Cover Letter Samples for Jobs and scholarships

These are some cover letters that students have used successfully to secure interviews. They are provided as guides only since your cover letter should reflect your skills, experience, training, and personality and how they match the job for which you are applying.

1. Harvard University - Cover Letters and Other Job Search Correspondence
http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/professional/career_services/pdf/cover_letters_guide.pdf

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology- Smart Cover Letters
http://web.mit.edu/career/www/workshops/resumes/section4sam_resume.htm

3. California State University, USA, Cover Letter Examples
http://www.csuchico.edu/plc/coverltr-ex.html

4. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Sample Cover Letters
http://www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/cover_letter.html

5. Morningside College Sample Cover Letters
http://www.morningside.edu/student_life/careers/sampleletter.cfm

6. Ball State University Cover Letter Guide
http://www.bsu.edu/students/careers/documents/coverltr/

7. Vanderbilt University Career Center Cover letters
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/career/students/coverLetterSamples.php?search=sample%20cover%20letter

8. Basic Sample Cover Letters,The University of Texas at Arlington
http://www.uta.edu/engineering/coopeng/cover-sample.pdf (PDF)

9. IPFW: Career Services: Students: Sample Cover Letters
http://www.ipfw.edu/career/students/exploring/coverletter.shtml

10. Writing Professional Cover Letters, Career Services at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/Professional_Letters_Samples.htm

11. Career Development Center, Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Sample Cover Letters
http://www.wpi.edu/Admin/CDC/sample542.html

12. Buffalo State - CDC - Cover Letters
http://www.buffalostate.edu/offices/cdc/samplecover.html

13. NC State University, University Career Center Sample Cover Letters
http://www.ncsu.edu/career/students/resumesletters/sample2.php

14. Writing Academic Cover Letters, Claremont Graduate University
http://www.cgu.edu/pages/842.asp

15. Otis College of Art and Design - Resume/Cover Letter Sample
http://www.otis.edu/life_otis/student_life/student_affairs/resume.html

16. Boston University- Sample Cover Letters
http://www.bu.edu/cet/portfolios/coverletter1.html

17. Vermont Law School- SAMPLE COVER LETTERS FOR GRADUATES
http://www.vermontlaw.edu/Documents/033108-alumCvrLttrs.doc (doc)

18. Southern Illinois University- Sample Cover Letter
http://www.siu.edu/orda/human/sample_cover_letter.doc

19. Stanford University, CVs, COVER LETTERS, & TEACHING PORTFOLIOS
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/CDC/graphics/pdfs/CV_covlets.pdf (PDF)

20. Claremont Graduate University- Sample Academic Cover Letter
http://www.cgu.edu/PAGES/923.asp

21. Portland State Career Center - Writing Cover Letters
http://www.pdx.edu/careers/cover_letters.html

22. Engineering Sample Cover Letter - Vanderbilt Career Center
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/career/students/getArticle.php?article=32

23. Sample Resume/Cover Letter - Student Services
http://www.ccis.edu/careercenter/sample4-2.html

24. Write a Cover Letter - Career Development - The University of Nevada, Reno
http://www.unr.edu/career/students/cover_letter.aspx

25. Indiana University - Writing Resumes and Cover Letters
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/resume.shtml

26. CWS Writing Cover Letters
http://www.wellesley.edu/CWS/students/coverletter.html

27. Sample Prospecting/Introductory Cover Letter- Northwestern University
http://www.northwestern.edu/careers/correspondence/Cover%20letter%20introdu ctory.pdf (PDF)

28. Cover Letter Sample
http://www.csus.edu/careercenter/pdf/EDU_CoverLetters.pdf (PDF)

29. Columbia University - Sample Job Cover Letters
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/english/posters/job_letter_samples.htm

30. USC Upstate: Career Center - Student Resources - Sample Cover Letters
http://www.uscupstate.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2711

31. Sample Cover Letter (College Student) - Bob Jones University
http://www.bju.edu/placement/cover-letter.pdf (PDF)

32. Cover Letters, Outcomes, & Grading Criteria - University of New Mexico
http://www.unm.edu/~english/Resources/pdf/SampleCoverLetter.pdf
http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Internship%20Inf/samplecoverletter.html

33. Curriculum Vitae and Related Letters - University of North Florida
http://www.unf.edu/dept/cdc/publications/curriculum/welcome.htm

