For as long as I can remember I have heard students and non-students citing the conspiracy theory that only the elite manage to get scholarships to study in developing nations. As I explain in Ph.D. in the USA, it’s true that scholarships exist, but they are not as crucial or important as most think. In fact, the majority of students from countries such as China and India utilize a system which I explain in Ph.D. en USA to “finance” their post-graduate degrees in developing countries, rather than obtaining them via scholarships. This doesn’t just happen in the United States.
In other words, a scholarship is not necessary in order to obtain a postgraduate degree in a developed country. I repeat a scholarship is not necessary in order to obtain a post-graduate degree in a developed country. Now it’s your turn. Repeat after me: a scholarship is not necessary in order to obtain a post-graduate degree in a developed country.
This is not common knowledge, but even if it were, that would not hurt your chances of finding a spot in the university of your choice. Most people do not want to study for a postgraduate degree, much less do so in a different country. But for those of you who do, recognizing this fact is essential. However, we should stop focusing on getting scholarships from the Ministry of Exterior or from X or Y international aide agency and instead focus on finding other, more readily available opportunities.
There are so many theories out there about scholarships: how to get them, who gets them, etc. I’m curious, why do you think there is such a big focus on scholarships when there are other opportunities out there?
Roberto Marín, Ph.D.
Team Ingear