Dear scholarship enthusiast, it is good to be back after the holidays, and compliments of the season to you all. Thinking about how to gear you up for the new year, we decided to start by giving you tips on how to position yourself strategically for scholarship opportunities this year.
Every year, there is an academic calendar that schools in the UK and the US follow strictly. The academic calendar is divided into three. The Spring, Fall, and Summer Semester. It is important to know the month each semester falls into to prepare your documents adequately and in time for each application.
Spring Semester: The Spring Semester is usually between January and May in most countries. This means that your application documents should be ready no later than August of the Previous Year, you should have submitted them by October at most. For Scholarship Applicants it is very important that you even submit before the stipulated spring deadline, to stand a chance. This is January 2023, which means application for spring intakes is no longer open, you’re now left with the Fall Application. However, it is important to note a lot of schools do not offer intakes in Spring and those who do, hardly offer scholarship opportunities. It is the least favourite semester for students.
Fall Semester: The next question to ask is, when do I apply for fall? Fall Semester usually begins in September and till December. Most students target the fall semester because the chances of getting admission are higher. It is also the best time to apply for University Scholarships. Application for fall admission should have begun in November 2023 for scholarship applicants, although most schools have open opportunities till mid the following year it is advisable to apply early. You can still apply for the fall semester for example till March 2023, if your preferred school allows it.
Summer Semesters: There’s another semester in most US and UK academic calendars. The summer Semester usually falls between Spring and Fall, most students use it for Internships. Students also use it to complete the workload of the previous semester. We’re left with two semesters as far as admission is concerned.
How do you position yourself for scholarship opportunities bearing these two in mind? Here are a few tips:
- Take cognizance of semesters and scholarship openings and apply as early as possible.
- Organise your materials early.
- Request for recommendation letters and references on time.
- Pay thorough attention to details for any change in your admission process or your school (s) of choice.
- This means that you also need to keep tabs on your schools of choice.
- Keep in touch with professors.
- Number 7 is assuming that you already sent your “cold” emails (to know what cold emails are please refer to our articles on writing cold emails to professors.