application at least a few days before the recruitment deadline.

If the application is electronic, we recommend creating a draft, for example in a Word file, filling it out, and editing it systematically. Before the end of the recruitment process, paste the ready answers and add obligatory, well-described attachments (beware of random names so as not to discourage anyone with a file called “123543grrr” ;)).

Even the best systems sometimes fail, so to avoid unnecessary stress, submit your applications at least one day before the deadline. Then neither a sudden illness, a system failure, nor a shortening of e-mail working time will be a threat to you and will not prevent your application from being assessed. 🙂

There is another advantage of sending your scholarship application a little earlier… you will be doing the organizers a huge favor! Nothing is more stressful than receiving 95% of applications in the last hour when e-mail boxes and generators are “bursting at the seams” and coordinators are wondering whether to extend the recruitment process due to low interest. Of course, you have every right to submit your application at the last minute and we know that sometimes “it just so happens”. But if you can submit it a little earlier in a given program – believe me, both parties will benefit. 🙂

How to prepare in advance? We have a life hack for you in the form of a database of planned scholarships and a database of archived programs. You see the recruitment planned for the next month – start slowly preparing for the application. Or maybe you found an excellent program from the previous year in the archives – check whether there will be another recruitment in a similar period next year. 🙂

The “third eye” is worth its weight in gold

How to fill out a scholarship application? Don’t assume you did it perfectly the first time. We highly recommend – every time – to ask someone close to you (preferably several people) to read your application. This makes it easier to spot minor linguistic errors, receive valuable tips and feedback on what should be improved.

Do not throw previous applications into the trash

Regardless of whether it is an electronic or paper application – be sure to keep copies! Sometimes the same attachments and documentation will be useful for another application, or maybe for applying next year for the same scholarship! Although we encourage you to personalize applications and write them in accordance with the expectations and requirements of each organization, certain elements of the application may provide inspiration and content for re-use.

Additionally, after a year, looking at the previous descriptions, you can see what new things you managed to do, how you developed, and what were the obstacles in the previous months. Valuable knowledge, right?

So, do you already know how to fill out a scholarship application?

Keep your finger on the pulse and share your successes – with My Scholarship!

And if you’re wondering how to fill out a scholarship application, you probably also want to know about scholarship programs. 🙂 Nothing could be easier, because the My Scholarship portal and our team have been helping you with this for over 10 years. We know what’s going on in polish scholarship system and we help you look for scholarships all year round.

So jump on over to our:

• newsletter,
• instagram,
• tik-tok,
• facebook,
• public scholarship hunters group on facebook,
• scholarship database.

If you have trouble understanding Polish language we recommend using the search engine with the google translator plugin. That way you can also read our articles! If that’s not working for you just contact us at serwis@ausemojestypendium.org or on Instagram. Tell us whether you are a student and/or what is your area of passion (as we said above scholarships are not only for students though). We will try to find a scholarship suited for you! Whatever you do don’t give up because Poland offers many growth opportunities!

We hope you now understand how to fill out a scholarship application in Poland!

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