34. The University of Vermont - Burlington- Write a Cover Letter
http://www.uvm.edu/~career/?Page=letter.html&SM=jobsubmenu.html

35. Augusta State University-Sample Cover Letters
http://www.aug.edu/career_center/scover_letters.html

36. Nursing Sample Cover Letter
https://www.excelsior.edu/Excelsior_College/Publications/Nursing_Sample_Cover_Letter.pdf (PDF)

37. University of Texas - Sample Cover Letter for Graduate Assistantship
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/lacs/resumes_and_more/cover_letter/noformat/PDF/resumes_and_more/SampleCoverLetter2.pdf (PDF)

38. University of Texas - Sample Cover Letter for Technical Employment
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/lacs/resumes_and_more/cover_letter/noformat/PDF/resumes_and_more/SampleCoverLetter6.pdf

39. University of Delaware - GUIDE TO WRITING RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS
http://www.udel.edu/CSC/pdfs/Resumehandout.pdf

40. University of Texas - Sample Cover Letter When Referred to an Employer
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/lacs/resumes_and_more/cover_letter/noformat/PDF/resumes_and_more/SampleCoverLetter5.pdf(PDF)

41. University of Texas - Sample Cover Letter for Internship
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/lacs/resumes_and_more/cover_letter/noformat/PDF/resumes_and_more/SampleCoverLetter1.pdf

42. Texas Lutheran University - Sample Resumes and Coverletters
http://www.tlu.edu/students/the_academic_experience/career_services/cs_students_and_alumni/career_services_sample_resumes

43. Ithaca College - Sample Cover Letters
http://www.ithaca.edu/reslife/ra/pdfs/Cover_Letter_Resume_Samples.pdf

44. Northern Illinois University - Sample Résumés & Letters - NIU - Career Services
http://www.niu.edu/careerservices/jobsearch/resumes.shtml

45. Ripon College - SAMPLE COVER LETTER- For a position that you would like to have but do not know of a specific opening
http://www.ripon.edu/academics/career_dev/documents/cover_inquiry_000.pdf

46. Ripon College - Sample cover letter for a particular field/unspecified position
http://www.ripon.edu/Academics/career_dev/documents/cover_unspecified.doc

47. California Polytechnic State University- ICEB Sample Cover Letter/E-mail
http://www.calpoly.edu/~eli/iceb/ICEB_Sample_Cover_Letter.htm

48. Montana University - Sample Cover Letter for Work Distribution Survey
http://www.montana.edu/wwwtreas/BPR%20Information%20and%20documents/WDC%20Sample%20Cover%20Letter.doc(DOC)

49. Earle Mack School of Law: Career and Professional Development: Resume Guide
http://www.drexel.edu/law/career-services-resume-cover-letter-interview-guides.asp

50. Lewis University - Sample Cover Letter
http://www.lewisu.edu/resources/careerservices/coversample.htm

51. Notre Dame Law School: - Career Services Office - Cover Letters
http://www.nd.edu/~ndlaw/career/search_tools/cover_letters.html

52. City University London - Cover Letters
http://www.city.ac.uk/careers/dps/careers%20handouts%2008/help%20with%20your%20job%20search/Coverletters%202008.doc(Doc)

53. The Robert Gordon University - Sample Cover Letters
http://www.rgu.ac.uk/careers/student_services/page.cfm?pge=36633

54. University of Dundee - Example COVER LETTER
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/gptraining/Workplace%20Asst/Ethics%20Cover%20Letter.doc

55. Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh: Careers Advisory Service
http://www.hw.ac.uk/careers/cover_letter.php

56. Writing a CV and Cover Letter
http://www.arts.ac.uk/student/careers/45131.htm

57. Cranfield University Cover letters - Careers Service
http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/registry/cranfield/careers/prostudent/cover%20letters.pdf

58. RGU - CVs, Applications and Cover Letters MAKING APPLICATIONS
https://www.rgu.ac.uk/files/CVs%20Applications%20Cover%20Letter1.pdf

59. The Written Application
http://www.csd.uwa.edu.au/job/guide/sec_3_3.htm

60. Preparing Cover Letters
http://www.unisa.edu.au/experiencebank/PreparingJobAppns.htm

61. Sample Cover Letter
http://www.mycareer.com.au/adviceresearch/sample-cover-letter.html

62. Recommended Cover Letter
http://www.warwick.ac.uk/careers/img/SampleLetter.pdf

63. Cover Letter Example
http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/careers/mfe/lec-6/covltex.html

64. Quint Careers
http://www.quintcareers.com/cover_letter_samples.html

65. Cover Letter Work
http://susanireland.com/coverletterwork.htm

66. University of Tasmania - Cover letter sample
http://www.utas.edu.au/business/faculty/CareersSite/newsitems/Cover_letter_sample.doc

