Application Calendar: Preparing a Scholarship Over 12 Months

Most excellence scholarships are won months before the deadline. The candidates who succeed are not necessarily the most brilliant: they are the ones who started early, organised their documents and gave their referees time to write. Here is a typical calendar for an intake the following autumn, to be adapted to the programme you are targeting.

12 to 10 months before the start: explore and choose

• Clarify your project: field, level, country and what you will do with your degree.
• Identify ten to fifteen possible scholarships and note their conditions (nationality, age, experience, level of study).
• Set up alerts on MaBourse.ma to be notified of openings and date changes.
• Check the required languages and plan your tests.

10 to 8 months: remove the long obstacles

• Register for language tests (IELTS, TOEFL, TCF, TestDaF): places are booked weeks ahead, and results are valid for a limited time.
• Request your transcripts and diplomas, legalised and translated if necessary.
• Identify your referees and make a first contact.

8 to 6 months: build the file

• Write a clear academic CV with results, internships, projects and publications.
• Write a first version of the motivation letter and the study project.
• For a doctorate: contact potential thesis supervisors with a precise project.

6 to 3 months: refine and submit

• Have your texts proofread by at least two people, including a former scholarship holder if possible.
• Send your referees your CV, your project and the exact deadline.
• Submit as soon as the call opens: portals often become overloaded on the last day.

3 months to the start: interviews, visa, logistics

• Prepare for interviews with role-play practice.
• Start the visa, insurance and housing search as soon as you are admitted.
• Plan a plan B: applications to other scholarships and alternative programmes.

Tools to stay organised

Use a table with, for each scholarship, the deadline, the documents, the progress and the contact. The application tracking feature on MaBourse.ma helps you keep an overview and receive reminders before deadlines.