Many students choose to apply for grants for financial support, but how do you get a leg up against the competition? We’ve spoken to grant administrators Marianne Bigum and Christina Graversen from the Nordea-fund, about how to write a good grant application.
What are you specifically on the lookout for, in the applications you receive?
“Our most important criteria concerns whether the application is relevant and personally well-motivated. And that there’s cohesion to what the person wants to do in the future. We notice whether people seem mature and whether they have their ambitions in order. That’s why it’s important to highlight what you’re passionate about and why it should all follow the plan you’ve worked out.”
What should you not do if you want a grant with you?
“Many think that just because they’ve been accepted by a prestigious university in America, that’s all they need to write. That’s completely wrong. It’s about writing a cohesive application, so that it overall gives a good impression. It’s also important to avoid errors in your application. For example, when it comes to the duration of your stay abroad or budgetary expenses. And naturally, you should use our digital application form and not mail it via post.”
We get many applications from students with impressively high grades, which is fine. It’s just not enough.
Are there any points that people usually highlight in their application, that you don’t find particularly relevant?
“We get many applications from students with impressively high grades, which is fine. It’s just not enough. It’s no problem if you say that you get good grades, but there has to be a motivation behind your application. It’s not something we straight-up discard people on, but it’s important not to feel entitled to a grant just because you get good grades.”
How would you describe a good grant application?
“It’s a good idea to be as specific as possible. Since we get around 2000 applications per application round, you’ll need to get to your point quickly in order to be considered. The application should be simple and comprehensible, so we don’t have to sit and look for what this person actually wants to use the grant for. A good application gets to the point quickly, so that the reader quickly gets an overview of its entirety.”
Do you have any specific advice for students who would like a grant from you?
“What’s relevant to highlight can vary much depending on the applicant. The most important thing is that the application as a whole is well-motivated, well-considered and specific. The rest depends on the person behind the application. It’s important that we get an impression of the person behind the application.”