67. University of Southern Queensland - Job Application Resources
http://www.usq.edu.au/STUDENTSERVICES/careers/students/jobsearch/careerlib/jobresources.htm

68. University of Canberra - Graduate Careers Office : Job Applications
http://www.canberra.edu.au/careers/career-development/job-applications?SQ_DESIGN_NAME=print

69. Jacobs University Bremen: Career Resources - Sample Cover Letters
http://www.jacobs-university.de/ocsep/services/career/05052/

70. Berkeley Law - Cover Letters
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/1147.htm

71. Grady College - Sample Cover Letters
http://www.grady.uga.edu/resources.php?al1=Resources&al2=Career+Services&al3=Sample+Cover+Letter&page=grady_pages.inc.php%7CGP_ID=29

72. Northern Kentucky University - Sample Cover Letter
http://access.nku.edu/cdc/sample%20cover%20letter.doc

73. Bucknell - Creating an Effective Résumé
http://www.bucknell.edu/Documents/CDC/Creating_an_Effective_Resume.pdf

74. York College / The City University of New York - Sample Cover Letter
http://york.cuny.edu/student-development/career-services/online-career-resource-guide/Cover%20Letter%203%20.pdf/view

75. Edinboro University - Sample Cover Letter
http://www.edinboro.edu/departments/career_services/sample_cover_letter.dot?language=1&host_id=1

76. Massachusetts Department of Higher Education - Sample Cover Letter
http://www.mass.edu/forinstitutions/humanresources/documents/NoticeElig.pdf

77. Institute for Extended Learning, Spokane WA, Sample Colver Letter
http://www.iel.spokane.edu/weblessons/computerlab/docs/coverletterexample1.doc (Doc)

78. Stetson University - Free Professional Sample Cover Letters for Job-Seekers
http://www.stetson.edu/~rhansen/covexam.html

79. UC San Diego - Sample Cover Letters
http://career.ucsd.edu/sa/Resumes/Legal.pdf

80. Imperial College - Sample Cover Letters
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/currentstudents/careers/career_process/accessingopportunities/coverletters

81. Cass Business School London - Letters
http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/careers/applications/cover_letters/index.html

82. Perdue University - Resume and Cover Letter Workshop
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp/resumecover%20letter.ppt

83. Virginia University - CV and Cover Letter Writing
http://www.virginia.edu/chem/gsc/CVandCoverLetterWriting.ppt

84. IEEE-USA - Resumes and Cover Letters
http://www.ieeeusa.org/careers/help/Presentations/ResumeCoverLetters.ppt

85. Arizona State University - Resumes and Cover Letters
http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/career/Files/CDCResumeCoverLetterSlides.ppt

86. The American Physiological Society-Academic Cover Letters & the Art of Self-Presentation
http://www.the-aps.org/trainees/Symposia/2008%20talks/WEB-Wheeler.ppt

87. Santa Clara Law School - Cover Letters and Writing Samples
http://law.scu.edu/careers/File/Cover_Letters_and_Writing_Samples.ppt

88. University of Missouri- Cover Letter Tips and Samples
http://business.missouri.edu/240/default.aspx

89. Career Center - PhDs - Cover Letter
http://career.berkeley.edu/phds/PhDcover.stm

90. PhD Candidates: Resumes & Cover Letters
http://careerdevelopment.brown.edu/phd/resumes_cover_letters

91. Cover Letter FAQs and the Competitive Edge in the Job Market
http://www.stetson.edu/~rhansen/edge.html

92. COVER LETTERS FOR ACADEMIC JOB APPLICATIONS
http://www.grad.illinois.edu/careerservices/academic/coverletters/AcCoverLetters.pdf

93. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Sample Academic Cover Letters
http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/careerservices/academic/coverletters/SampleAcLetters.pdf

94. Cover Letters - Graduate Arts & Sciences Career Services
http://artsandsciences.virginia.edu/gradschoolcareer/academiccareers/applicationmaterials/coverletters.html

95. UE Career Services & Cooperative Education - Cover Letter Writing Tips
http://careerservices.evansville.edu/students/jobsearch/coverletters/coverlettersdefined.htm

