Personal Tips for Application Submission

Hello everyone – hej allihopa!

As we are coming out of holiday season, it is time to get back to the study mode and with it – time to get back to your applications! I myself went through the same process almost 2 years ago, but I still remember the excitement, anxiety, and hassle that went into each and every step of it. That’s why, I wanted to put together a small checklist tips and recommendations that I found helpful and, hopefully, will make things a little easier for you too.

1. Keep Track of Deadlines

It is easy to forget or miss the days when there is a lot that’s going on. You might be looking at different programs, scholarship opportunities, you might also be finishing up your current studies. With everything that’s happening, it is helpful to identify one space, where you can keep track of important due dates and deadlines. For me, such space was my phone calendar. I had a small “workshop” with myself, where I sat down, color-coded different tasks and themes, and inputted everything in my calendar. I also set reminders for a day or week earlier, so I had a little heads up and had time to finish up any last-minute small edits. For me personally, it helped reduce anxiety and uncertainty of this period, and it felt that I had a bit more control over the time.

It is also helpful to understand what different deadlines mean. For example, two big upcoming dates are:

January 16^th – Application deadline at Universityadmissions.se

February 1^st – Application fee deadline

By January 16^th you must identify and prioritize the programs that you are applying for. By February 1^st you must upload all respective documents and pay the application fee (if you need to). This means that in this small period, you still have time to edit your motivation letters, you CV, and other files.

2. Familiarize Yourself with the Program

I would say that knowing what program you are applying to is one of the biggest factors of success. LiU programs have amazing informational pages, where you can read program outline, get to know the syllabi, even read what program alumni have to say about their experiences. Additionally, many programs have online webinars and even podcast episodes on LiU’s youtube page and “Fika With Us” podcast. When I was applying for the Ethnic and Migration program, I watched several webinars, read thoroughly through the information page, and even read blogs that were written by the program students, just in case they mentioned anything about the studies. It truly helped me set right expectations, which then helped me align my previous work and write relevant motivation letter.

3. Write and Rewrite The Supporting Documents

If you are applying to a program that asks for motivation letter, essay, CV, or any other supporting document, I recommend that you write multiple versions of it. It might seem like a tedious task and you might think it won’t help, but trust me – it will!

I probably wrote at least 5 copies of motivation letter for the program and lost track of how many copies for the scholarship applications. I found that different copy had different structure and different wording. At the end, I went through all of them and I was able to use parts from each of them. It did take me a long time and a lot of emotional tolls, but I am very happy I put in the work. The dedication gave me confidence in my application and landed me my first-choice program.

4. Finances and Scholarships

If, like myself, you come from a country that does not qualify for fee exemption, you might also be thinking about how to finance your studies in Sweden. Right now is a good time start identifying different scholarship opportunities. Two important ones I looked at were:

LiU’s International Scholarship

Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals

LiU scholarship covers tuition fees for 25%, 50%, or 75%. You can apply for it after you have been admitted to the program. There are several preconditions for it, but important one to keep in mind is, you must rank LiU as your #1 priority in the universityadmissions portal in order to qualify.

Swedish Institute scholarship is open to individuals from different countries. It covers tuition fees, as well as basic living expenses for the duration of the studies. Application portal for the scholarship will open on February 10^th and will close on February 28^th.

In addition to this, I would recommend that you explore scholarship and financial aid opportunities in your respective country. Often times, bigger corporations, businesses, governments, and even employers have grants to assist individuals in their professional development. Through pursuing different avenues, you might be able to find all the resources to fund your studies in Sweden.

As a last note, I wanted to acknowledge that it might seem like an uncertain and difficult time now, but you are doing a very brave thing by investing this time and energy in yourself. Sooner or later, all this will turn into a fruitful end, and you will remember these days with gratitude.

If you want to know more about the timeline for application, you should check out Abhijeet’s blog on “Last Minute Application Checklist”.

I wish you best of luck and hope to see you all in Sweden next year!

Until next time – Gvantsa

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