Whether you are applying for a Master's or PhD scholarship, an exchange programme or a short fellowship, you will usually be asked for a CV alongside the application form, personal statement and reference letters. Many applicants send the same CV they use for jobs and miss the chance to show what committees actually look for: who you are academically, what you have done beyond the classroom and why you fit this particular scholarship.
Scholarship CV vs job CV
A job CV aims to convince a company you will do a specific job well. A scholarship CV aims to convince a committee that your education is worth investing in. That changes both order and emphasis:
| Aspect | Job CV | Scholarship CV |
|---|---|---|
| First section after contact details | Work experience | Usually education |
| Focus | Achievements and results at work | Academic strength, leadership, community impact |
| Research and projects | Optional | Very important if you have them |
| Volunteering and activities | Often trimmed | Often decisive |
| Length | One or two pages | Usually up to two pages, unless the scholarship sets a limit |
Sections that matter on a scholarship CV
- Education: university, faculty, major, graduation year and grade or GPA if it strengthens your case. Add your graduation project title and any advanced courses related to your intended study.
- Research / Projects: any research or project you did, even as part of a course, as long as it involved real work by you. State your exact role.
- Professional Experience: jobs and internships, emphasising those related to your field of study.
- Leadership & Volunteering: leading a student team, organising an event, a community initiative, regular volunteering.
- Awards & Honours: previous scholarships, prizes, class ranking, competitions.
- Skills & Languages: software and tools, language levels, and your language test score if required (your real score only).
- Publications / Conferences: only if you actually have them. If not, leave the section out entirely; that is perfectly normal at Master's level.
Writing bullets the academic way
A strong scholarship bullet shows what you did and what you learned or changed. An example for a volunteering activity:
The first bullet has a clear verb, your exact role, who benefited and the duration. The second says nothing. If you do not have an exact number, do not invent one; describe the work precisely instead.
Watch the order of bullets within each section too: put the strongest and most relevant to the scholarship first, because an assessor may only read the first two. If you have an old, unrelated activity from your first year at university, remove it and give the space to something more recent and important.
Connect your CV to the scholarship's goals
Every scholarship has different aims. Some focus on leadership, some on research, and some look for people who will return to serve their community in a particular field. Read the description on the official website carefully, note the words that recur, then identify what in your real experience reflects those words and bring it forward.
You can use the job matcher the same way: paste the scholarship description or selection criteria in place of a job ad and see which aspects your CV does not yet show. The tool does not add anything; it simply highlights the gaps.
Format and language
- Write the CV in the scholarship's language, usually English. If you need to convert an Arabic CV, use the CV translator and check the titles yourself.
- Use a simple single-column template without heavy colour or skill-rating graphics.
- Keep date formats consistent throughout (for example, Sep 2021 – Jun 2025).
- If the scholarship requires a specific CV format (such as Europass for some European programmes) or a page limit, follow it exactly.
- Send a PDF and name the file with your name and the scholarship.
Make your CV and essay work together
Most scholarships ask for a personal statement or motivation letter alongside the CV. The CV presents the facts briefly; the essay tells the story behind them. If your CV says you founded a volunteering initiative, the essay is where you explain why you did it and what you learned. Make sure dates, titles and figures match across both, because committees notice inconsistencies quickly. If a motivation letter is required, you can start a draft with the cover letter tool and rewrite it in your own voice.
Honesty above everything
Scholarship committees check certificates, transcripts and references, and may ask about any line in an interview. Do not exaggerate your role in a project, do not list a paper as published before it is accepted, and do not round your grade up. If a paper is under review, write Under review; if you are still working on it, write In progress.
Guides for specific scholarships
If you are applying for a particular programme, see our detailed guides: CV for Chevening, CV for Fulbright and CV for a Master's application. Requirements and deadlines change from year to year, so always refer to the scholarship's official website.
When you finish, run your file through the CV checker to make sure sections are clear and there are no weak bullets or errors.