96. Resume & Cover Letter Writing Tips
http://careers.wustl.edu/documents/ResumeCoverLetterWriting.pdf

97. Ohio State University - The Jobseeker’s Guide to Cover Letters Resume Writing and Interviews
http://hr.osu.edu/hrpubs/Emp/resumewriting.pdf

98. Trinity College - How to write a cover letter
http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/career/guides/cover_ltr.shtml

99. Kansas City Kansas Community College - Cover Letter Writing Tips
http://www.kckcc.edu/services/studentServices/careerPlanningAndPlacement/resumeHelp/coverLetterWritingTips.aspx

100. LEO General Cover Letter Tips
http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/resumes/coverlet/index.html

101. Career Services, University of Pennsylvania - Cover Letter Writing Tips
http://www.upenn.edu/careerservices/jobsearchcorrespondence.html

Tips on Applying for a Scholarship

In today’s world employers receive about 200-500 applications for each scholarship opening. They just received a bunch of dates and numbers and little personal information of candidates. Therefore is it very difficult to judge a potential candidate without having interview and personal discussion. But calling for interview is expansive and it’s not possible to call every candidate for the Interview. Therefore it is very important that your scholarship application should stand out exceptionally in the crowd and get selected for the next stage. Scholarship-Positions.com is trying to provide helpful tips about how to apply for scholarships.

Watch out for scholarship scams: Each year many students and parents are defrauded by scholarship scams. Never pay for a scholarship search. There is never a good reason to pay for a scholarship search. The information you will need is available for free.

Get full scholarship information: Each scholarship has its own application procedure. It is important to read the materials carefully and to understand what information is requested. Make sure you get as much information about the scholarship as possible. Write, call or e-mail the provider of the scholarship to ensure you have full details of application procedures and what will be expected of the successful applicant. If the scholarship entails a particular project, find out the full objectives and intended methodology of the project. If the scholarship is being funded by a private enterprise, gather as much information as you can about the company, its philosophy and its goals. You can never have too much information. Carefully typed applications make the best impression.

Eligibility: Apply only for those scholarships for which you are eligible. It is highly doubtful that you will be awarded if you are not eligible for a scholarship. Check thoroughly to ensure that you are actually eligible for the scholarship before you embark on the application process. It is pointless to submit an application, no matter how perfect it may be, for a scholarship for which you are ineligible. Check for any gender, age, nationality, indigenous or other special group restrictions on applications and only apply if you definitely match the eligibility criteria. If in doubt, check first.

Things to consider for your before applying for scholarship:

People who will judge your application don’t know you. They will just get a bunch of dates and numbers and little personal information. Even grades might be difficult to judge for them if they don’t know how they compare to those of other students in your local education system. Therefore, try to make as much of the more “personal” information as possible including your academic transcripts (but quality, not quantity!).

Take your time to write about “research experience” and “scientific interests”. Provide adequate reasoning as to why you want to do a study particular course and state your motivation in your own words. Marketing yourself is the key for a successful application.

But don’t overdo it! It is interesting to see applications from potential Nobel-prize candidates wishing to start a Masters/PhD thesis, but not even big leaders will buy this. After all, people don’t expect you to know everything before you have even started your PhD. What most group leaders are looking for are smart and open young people who show some enthusiasm for science and research or any other area you are applying for scholarships.

If you are applying from a country whose diverse educational system might not be very familiar to group leaders (e.g. China, India, Africa etc.), we encourage you to support you candidature with scores of internationally valid exams (GRE for aptitude and TOEFL/IELTS for English). However, this is NOT mandatory every where.

Prepare a resume/CV: Some scholarship applications will ask for your resume or CV. If you worked previously, list your experiences, but don’t sweat it if you don’t have much (or any!) work experience-many students don’t. Use your resume/CV to point out any awards and honors you’ve received, community service you’ve been involved with, and activities you’ve participated in.

Activities and Honors: List all relevant activities and honors, but be selective. If you have more activities than can fit in the space provided do not include the ones that are not significant; the two days you spent last spring on a community clean-up day, for instance.

Read the criteria for selection carefully to understand what the reviewers are looking for. For instance, the Presidential Scholarship looks for applicants who can show “leadership experience with [an] outstanding extracurricular record,” so include your volunteer and community service activities, emphasizing those in which you took a leadership role.

