International Scholarships for Undergraduate Students

This article is part of a series of posts that I am writing to help International Students like yourself understand the process to finding and applying for scholarships. If you have not read the three previous post I would encourage you to return to the home page and start your reading there. Each post contains valuable information that will help you in your search for an international scholarships.

Step # 3 focused on obtained a free scholarship from Norway – these are mostly available to graduate students. This post will focus on opportunities available for undergraduate students.

Before will look at this specific opportunity I need to review what NEED BLIND ADMISSIONS are:

Need-Blind Admissions:

is a relatively new admissions policy but what it means is that a college or university will admit students regardless of their ability to pay. For any students that cannot afford the fees – the university awards scholarships and other institutional aid to make up the difference.
There are now nine US schools that offer need-blind admissions to international students.
Basically, if you can get in, you can afford to go.

These Nine Schools Awarding Need Blind Financial aid

MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Massachusetts
Harvard University in Massachusetts
Princeton University in New Jersey
Yale University in Connecticut
Williams College in Massachusetts
Middlebury College in Vermont
Dartmouth College in New Hampshire
Brown University in Providence, RI
Amherst College in Massachusetts

However of these 9 there is one that is worthy of additional consideration and I believe should be one of your first places to look for free scholarships for International Students.

This school is BROWN UNIVERSITY.

In additional to being need blind they also have an Advancing Africa Scholarship Fund

Here is some more information about this fund:

recipients shall be known as Advancing Africa Scholars;
recipients will be asked to sign a pledge to return to full-time residency in Africa for a period of at least two years upon completion of undergraduate studies Brown or, if they have an opportunity to continue their studies, to return upon completion of a graduate degree;
during their undergraduate studies at Brown, recipients shall be entitled to two return trips paid through the Fund;
upon their return to Africa, recipients will be given an appropriate monthly stipend for two years to ensure a higher standard of living and to ease their transition. If the resident shall cease to be a full-time resident of Africa within the two year period, this stipend will terminate.

Here is what you need to know if you want to apply:

This program is geared towards undergraduate (first year) applicants with demonstrated financial need who are citizens of sub-Saharan African nations; graduate candidates are not eligible.
Upon submitting your application for admission to the University, simply designate in your communication with the Admissions Office that you wish to be considered for the Advancing Africa program
Apply for financial aid assistance in accordance with all requirements outlined at Brown Financial Aid – no special application is required beyond our regular protocol for financial aid
If you are accepted by the Office of Admissions then you will be advised if you have also been selected for the Advancing Africa program. Details on any financial assistance would also be outlined (provided you met all the financial aid deadlines/requirements).

Therefore, your admission and acceptance to the University

drives all other steps.

THERE IS NO SEPARATE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THIS SCHOLARSHIP.

So there is all the information you need for this excellent international scholarship for undergraduate students.

International Scholarships

NEXT STEPS

Here’s what to do next.

1. Go to the Brown University Home Page – http://brown.edu/ From this page you can learn more about Brown. It is an excellent school and provides a world class education for all its students. You can go to this page to see what degrees Brown offers – click here.

2. From there I would go to the Guide to Applying to Brown page. It is very important you read through all the information on this page. There also is an excellent page for International Students that gives additional information.

3. Here are a few highlights and things you must remember:

The Application process is extensive – you won’t complete it in a few hours. It will take time and work to accumulate all of the necessary requirements.

4. Your application will contain such things as:

transcripts showing your courses and your performance
awards or distinctions or achievements that you have obtained.
recommendation letters from a school counselor and two teachers..
Standardized tests which would be the SAT Reasoning Test and two SAT Subject Tests or the ACT with the writing component.

5. As you can see admission is highly competitive. Because of this, Brown does not offer admission to many students with impressive academic and personal records. Before proceeding you should feel confident that your records are at a level which would enable you to be admitted to a leading university in your own country. Don’t bother apply if this is not true.

6. I know this can seem overwhelming but if you are qualified and prepared to do the work it takes to away then this is a great opportunity. It is one of the best.

7. Your next step – Go to the Common Application site, select “Brown University” for your “My Colleges” list, and then follow the instructions for completing and submitting forms. Common Application is a website designed to simplify the process of applying to more than one college

8. If you have any questions or need clarification regarding the admission process at Brown University you contact them directly at admission_undergraduate@brown.edu. Please don’t bother them with basic questions – they get many emails and much of the information you need can be found on the website. Please remember this is an impersonal process. You need to read and follow the instructions – that is the best and only method for admission and obtaining an international scholarships.

9. If you have made it this far and have successfully applied to Brown, then I would also recommend that you choose one or two of the other Need Blind Admission Schools from above and also apply to them. Once you have done the work once, it will be easier the second and third time.

10. I’d like to hear from any of you that are applying – Best Wishes