How to increase your chances of getting scholarship for MS in US

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Are you someone looking for an MS in the US, and wondering how to make it possible? Is the cost of living, airfare, tuition fees, study material & local transportation overwhelming you? Well, you are not alone. We at Jamboree have helped many students overcome this financial barrier. Admission consultants at Jamboree possess the right expertise and knowledge bank that have helped us fulfil the academic dreams of many students like you. Would it not be amazing to be accepted by a world-class university and that too with a scholarship? MS scholarships have made many dreams come true. Scholarships can also eliminate (or at least reduce) the burden of student loans. Being debt-free can give you the much-needed mental freedom to concentrate on your academics, research, network and a host of other out-of-class initiatives, all of which are extremely important for a fulfilling MS journey, and subsequent career.This blog will further guide you on why the US is a premier destination for MS.

Know about different scholarships and apply early

Applying to MS in USA scholarships as early as possible earns you the highest chance of a scholarship award. Since many scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, and some universities have a limited budget, applying early increases your chances of securing funding. Moreover, submitting your application early reflects good planning and seriousness on your part, which can bring about a positive outcome for scholarship decisions.

There are MS in US Scholarships for every field, every need and every student. So, if you are a deserving candidate, having a good academic record, leadership skills and genuine financial constraints, you have a strong chance of securing financial aid that can significantly ease your tuition burden. When applying, visit the scholarship section on the University website; this has a list of scholarships offered – from partial scholarship and loans to grants that need not be repaid.

Universities offer MS Scholarships based on an application. In some cases, a student is automatically considered for a scholarship without a separate application. In case you don’t get such a scholarship, aka “internal scholarship”, you can also seek an external scholarship which is awarded by government organizations, private foundations, corporations, and non-profit institutions. MS in US Scholarships can be divided into:

• Merit based scholarshipfor MS in US

  • This scholarship is offered to students who have excellent records in different realms – from academics to extracurricular initiatives. Some factors taken into consideration for a merit-based scholarship are:
    • Excellent GPA and test scores (GRE, GMAT, IELTS and TOEFL)
    • Demonstrating exceptional leadership skills and community engagement. This could include active participation in student organizations or volunteer work that has a positive impact on society.
    • Participation/accolades in Sports at a level that typically goes beyond the school level.
    • Recognized accomplishments in music, arts, especially at national or international levels.
    • Professional or Research contributions – Strong work experience, impactful internships, published research papers, or significant contributions to innovation in the respective field.
    • Demonstration of Entrepreneurial spirit – achievements like patent filings or startup initiatives

• Need Based Scholarships for MS in US

  • Need based scholarship is awarded to students who show immense intellectual potential but are swamped with financial challenges. You need to give proof of the same through relevant documents. The purpose of this scholarship is to ensure that deserving students can afford education regardless of their financial background. Some criteria for this scholarship are as under: –

    • Family income / source of income
    • Number of dependents
    • Ongoing loans

An example of external need based scholarship is the AKF ISP award which provides a 50% grant that covers tuition fees and living expenses offered by The Aga Khan Development Network to deserving students who have excellent academic, professional records, and also have a genuine need for finance.

• University-specific Scholarships

  • These scholarships can be merit-based, need-based, or a combination of both, but are only for students of a particular university. It is for students applying to or currently enrolled in the university. These scholarships often need a separate application process. The scholarship awards can vary widely, even going up to 100%. The funds come from University endowments, alumni donations, corporate sponsors, or government grants.

• Scholarship offered by the Indian Government

If you have the requisite criteria like the required CGPA, bachelor degree from an Indian University, Indian passport, and other important requirements, you can avail a government scholarship.

• The Inlaks Scholarship offered byThe Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation is one such scholarship, and covers tuition fees, living expenses, one way travel and even health allowances.

• The merit based and competitive J. N. Tata Endowment loan scholarship offered by the J.N Tata Endowment for the Higher Education of Indians offers scholarship to postgraduate students across all disciplines. The selected J.N Tata Scholar is also eligible for a travel grant and gift award from allied Tata Trust.

• The Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation is a non-profit organization that offers interest-free loans as MS scholarships on the basis of merit to deserving students.

Apart from the above, the number of scholarship options available for MS in the USA will astonish you and will prepare you for the best. However, scholarships are highly competitive. So before you apply, it is worth investing some time & effort in understanding how to increase your chances of getting a scholarship for MS in the US.

