Scholarship application tips

Competitive scholarships, such as the Commonwealth or Chevening Scholarships, receive many applications — often more than 30 per available place.

To give your application the best chance of success, it’s important to research and prepare thoroughly before submitting.

Before You Apply

Check the deadlines: Late applications are not accepted.
Review the eligibility conditions: For example, some schemes require you to hold a university offer at the time of application.
Understand the scoring criteria: These are often published on the relevant scholarship websites.
Apply widely: Submit applications to all relevant scholarship schemes for which you are eligible to maximise your chances.

Demonstrating Excellence

Think carefully about the evidence you can provide to show that you are an exceptional candidate. This might include:

Outstanding academic performance: A top-class degree result (e.g. a UK First Class degree or equivalent). Due to competitiveness, students with lower classifications are much less likely to be shortlisted.
Further qualifications: For example, a Master’s degree. Note: Some scholarships do not allow applicants who already hold a Master’s degree, while others require you to demonstrate how a new degree represents genuine academic or professional development.
Relevant experience: Such as work placements, professional employment, or study abroad.
Research outputs: Publications in peer-reviewed journals are highly regarded. Top applicants often have two or more publications in recognised international journals. Include full references and links so reviewers can easily access your work.
Awards and achievements: Academic awards (e.g. Best Student in a Module/Year, Chemistry Olympiad) or extracurricular recognition (e.g. volunteering, sport, leadership).
Previous funding: Have you previously received competitive funding (e.g. conference travel, summer research, or partial/full scholarships)?
Cohort ranking: If available, state your ranking (e.g. top 1%, 5%, or 10% of your class) and the cohort size.

Be thorough — don’t leave out any relevant achievements.

References

Ensure that your referees can corroborate your claims. For example, your academic referee should confirm your awards, achievements, and ranking within your cohort.

Personal Statement and Career Plans

Most applications will ask for a personal statement and your future career plans.

In your statement:

Explain your motivation — why you want to study at Warwick, and how the opportunity will benefit you and your wider community.
Be realistic and specific in describing your career goals.
- Avoid generic statements like “I aim to win a Nobel Prize.”
- Instead, research the key challenges in your country or community and explain how your Chemistry degree will help you address them.

Personal Circumstances

Some scholarships take account of personal or financial circumstances, such as health, disability, or socio-economic background.

Be honest and factual — don’t exaggerate, but don’t omit relevant information either.
Applications are confidential and will only be reviewed by authorised assessors.

Seek Feedback

Ask for advice and proofreading before submitting.

Has someone from your university or community successfully secured a scholarship before?
Does your tutor or supervisor have experience supporting scholarship applications?

Their feedback can be invaluable.

Be Resilient and Realistic

Scholarships are extremely competitive — even excellent candidates may not succeed the first time.

Apply to multiple schemes and reapply if possible in future rounds.
Use feedback or experience to strengthen your next application — for example, publish your research, apply for awards, or build new skills.
Remember, scholarships look for well-rounded individuals. Strong academic results alone may not be enough.

If you find you do not yet meet many of the criteria, it may be best to focus on gaining more experience and apply the following year.

We wish you the very best of luck with your applications!