Steps On How To Write Academic CV For Scholarships | Templates

When applying for a scholarship, your CV (Curriculum Vitae or Resume) is often the first evaluation filter to ensure that you meet the basic requirements of the call, that your experience matches the program, and that you have academic, professional, and personal potential.

Scholarship academic CVs should be brief and specific. To convey important information, use Times New Roman font, bullets, bold, and capital letters. The data must be chronological. Avoid clichés and show your uniqueness.

Academic CVs draw scholarship providers’ attention, and Motivation Letters persuade them that your candidacy is the best. A sloppy academic CV can cost you scholarships.

The CV is one of the most important evaluation documents. Our experience winning scholarships and advising others on their applications will inform these tips.

Reflect and Brainstorm your Academic CV

You must assess yourself and decide what professional, academic, and personal experience to include on your resume before writing it.

First, gather as much information as possible to understand what you have to offer, then decide which ones to show and how. The scholarship provider has the final say, so research him and his desired profile. Choose and highlight the most relevant skills and experiences in your CV.

Start your research by carefully reading the scholarship description and requirements. You can also view other scholarship fellows’ profiles. Scholarship providers often publish articles or institutional videos with other scholars’ experiences, allowing you to evaluate their profile.

Keep a list of key words from your research to address your CV. You will know whether to emphasize academic, professional, or personal skills and experiences. It can also help you decide whether to prioritize research, leadership, creativity, or social awareness.

How to Organize Academic CV for Scholarship?

All CVs must have three parts: contact information, education and professional experience. However, add other parts to make it easier for the reader to identify relevant characteristics such as: Certificates and acknowledgments, Volunteering and other experiences, Software Skills and Languages.

• Contact:

At the top of the page or in the header you must show your full name and your contact information such as address, phone and email. Avoid placing words such as “CV”, “Curriculum Vitae” or “Resume” which do not make it look professional.

• Education:

Normally, it comes first because it allows you to demonstrate that you meet the minimum entry requirements. For example, if you are applying for a PhD, you have already completed a Master’s degree, and if you are applying for a master’s degree, you have already completed your undergraduate degree.

Write only the title obtained, the institution, the year of graduation, and the city and country where you studied. Include special recognition or your qualifications if they were exceptional.

• Work Experience:

Do not limit yourself to describing the tasks you completed; also include your accomplishments and measurable outcomes. This indicates to the reader that you leave a trace wherever you work and are aware of the impact of your work. Also, write it in the first person, but avoid using “I”. Remember that it’s about what you’ve done, so you’re the main character in your presentation.

For example, instead of writing “sales and event organization,” you should write “I increased sales by 20% over the same period last year and organized events with budgets exceeding 500,000 USD.” Always make clear references 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:

Mention both your technical and personal skills. This section is essential so that the reader can quickly identify the profile that interests him. In addition, this allows you to demonstrate self-awareness and balance.

• Other Key Sections:

If you have written publications or received awards or certificates that supplement your formal academic training, you can include them in a section to highlight your accomplishments. Provide links to your publications (DOI numbers if available). Similarly, if you have any experience with extracurricular activities or volunteering, I recommend that you organize them in a separate section to quickly demonstrate your proactivity and social awareness.

Do I have to include Professional Profile in Academic CV for Scholarship?

The professional profile is a section where some people choose to begin their CV in the form of a presentation. However, it may become a repetition of what you will undoubtedly include in your motivation letter. For this reason, and because the CV should be as concise as possible, avoid including it. However, if you do decide to use it, keep the text to one paragraph or five lines.

Do I have to include my picture in Academic CV for Scholarship?

The photo requirements vary greatly depending on the call, institution, and country to which you are applying. In general, include a professional photo in your CV to give readers an idea of who is speaking. The photo should show you making a friendly and happy gesture. Avoid making forced smiles or serious gestures.

How to write a winning CV for Scholarships?

A poorly written academic CV may rope in scholarship denial. Here are 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 bullet points, bold, and capital letters to convey relevant information to the reader. It is also recommended that you use more than one column and clearly separate the sections for easier reading. Unless you’re applying to an arts program, avoid using unusual designs or color combinations.
• 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.

Check out Academic CV Samples from various universities:

• Michigan State University Academic CV Guide and Samples
• Harvard University CV and Cover Letters
• University of Toronto Academic CV Tips and Samples
• The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign CV Guide and Samples
• Cornell University Resumes and CVs
• Oxford Academic CV Examples
• PennState College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Academic CV Samples
• Griffith University Australia Academic CV Template
• University of Birmingham CVs for Postgraduate Study