Most importantly, your activities should represent your varied talents and passions outside the class room. The reviewers are trying to get a sense of who you are and what you believe in. Make sure your activities reflect that.

Carefully choose your referees. Make sure the referee knows you well enough (e.g. from undergraduate work in his lab, multiple lectures, seminars, etc.) to give an opinion about you and write something on your behalf. This may be better than trying to get a letter from a “big fish” who might have seen your face but doesn’t know much about you and thus doesn’t need to have an interest in providing you with a good reference.

The ideal letter of recommendation: Your letters of recommendations should come from teachers or academic advisors who are familiar not only with your academic abilities, but with your personal interests and background and how those relate to your ability to carry out the program of study you wish to pursue. If the teacher or academic advisor is familiar with your extracurricular activities and leadership abilities, s/he should also incorporate that into the letter.

The letters should address the qualifications sought. Recommenders should address only those elements of your application on which they can comment confidently.

How to ask for a letter of recommendation: Start early. Discuss your plans with your recommenders now, before the application is even available. Let them know what you would like to study and why you want to apply for the scholarship. These discussions can help you clarify your goals and plans as well.

As soon as you have the application forms (applications for Incoming Freshmen Scholarships are available at your high school counselor’s office, the Office of Recruitment Services and the Scholarship Office around early October), schedule a meeting with your recommender. Give your recommender a written description of the scholarship and a copy of your personal statement and proposed academic program. You may also want to provide a copy of your transcript and an autobiography or resume highlighting activities and honors. You should also give your recommenders appropriately addressed envelopes with postage, if necessary. Be sure to also give them plenty of time to write the letter, do not wait until the last minute.
You may also want to remind the recommender that it should include your full name with middle initial. You would be surprised on how many include only the first name of the student within the body of the letter.

The Personal Statement: The Statement of Purpose (often called “letter of intent” or “application essay” by various educational institutions) is one of the most important components of your application process. This document provides the admissions committee with information that allows them to become more acquainted with who you are; what you want to study at graduate school and why; experiences you have in the field; and what you plan on doing with the degree once you have mastered it. A statement of Purpose also serves as a writing sample and interview.

The following section is an excerpt from the Yale University Undergraduate career Services’ publication entitled Applying for Fellowships.

“The personal statement presents an opportunity for you to speak about yourself. Your essay should show that you have ideas and opinions, are able to think logically, and can express yourself clearly, with economy and elegance.

Clear writing is the result of clear thinking. The first and most important task is to decide what you want to say. This is a short essay. You must be highly selective. Consider carefully what you wish to impress upon the reader. Remember the nature of your audience. It is composed of people who are probably as intelligent as you are, well educated, and vastly experienced in this work. Do not try to fool or second guess your reader; you will seem silly if you do. Do not write in a cute, coy, or gimmicky style: selection committees have heard it all already. Do show that you have thought deeply and broadly about what you have learned in your academic career and what you hope to learn next.

When you have written a first draft, start the work of refining, simplifying, and polishing. Do you say exactly what you mean? Is any section, sentence, or word superfluous, ambiguous, or awkward?
Are your verbs strong and active? Have you removed unneeded qualifiers? Are you sure that each accomplishment and interest you mention supports one of your main ideas? Do not apologize. Do not misrepresent yourself. You are writing as an adult who wishes to join the community of scholars and other professionals. You must write as a peer and potential member of such a community.

Correctness and style are vital. Neatness counts. Check and check again your spelling, the agreement of verbs and persons, syntax. Your thoroughness demonstrates that you have learned and mastered this art and that your future teachers and colleagues will not be troubled with sloppy thinking or writing.
Ask several individuals whose judgment you respect to read and criticize a draft of your essay. Possible reviewers include faculty members, writing tutors, and friends who can assess how well your essay represents you.”

Transcripts: If the application requires a transcript from all the schools you have attended, request this information as soon as possible. Whether you e-mail, fax, or call in your requests, mail a letter as a backup. Some schools charge a nominal fee for official transcripts. After a few weeks have passed, call the schools to ensure that the transcripts have been sent to the proper address. If by chance you have to hand-deliver a transcript, do not tamper with the seal - this may render the transcript invalid.

Proofread Your Application Carefully: Use your computer’s spelling and grammar check features. Let someone else (parent, teacher, or friend) read and evaluate your application, another set of eyes always helps.

[This article was submitted by Ankita Singh, an International Student, to help students in applying for admissions and scholarships in USA. Ankita have B.Tech. degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India and recently completed MS in Environmental Engineering from University of Pittsburgh, USA.]

