Typical Mistakes in Personal Statement Writing Which Can Kill Your Application

The dream of studying abroad is not always cheap, and for most foreign students a grant is the only way to fulfill it. However, a huge number of applications are often unsuccessful. Consider the most obvious mistakes made when searching for and applying for grants to study abroad. This ultimate guide is provided by GetPersonalStatement.com, a professional personal statement writing service. 

Ignoring Grant Requirements

The most common mistake of applicants is to apply for a grant, the requirements of which they obviously do not meet. It is necessary to proceed from reality: there are many grants for studies abroad, and each of them has very specific requirements for applicants.


It makes no sense to spend your time preparing an application, if the grant is for citizens of China, and you are from Russia or, if the grant is for studying in a magistracy, and you want to study for a bachelor's degree.

Poor Understanding of Existing Opportunities

Preparation of the grant application takes time. The first step is to research all possible sources of money for the study. You should learn as much as possible about existing grants and scholarships, the requirements of which you formally fit.

Many universities offer generous grants for international students that are awarded based on the high achievements of applicants. Such grants are quite competitive and difficult to obtain. Therefore, rely only on them is not worth it.

There are many other grants that are provided by private foundations, international organizations, and foreign countries.

Sending a Not Enough Applications

You must apply for the maximum number of grants you qualify for. Thus, you increase the chances of success.

In addition, one grant is rarely able to cover all costs, so the more grants you can get, the better. Naturally, this approach will require more time and effort, since each application should be “honed” to the specific requirements of each grant.

But there is no “free” money, so it makes sense to work hard to fulfill your dream of going abroad to study.

Late Start

Preparation should begin as early as possible. To participate in the grant competition, you will need to receive letters of recommendation from your current or former teachers, to make a motivation letter.

If you leave these cases as a deadline, you will not be able to prepare them well. The selection of candidates for the scholarship takes place according to the documents. Therefore, if you think that the main thing is your grades and the results of the language test, then you are deeply mistaken.

Failure to Meet the Deadlines

It should not be assumed that all grants can be submitted simultaneously. The fact is that each grant competition has its own, strictly defined deadlines and, accordingly, the deadline for receiving applications.


If you missed this deadline, then forget about this grant, at least in the current year. Submitting an application after the deadline is useless: your application will not be considered.

Ignoring Instructions

The instructions for a grant application are often asked to answer certain questions, the purpose of which is to determine whether the applicant meets the requirements of a grant.


For example, if you are asked to tell about a case when you had to cope with difficulties, then the answer should be about this, and not about your academic achievements.


If the applicant does not comply with the specified instructions or does not fully answer the questions posed, the competition committee will have reason to believe that he simply copies and inserts the same answers in a row into all sent applications.


Be sure that if there are hundreds who want to receive a grant, no one will waste time reading template applications.

“Hitting” Non-Existent Grants

It should be wary of organizations that promise “guaranteed” receipt of the grant. For the opportunity to receive a grant, you naturally are invited to pay.


It should be remembered that applications for grants are accepted everywhere free of charge, and there is no guaranteed receipt of a grant in nature. Most likely, this marketing will take, which is used by the company to attract the interest of potential customers.


As a rule, then it turns out that in order to receive a “guaranteed grant”, you will have to unlearn a year at the preparatory courses at the university, for which you will also have to pay money and pass the final test for a high score.

Misunderstanding of the Target Audience

The target audience is the members of the competition committee. The grant application is your communication with the target audience. To communicate successfully, you need to understand who will evaluate your application.


In most cases, the members of the competition commission may not necessarily be experts in your field of knowledge, so write the application so that it is understandable even to your mother.


For example, if you are applying for a grant for postgraduate study or conducting a study, avoid too narrowly specialized jargon unless you are sure that your application will be evaluated by experts in your field.

Grammar and Spelling Errors

It is necessary to minimize grammatical and spelling errors in the application materials, and it is better not to allow them at all. You should not count on the fact that someone will make a discount on the fact that you are a foreigner.


Moreover, you can be sure that many candidates will not spare the money to prepare an impeccable package of documents and will turn for help to professional consultants on the preparation of documents to foreign universities and scholarships.


If you decide to prepare the documents yourself, you should repeatedly check the text. A competent application is only an extra plus to the applicant and speaks about his organization.

Carelessness in Paperwork

Not only the content is important, but also the form. The grant application must look perfect. To do this, you should repeatedly check the text for typos, edit the structure, and also make sure that all the questions are answered.