The biggest mistake applicants make is starting too late. Scholarship deadlines fall long before university start dates — Chevening closes in early October for study beginning the following September, Knight-Hennessy in early October, the Pearson Scholarship's school nominations in early October, Gates Cambridge and ETH's ESOP in November and December. If you want to start in September next year, your application year starts now.
This plan counts backwards from a September start. Shift it if your intake is different. You can also generate a personal timeline for any route with the planner on our live board.
12 months before: shortlist
- Decide your level (bachelor's, master's, PhD) and two or three fields you could apply in.
- Filter the board for routes you qualify for by nationality, age and degree — eligibility rules are the fastest way to shorten a list.
- Aim for a balanced list of 6–10 routes: a few highly competitive full scholarships, several solid options, and at least one affordable fallback such as a tuition-free or low-tuition university.
- Note every deadline, including hidden ones: school nominations, fee-waiver requests, preliminary document checks such as Germany's uni-assist, and national nominating agencies.
11–10 months before: tests and people
- Book any English or other tests you need. Allow time for a retake.
- Ask your referees now — lecturers, employers or teachers who know your work. Our guide to recommendation letters explains what to give them.
- For a PhD, start contacting potential supervisors with a short, specific email (see our supervisor guide).
10–8 months before: documents and first drafts
- Order transcripts, degree certificates and certified translations. Some take weeks; apostilles and legalisation can take longer. Our document checklist covers what to request.
- Write a full first draft of your motivation letter or personal statement. Do not polish yet — get the argument right. See how to write a motivation letter that wins funding.
- Draft your CV in the format each route asks for (some want a Europass CV, some a one-page résumé, some a three-page academic CV).
8–6 months before: the early deadlines
For a September start, this is October to December — the busiest months of the whole cycle.
- Submit the early scholarship applications: Chevening, Knight-Hennessy, Commonwealth (through your nominating agency), Pearson, UBC International Scholars, ETH ESOP, TU Delft Van Effen, Gates Cambridge.
- US colleges: early deadlines around 1 November, regular deadlines in early January, with financial aid forms such as the CSS Profile alongside.
- Revise each motivation letter for the specific route. Reusing one generic letter is the second most common reason for rejection, after missing deadlines.
6–4 months before: the second wave
- Erasmus Mundus, Maastricht NL-High Potential, Stipendium Hungaricum, Türkiye Scholarships, the Romanian government scholarship and many university admissions close between January and March.
- Prepare for interviews: practise explaining your plan in two minutes, and why this route and not another.
4–2 months before: decisions
- Compare offers using the full yearly cost — tuition, fees, rent, insurance, visa, travel — not just the headline award.
- Accept in writing by the deadline and decline the offers you will not take, so the place goes to someone else.
- Start the visa process immediately. Appointment waiting times at some embassies run to months.
2 months before: arrival
- Proof of funds, blocked account or bond, health insurance, and accommodation.
- Keep digital and paper copies of every document you submitted.
Rule of thumb: submit every application at least a week before the deadline. Portals slow down on the last day, documents get rejected for formatting, and referees get ill. A week's margin turns a crisis into an inconvenience.