Regardless of your area of study or degree level, you’ve most likely heard that it’s not the grades you get, but rather what you do with them that counts. It’s a cliché because it’s true: your academic CV matters more than anything else when applying for scholarships and grants—both at the college and graduate level. In fact, an academic CV can be the determining factor between getting an award or getting nothing at all!
As a scholarship applicant, your CV works as the first evaluation criteria by trying to follow the basic requirements in the call and to also find that your professional and academic experience meets the guidelines to which you’re applying to.
An academic CV should be short and precise. The reader should be shown relevant information in chronological order using Times New Roman font, bullet points, and bold and capital letters. Instead of falling victim to clichés, showcase what makes you unique.
It is the responsibility of your CV to attract the scholarship provider’s attention so that it can be followed by a Motivation Letter that will convince him that your candidacy is the most eligible. An ill-prepared academic CV can lead to scholarship rejections.
Our experience of winning scholarships and advising others in their application processes makes the CV one of the most important documents in the evaluation process.
You can also check DAAD Scholarship is a funded scholarship available to international students to study in Germany and the monthly stipend is 1,200 euros.
Reflect and Brainstorm your Academic CV
To begin drafting your resume, you’ll want to determine the details you want to include from your professional, academic and personal background.
Gather as much information as possible to get a broader understanding of what you have to offer, and then decide which ones to show. In your Curriculum Vitae (CV), make sure to highlight the most relevant skills and experience based on research about the scholarship provider.
By reading the scholarship description and its requirements very carefully, and examining the profile of other fellows studying on the scholarship, you can begin your research. Often, scholarship providers publish essays, videos, and articles by other scholars sharing their experiences and these pieces can serve as your opportunity to critically evaluate them.
Make a list of keywords so you know how to put your resume together. That being said, you will know which academic, professional, or personal skills and experiences are most pertinent. Taking this test can also help you, for example, figure out which specific characteristic you should aim for in a certain job role (e.g., researcher, leader, creative, socially aware).
How to Organize/Design Academic CV for Scholarship?
CVs must have three parts: contact information, education, and work history. It would be helpful to add other sections that allow the reader to easily identify relevant characteristics, such as: Certificates and Acknowledgements, Volunteering and Other Experiences, Software Skills and Languages.
Contact:
On top of the page, or in the header, be sure to list your full name, contact information, including address, phone, and email, as well as contact info such as CV, Curriculum Vitae, or Resume without these words which don’t make your portfolio seem professional.
Education:
A Masters degree is usually required for applying to a PhD program, since it proves that you meet the basic requirements. in order to apply for a master’s degree program, you must already have an undergraduate degree.
Add special recognition or your qualifications, if applicable, along with the title obtained and the institution where you studied.
Work Experience:
Don’t focus solely on the jobs you have completed and other minor achievements, include some numbers or percentages so the reader can see the long-term impact of your work. Present it from a first-person perspective and try not to use the word I. Remember that the focus of this essay is on the first person’s experiences, so the emphasis will be on what he or she has done.
You should tell your readers that you increased sales by 20% over last year’s same period and organized events with budgets of over 500,000 USD instead of writing “sales and event organization.”
Languages:
Identify the languages you speak and their levels: native, basic, intermediate, and advanced. Make it easier for the reader to understand by avoiding numerical scales.
Personal Skills:
Always discuss your personal skills as well as your technical skills, so that your audience understands that you’re the person they want. In other words, you can also reveal a deep awareness of one’s personality and apply this understanding in your daily life.
How to Write a Winning CV for Scholarships?
If your academic CV (resume) isn’t planned well, then it might keep you from securing scholarships. Here are eight ways to write an academic CV (resume) so it will be effective and sound powerful.
What to Do When Writing a CV?
⊕ Keep it to 2 Pages
⊕ An academic CV should be short and specific,
⊕ Bold or capital letters for relevant information
⊕ Choose the Right Font (Times New Roman)
⊕ Use normal text size 12 and for the subtitles use 14
⊕ Focus on positive accomplishments.
⊕ Should be in an easily-readable format.
⊕ List relevant items first (Internships and Projects)
⊕ Make sure you include a cover letter with your resume.
⊕ Tailor your CV to the Job (focus on select skills and experience that perfectly match the role you’re applying for)
⊕ Follow the Correct CV Format (Personal details, Personal statement, Education, Work History, Skills, Achievements, Hobbies)
⊕ Keep it Neat and Tidy (proofread, check for spelling and grammatical errors)
⊕ Support Claims with Specifics
⊕ Include ‘Power’ Words (achieved, supervised, launched, and co-ordinated)
⊕ Add Details of Professional Qualifications
⊕ Include a Personal Statement
What Not to Do When Writing a CV?
⊗ Tell a Lie (About your GPA, skills, or abilities).
⊗ Including Irrelevant Personal Information
⊗ Forget to Include a Cover Letter
⊗ Add Negative Information
⊗ Include Unnecessary References
⊗ Include Jargon Unless Necessary
⊗ Type or Handwrite Your CV
⊗ Explain Gaps in Work History
⊗ Add Fluff
⊗ Mention Money
⊗ information that is humorous.
⊗ There is no need for these things: age; affiliation with an ethnic group; political affiliation; favorite religion; hobbies; relationship status; sexual orientation; birthplace; photographs; height, weight, and health of an individual.
Academic CV Samples
Our Scholarship-Gov.com CV sample collection includes sample CVs for master scholarships and PhD scholarships from the world’s top universities. We hope these sample CV templates for the undergraduate scholarship can also be adapted for writing an effective and highly competitive academic CV.
⇒ Michigan State University Academic CV Guide and Samples
⇒ London School of Economics and Political Science CV Examples
⇒ University of Toronto Academic CV Tips and Samples
⇒ The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign CV Guide and Samples
⇒ University of Kent UK Academic CV Sample for Postgraduate Studies
⇒ McGill University Academic CV Guide and Samples
⇒ PennState College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Academic CV Samples
⇒ Griffith University Australia Academic CV Template
⇒ University of Birmingham CVs for Postgraduate Study
Here is an excellent example of a government-issued resume. Hopefully, this will help you as you prepare for the scholarship application.
Now it’s your turn!
All of these tips and resources should help you sculpt a perfect academic CV to submit with your scholarship application. As we mentioned earlier, your CV is incredibly important, and ultimately, whether or not you win a scholarship is heavily influenced by what is included on it. Take some time to ponder over the points covered in the article, and generate a stand-out CV.
Wishing you Success!!