Study in the UK with a fully funded Chevening Scholarship. Applications open on 4 August.

Follow these steps between now and applications opening on 4 August, and you’ll be ready to ace the Chevening application process.

1. Think back to your proudest achievement in your life so far.

This could be a time where you’ve had to persevere in order to overcome a challenge, or a time that you had to forge new relationships in order to achieve something positive.

We recommend focussing on an achievement that helped you to develop new skills necessary for accomplishing your longer-term goals to create positive change in your home country.

Make sure you can talk about it in detail, including what you did, how you approached it, and what the result was.

“Describing in detail [one or two] examples will generally have a better impact than listing down everything without too much substance. In a nutshell, less is more.” – Roshini Menon, India, 2020 Chevening Alumna from King’s College London

2. Look forward to where you want to be in 2-, 5- and 10-years’ time.

Develop a realistic plan for achieving your goals to create positive change in your home country. We know life doesn’t always go to plan, but we want to know that you’ve put some serious thought into how you’re going to make your dreams a reality.

“It’s not about putting the most beautiful words on the application; it’s about communicating what it is you really want to achieve in your life.” – Syed Farradino Omar, Malaysia, 2018 Chevening Alumnus from Royal Holloway, University of London

“It’s helpful to sit down and really think about what logical steps you will need to take to achieve your goals in the future.” – Roshini Menon

Show us how determined you are to get to where you want to be!

3. Develop a clear sense about how a Chevening Scholarship could help you achieve your goals.

Why are you applying to Chevening? What could you achieve by joining our global community?

“Don’t be afraid to dream. If you dream about going to the best school in the UK and that’s going to make an impact to your life and the people around you, go for it!” – Syed Farradino Omar

“Try to focus on how the post graduate degree will act like a steppingstone and help your career to progress.” – Roshini Menon

4. Choose your referees carefully

Many applicants choose one academic and one professional referee, but it’s fine to provide two professional ones instead. Contact your referees when filing your application because if you make it to the interview stage, the referral letters must be submitted before your interview date.

5. Write your essay with conviction and consideration

The essays you’re asked to write will be an important part of your application. Think about what you want to say and believe in yourself! If you cannot convince yourself of the justifications you are making in your essays, how can you convince the selection panel?

For essays that stand out, explore other potential angles on a topic instead of stating the obvious. For instance you can talk about your volunteer or leadership skills and how important it can be do your studies. Draw on your experiences where need be but keep examples short and let the word limit steer you to be concise. For after-study plans, it may help to refer to the UK’s efforts in your home country that are aligned to your field of study.

6. Observe the timeline

The Foreign Commonwealth Office releases a timeline for the selection process each year. Follow them on social media (@CheveningFCDO) so you don’t miss out on vital information. You must be physically present at certain stages (e.g. interview and pre-departure briefing) so it’s best to keep travel plans in check.

7. Research, research, research!

You can either choose to apply to three similar courses at different universities, or three different courses at one university. Any recognised UK university and course is fine, provided it is a one-year taught postgraduate course which leads to a Masters degree. You cannot change your choices later on, so this is your one chance to pick something that matches your development goals.

8. It’s not just about you

Chevening wants you to use the knowledge you gain in the UK to give back to your home country, not just to advance your own career.

Remember that scholars carry the reputation of Chevening and their home countries, so they are encouraged to look beyond themselves. That’s why we cannot apply to remain in the UK immediately after our studies (instead, we’re expected to return home and work for at least two years).

9. Check the eligibility criteria

You’d be surprised how many people overlook this obvious requirement. You’ll need at least two years’ work experience and an undergraduate degree equivalent to an upper second-class 2:1 honours degree in the UK.

Don’t forget to check admission criteria when browsing courses and universities, as it helps to apply to these at the same time. Note that some universities may also charge non-refundable application fees.

Thinking about these questions now will mean that you’ll be ready to apply to Chevening when applications open on 4 August. The best of luck!

Find out more about living and studying in the UK by visiting: https://www.chevening.org/