How to Write Academic CV for Scholarship (10 Examples)
When applying for a scholarship, your CV (Curriculum
Vitae or Resume) often works as the first evaluation filter in which you
seek to comply with the basic requirements of the call, that your
experience is aligned with the program to which you want to apply, and that you
are a candidate with academic, professional, and personal potential.
The academic CV for a scholarship should be short and
specific. It is recommended to use Times New Roman font and bullets, bold and
capital letters to show relevant information to the reader. The information
must be in chronological order. Don’t fall prey to clichés; rather, portray
something unique about yourself.
The role of an academic CV is to capture the attention of
the scholarship provider so that it continues with the Motivation Letter, which
aims to finish convincing them that your candidacy is the most indicated above
all others. An ill-planned academic CV may result in scholarship denial.
This makes the CV one of the most important documents in the
evaluation process. We want to tell you some tips based on our experience of
winning scholarships and successfully advising other people in their
application processes.
Reflect and Brainstorm your Academic CV
Before starting to write your resume, you must assess
yourself and determine the elements of your professional, academic, and
personal experience that you will place on paper.
Initially, you should gather as much information as possible
to have a broader view of what you have to offer, and then you should choose
which ones to show and how to do it. Remember that the scholarship provider has
the final word, so research about them and the profile they
seek. Based on this, select and highlight the most relevant skills and
experiences in your Curriculum Vitae (CV).
You can start the research by reading the description of the
scholarship and its requirements very carefully. You can also check the
profiles of other fellows studying on that scholarship. Many times, the
scholarship providers publish articles or institutional videos in which other
scholars share their experience, and that is your opportunity to analyze their
profile.
When you do your research, identify keywords and write them
down in a list, so you know how to address your CV (resume). For example,
you will know if you should focus more on academic, professional, or personal
skills and experiences. It can also help you, for example, to know if you
should show more as a researcher, a leader, creative, or socially aware.
How to Organize an Academic CV for a Scholarship?
All CVs must have three parts: contact information,
education, and professional experience. However, I recommend that you add
other sections that 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 goes first because it is what will allow you to
show that you meet the basic entry requirements. For example, if you are
applying to a PhD, you have already completed a Master’s degree; or
if you apply to a master’s degree, you have already completed your
undergraduate degree.
Write only the title obtained, the institution, the year of
graduation, along with the city and country where you studied. Add special
recognition or your qualifications, if they were outstanding.
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 in the first person, but avoid 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’d 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 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
skills. This section is vital so that the reader can quickly recognise
that you have the profile that interests them. In addition, with this, you
can also demonstrate self-knowledge and balance.
Other Key Sections:
If you have written publications or have been awarded prizes
or certificates that complement your formal academic training, you can organize
them in a section to highlight your achievements. Also, provide links (DOI
numbers) to your publications if available. Similarly, if you have experience
in extracurricular activities or volunteering, I recommend that you
organize them in another section to quickly demonstrate your proactivity and
social awareness.
Do I have to include a Professional Profile in my
Academic CV for the Scholarship?
The professional profile is a section with which some people
decide to start their CV in the form of a presentation. However, it can
become a repetition of what you will surely write in your motivation letter.
For this reason, and also because a CV is about being as concise as possible, I
would avoid including it in the CV. But if you want to use it, do not
write more than one paragraph or five lines of text.
Do I have to include my picture in the Academic CV for
the Scholarship?
Regarding the photo, it depends a lot on the call, the
institution, and the country to which you are applying. But in general terms, I
recommend that you place a professional photo in your CV, which will help the
reader to have an idea of who
is speaking. The photo should be one in which
you appear with a friendly and happy gesture. Avoid
forced smiles and serious gestures.
How to write a winning CV for Scholarships?
An ill-planned academic CV may result 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 reading it. That is why you should try
to place all the content on a maximum of 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 or your spelling says a
lot about how you communicate and your 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 prey to clichés: For example, you should not write 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 are 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:
ScholarshipRoar.com has compiled a list of CV samples for
scholarships from the world’s top university websites. These include a sample
CV for a master’s scholarship and a sample CV for a PhD scholarship. These can
also be modified for sample CVs for undergraduate scholarships with slight
tweaking. We hope this list will help you in writing an effective and winning
academic CV for the scholarship.
- 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
- Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Academic
CV Samples
- Griffith University Australia Academic CV Template
- University of Birmingham CVs for Postgraduate Study
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