An Excellent Academic Record

This is the topmost requirement for a scholarship for MS in the US. Having an excellent and consistent CGPA says a lot about the candidate’s brilliance, efforts and efficiency. It also reflects a student’s calibre in overcoming hurdles, and proves that they can excel in a rigorous masters curriculum. Simply put, a great CGPA is the simplest way to filter candidates for a scholarship.

To maintain a consistent academic record throughout college:

• Make sure not to have a backlog
• Start assignments early, maintain good attendance and do well in the exams
• Collaborate well on a project, picking a topic that not only uses your technical abilities well but also allows you to self-learn a little beyond your immediate curriculum
• Another way to showcase your intellectual capabilities is to do projects outside your curriculum by taking up a self-initiated project, like using CAD software to do a simulation in the mechanical domain, or building a predictive model in computer science. Other ways you can contribute to a project is by doing an open source project collaborating with like-minded fellow-students or gaining the mentorship of professors available through LinkedIn groups or research forums. These projects, besides strengthening your technical prowess, look good on the resume.
• Do a research paper under the guidance of a faculty member. There are many students who have successfully published their research paper and have even gone to the extent of filing patents.

Leadership and extracurricular experience at college

A student can hone leadership skills and other team-related skills very well throughout undergraduate studies. Some of the ways to do so are as follows:

• There are several college-level chapters of national or international organizations like IETE (The Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers), BAJA SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers Baja series) in STEM courses.
• In non-STEM courses, you can participate in Model United Nations (MUN), which is a great avenue to collaborate with peers and also exhibit leadership skills.
• You can become a club president, event coordinator, and organize workshops, hackathons, seminars or cultural events. This is a great way to demonstrate that you can work together with others coming from diverse socio-cultural or academic backgrounds. By brainstorming on finding solutions to out-of-class situations, you can prove your ability to collaborate with those having ideas very different from your own.
• Do well in a coordinator’s role, as a class representative coordinating well between the professors and the students, or become a placement coordinator knowing the insides of the placement cell.

Well-written application documents

• LOR & SOP

These documents are important because they justify how you demonstrate the personal and intellectual calibre to be a suitable candidate for this university. While drafting these documents for MS in the US or MS Scholarships remember that:

• The documents should not repeat the resume content, or should not be penned around just the technical details. When written as an engaging story of academic and professional journey, an SOP is more likely to get attention.

• Justify how a professional bottleneck was overcome or why there was a gap or low GPA during a particular year.

• Demonstrate well-articulated academic / career trajectory, future learning outcomes and career vision

• An SOP provides the perfect platform for students to talk about adversity, a medical condition, poor financial situations etc which have not been shared through any other application document. Many of the Universities ask explicitly for incidents or adversity that hampered academic success. So, feel free to genuinely express the challenges or hurdles you had to pass through. Hence, it is essential to be a storyteller while drafting the SOP. Take time to draft a phenomenal sop, get it proofread by your expert family member or friend or even seek professional advice, when necessary.

• Letter of Recommendation is one of the most important documents that talk about your professional skills, leadership potential, your knack in understanding technicalities, and other important qualities you possess through the eyes of your mentor or supervisor. It is a document that carries immense weightage as it comes from another person.

Exceptional GRE, TOEFL, IELTS score

These tests are essential for MS in the US as the universities filter candidates based on their intellectual / acidic capabilities. Good IELTS and TOEFL scores mean good language competency which is needed while engaging with fellow-students / faculty / industry professionals from around the world in a classroom who speak different languages. So, to be able to communicate well during case-studies, group projects, research work, classroom assignments or simple classroom discussions, it is essential to have the necessary language competency, which reflects through these test scores.

Hence, to receive MS scholarships in the USA, make sure you fare well in these exams as good test scores is an important criteria for merit-based scholarships.

Apply for Teaching Assistant (TA) or Research Assistant (RA) positions

Apart from scholarship, Teaching Assistantships (TA) and Research Assistantships (RA) are a great way to ease your financial burden. RA can provide stipend which can help you cover your living expenses and tuition fees up to a great extent. To be accepted as a TA or RA, you must have a good academic record or proven record of contribution to a research work or publication during your undergraduate studies, or any strong proof that shows you are a capable candidate to work with.

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