How to Write an Academic CV for a Scholarship: When you apply for a scholarship, your CV (Curriculum Vitae or Resume) frequently serves as the first evaluation filter in which you seek to comply with the primary requirements of the call, that your experience is relevant to the programme to which you want to apply, and that you are a candidate with potential on the academic, professional, and personal levels.
A scholarship application’s academic CV should be concise and focused. It is advised to display the reader the essential information by using Times New Roman font, bullets, bold, and capital letters. The information must be presented chronologically. Avoid using clichés and instead highlight something special about yourself.
The academic CV’s purpose is to grab the scholarship provider’s attention so that the Motivation Letter can continue to persuade him that your application is the best qualified among all others. A poorly thought-out academic CV could result in scholarship rejection.
As a result, the CV ranks among the most crucial records used in the evaluation process. We want to share some advice with you based on our success in obtaining scholarships and helping others with their application processes.
Reflect and Brainstorm your Academic CV
Before you begin writing your resume, you must assess yourself and decide which aspects of your professional, academic, and personal experience will be included.
To begin, gather as much information as possible to gain a broader understanding of what you have to offer, and then decide which ones to show and how to do so. Remember that the scholarship provider has the final say, so do your homework on him and the profile he seeks. Select and highlight the most relevant skills and experiences in your Curriculum Vitae based on this (CV).
You can begin your research by thoroughly reading the description of the scholarship and its requirements. You can also look at the profiles of other scholarship recipients. Scholarship providers frequently publish articles or institutional videos in which other scholars share their experiences, giving you the opportunity to analyse their profile.
When doing your research, make a list of key words and write them down so you know how to address your CV (resume).
For example, you’ll know whether you should prioritise academic, professional, or personal skills and experiences.
It can also help you determine whether you should be more visible as a researcher, leader, creative, or socially conscious.
How to Organize Academic CV for Scholarship? | How to Write an Academic CV for a Scholarship
All CVs must include contact information, education, and professional experience. However, I recommend that you include additional sections that will assist the reader in identifying relevant characteristics, such as: Certificates and acknowledgments, Volunteering and other experiences, Software Skills, and Languages.
Contact:
Your full name and contact information, such as address, phone number, and email address, must appear at the top of the page or in the header. Avoid using words like “CV,” “Curriculum Vitae,” or “Resume,” which are unprofessional.
Also Check this : DAAD-EPOS Masters of Science in International Health Scholarship 2022
Education:
It is usually done first because it allows you to demonstrate that you meet the basic entry requirements. For example, if you are applying for a PhD, you already have a Master’s degree; or if you are applying for a master’s degree, you already have an undergraduate degree.
Only include your title, institution, and graduation year, as well as the city and country where you studied.
If you received special recognition or your qualifications were exceptional, include them.
Work Experience:
Do not limit yourself to describing the tasks that you carried out, but include your achievements and measurable results. With this you are demonstrating to the reader that you leave a trace where you work and that you are aware of the impact of your work. Also write it as the first person, but avoids the use of “I”. Remember that it is about what you have done and, therefore, you are the main character of what you present.
For example, instead of writing “sales and event organization” you better write “I increased sales by 20% over the same period last year and organized events with budgets of more than 500,000 USD.” Always clearly refer to true facts.
Languages:
Show the languages you speak with the respective level: native, basic, intermediate or advanced. Avoid getting entangled with numerical scales that make it difficult for the reader to understand.
Personal Skills:
As you mention your technical skills, also mention your personal skills. This section is vital so that the reader can quickly recognize that you have the profile that interests him. In addition, with this you can also demonstrate self-knowledge and balance.
Also Apply for this : Erasmus University Management Scholarships 2023-2024 (Funded)
Other Key Sections:
If you have written publications or been awarded prizes or certificates in addition to your formal academic training, you can organise them in a section to highlight your accomplishments. If possible, include links (DOI numbers) to your publications. Similarly, if you have experience with extracurricular activities or volunteering, I recommend organising them in a separate section to demonstrate your proactivity and social awareness.
Do I have to include Professional Profile in Academic CV for Scholarship?
Some people choose to begin their CV in the form of a presentation with the professional profile. It may, however, become a repetition of what you will undoubtedly write in your motivation letter. I would avoid including it in the CV for this reason, as well as to keep it as concise as possible. However, if you want to use it, limit yourself to one paragraph or five lines of text.
Do I have to include my picture in Academic CV for Scholarship?
In terms of the photo, it is highly dependent on the call, the institution, and the country to which you are applying. However, in general, I recommend that you include a professional photo in your CV to help the reader understand who is speaking. The photograph should show you making a friendly and happy gesture. Avoid fake smiles and solemn gestures.
Also Check this : How to Write a Winning Scholarship Statement of Purpose (Examples)
How to write a winning CV for Scholarships?
An ill-planned academic CV may rope in scholarship denial. We have elucidated 8 ways of making your academic CV (resume) sound very effective and powerful.
- Short and specific: Depending on the number of applications, the reader of your CV can spend only 30 seconds to read it. That is why you should try to place all the content in maximum 2 pages.
- Simple format, but NOT flat. Use bullets, bold and capital letters to show relevant information to the reader. It is also recommended that you use more than one column and that you separate the sections clearly to facilitate reading. Avoid unconventional designs and the mix of colors, unless you are applying to an arts program.
- Be specific with the information you submit. Indicates institutions, titles and dates. The information must be in chronological order from the most recent to the oldest.
- Use the correct time. The activities that you are not already doing must be in the past and those that you are still doing in the present. It seems silly but it happens.
- Check the spelling. Whether you write in English, your spelling says a lot about how you communicate and the level of language proficiency. Since self-correcting is not always successful, ask your friends and professors to review each word and phrase.
- Don’t fall a prey to clichés: For example you should not write the sentences like, “If given a chance, I will prove my mettle” or “I am passionate about”. Rather portray something unique about yourself.
- Do not display fancy emails on your Resume: Many of us these days have an email id by the time we were at the age of 12-13. Those days of life were really funny we tried emails with such peppy, funky ids. Many of us retain those funny sounding emails like showerofpetals@gmail.com, tigerforyou@hotmail.com etc. These sound utterly unprofessional. Create an email id that simply states your name. Use that in your resume.
- Let your resume look consistent: Use a common font for all the points mentioned in your resume. Times New Roman size 12 looks decent. Go for this. You may have a slightly bigger font (Say Times New Roman 14) for the subtitles.
Academic CV Samples:
ScholarshipAvenue.com has compiled a list of CV samples for scholarship from world top university websites. These includes sample sample CV for master scholarship and sample CV for PhD scholarship. These can also be modified for sample CV for undergraduate scholarship with slight tweaking. We hope this list will help you in writing effective and winning academic CV for scholarship.
- 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