How to improve your chances of getting an scholarship

How to improve your chances of getting an scholarship interview!

Now that you're applying for scholarships, we wanted to share some of our best tips for applying for scholarships and jobs on scholarship-positions.com.

• Scholarship Application. If you are new to apply for scholarships then Check out Tips on Applying for a Scholarship.
• Put your best foot forward. Always make sure your application is accompanied by a good covering letter - recruiters can see hundreds of applications every day, so your covering letter is a great way to stand out. Check out 101 over letter samples.
• Scholarship Search. If you don't know what international scholarships and university courses out there then check out Worldwide University Search Engine. There are over 7500 universities to search for scholarships.
• Killer CV. Make sure your CV is represents the breadth of your work experience, skills and education. Check out Writing your Curriculum Vitae for Scholarships

We hope you find these tips helpful. To make more applications, why not visit scholarship-positions.com now?

How to go abroad ?

Your career actually begins with choosing a college. It is a big decision. The key is to remember that there's no such thing as a "perfect" college. You will need to find out the list of colleges and universities that match your preferences.

Consider what country you wish to study in. Much of the decision to study abroad is more about the cultural and social experience you are likely to have in your destination than it is about classroom considerations. Studying in Australia is very different from studying in Singapore or Ireland. Weigh up what you personally want from the country you are going to study in.

Explore your interests and take the time to find the college that's right for you. It's always better to do a bit of research before you go to any consultant. It makes his or her life easy too.

Research your potential universities very carefully. Choosing the best university for your international study abroad experience is not all about an institution that comes top of the world university rankings. It’s more about your personal preferences and interests so that the choice that you make is the right one for you.

Choose a university that is known. It doesn’t have to be a world famous institution like the University of Oxford or Harvard University, but it should be a university or college that is recognized either in general terms or for a specific program or academic area. If you think you will work internationally, it is vitally important that your degree qualification will be recognized wherever you go.

Once you have short listed the universities based on your choice of course, a big task still remains. You need to decide which country you want to go and why. Is it the paradise called United States or is it the United Kingdom? Or the lovely country called Australia? You need to do a SWOT analysis [Strength, Weakness, and Opportunity & Threat] which will help you to reduce your list even further.

A useful look at these few factors may make you feel much more relaxed:
• Which Courses do you want to study
• Does it match with your desired career option
• Are there any job/placement opportunities
• How are the lecturers/professors
• How is the Alumni relationship
• Are there activities outside the classroom

There's no general agreement about which of these factors are ranked more important. However, one has to keep in mind a few more factors before taking a plunge.

Make sure that the university you choose to study abroad at is used to welcoming international students to their campus. It is important that they have a support network for you and that they are in a position to anticipate some of the questions that you might have. Always look for an International Office or Office of Student Exchange and see what they have to offer you. See student support services.

Consider ways in which you will finance your study abroad program. This is often one of the most crucial areas for all students wishing to study abroad, and can make the difference between going and staying home. Financial aid, scholarships and bank loans are all available and are commonplace amongst the millions of students that study abroad every year. The university you make your first choice should be one that offers some prospect of financial aid. See Top Universities Student Finance guide for more information.

Once you have a shortlist of universities and colleges that you are interested in, try and locate current and former students to help you make your final decision. The universities in question should help you with this. Alumni are often the very best source of information about life on campus, especially if they too are international.

Make sure that when you apply your application is in good time and complete. Universities will rarely make decisions if something is missing from your application material and this will delay the whole process, reducing your prospects of being successful. Prepare for any necessary tests well ahead of time and fulfill all requirements before you send off your application form.

Once you have an offer of admission and, if relevant, obtained your student visa, prepare for your study abroad experience. Make sure you understand the procedures for getting international student accommodation and try and secure this before you leave home. Through your university you will be put in touch with other students from your country and you can begin to make some plans. Perhaps arrange to travel together? Or at least start to talk about your forthcoming adventure.

Be prepared to learn a new language. Many of the world’s top universities teach in English but are located in non-English speaking countries. Learn a few phrases of the local language to help you adjust and meet people. If the language is the same as yours, try and find out a little about the culture to make the most of your new environment.

Finally, enjoy the anticipation of your forthcoming international study experience. You can’t plan for everything, so relax and make sure that you are ready for the basics your arrival, your student housing and your first few days at university and then see how the rest develops!