If by any chance you came across this page, this might be a sign😊 If you randomly reached this page but have no desire whatsoever to be an international student while traveling around Europe, do yourself a favor and skip. This one is not for you. If by Google’s grace, you deliberately found this article with the intention of preparing to launch an application for an Erasmus scholarship, read further!
It’s Erasmus Mundus scholarship application season again and for the past two years, I have been getting quite a handful queries (mostly from strangers) regarding procedure, tips, pointers, and all things related to the Erasmus Mundus application process. Hence, I decided to once and for all compile this template I usually share whenever someone enquires, for the life of me. While I am happy and willing to help, I do not claim to be an expert so please take this personal take with a grain of salt. Plus, I admittedly have very limited experience in applying since I only tried once.
So,
for the steps:
1: Determine your eligibility.
Check if you are eligible to apply for the Erasmus Mundus Program. While the
scholarship is open to everyone, some technicalities and circumstances (e.g. Ukraine-Russia
conflict) might apply, causing eligibility requirements to vary sometimes.
2: Check for the program/s
of your choice. I could not further stress the need to first and foremost, read
and do your own research prior to asking others for help. A comprehensive list
of available programs with active funding is summarized in the Erasmus+ catalog. Obviously, seek the ones that align with your academic and career
goals. While it is easy to ask someone for guidance right away, nothing beats
the information one learns straight from the primary and up-to-date source. What may have been
applicable for a particular batch might have changed in the succeeding years.
3: Review specific requirements.
Several general as well as program-specific requirements apply. For instance, in previous years, a maximum of 3 applications could be made per intake year, although
I have some unverified information that this rule is already lifted. Personally,
I preferred and eventually applied for one program only. Others though would not suggest this
strategy – the more entries you send, the more chances of winning as they would say. Also take note that documentary requirements such as academic transcripts, English
proficiency proof (e.g., IELTS), personal essays, and recommendations, differ from
program to program. And all these necessary information are provided on the specific program site accessible through the catalogue. Moreover, reaching out to the right people, e.g. previous students
from the program could also be helpful at this point to learn about strategies
that actually worked, some even share a copy of their winning motivation
letters (though I personally oppose this practice), success stories
(including likelihood to be accepted), and even some classified information.
4: Gather the required documents. Collect all the necessary documents based on the program's requirements. Various countries and universities have differing lead times in providing these documents, with some needing certified and/or apostilled copies. Uniquely for EACH, there is no need for recommendation letters. In most cases, Academic IELTS (or TOEFL) is necessary. But sample IELTS exams are ubiquitous online so take advantage of this. Review centers are also at your service but might come at a hefty price.
5: Submit Application.
Follow the specific application guidelines provided for your chosen program/s. Pay
attention to application deadlines; applications typically open in October and
close around the first quarter of the following year. After submitting your
application and required documents, await the admission decision from the
Erasmus Mundus Program.
Best of luck!
PS: I was an Erasmus
scholar under the program called EACH; hence, this article is written mostly in
this context, while trying to make it more general for it to be applicable to
the rest. Will also occasionally update this page in the future.
