1/26 KAAD Scholarship
So I got a KAAD masters and Ph.D. scholarship, & I didn't have straight A grades, I however had sheer tenacity and had a pretty much clear cut vision of who I wanted to be Getting a scholarship from KAAD is tough but well, "if I did it, you can did it too"
So I got a KAAD masters and Ph.D. scholarship, & I didn't have straight A grades, I however had sheer tenacity and had a pretty much clear cut vision of who I wanted to be Getting a scholarship from KAAD is tough but well, "if I did it, you can did it too"
2/26 Hi Guys, I will apologise in Advance that my thread is a bit on the long side, but I guess for someone who needs the information, its no wahala. I will disappear for a while as I have Online German language lessons (Effects of Corona Virus and global travel restrictions).
3/26 There are many scholarship awarding organisations out there, though today my focus is on the Scholarships provided by the Katolischer Akademischer Auslander-Dienst (KAAD) or simply Catholic Academic Exchange. KAAD is the scholarship institution of the German Catholic Church
4/26 for post-graduate students and scientists from (developing) countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, The Middle East, as well as Eastern Europe. Masters scholarships are in-country (That is in the country where the applicant lives) PhD Scholarships are only in Germany.
5/26 KAAD priority: So KAAD is interested in assisting the development of Africa This means they will only fund programs which have an impact on development. A study on "why women start going to the gate when they buy nightgowns might be interesting but not developmental
6/26 For the rest of the requirements you can go on the KAAD website kaad.de/en/stipendien/…. I am here to specifically focus on how one can land the KAAD scholarship. I will basically address Three areas where people fail to score the scholarships.
7/26 Application Stages/Process
8/26 Stage 1: Initial selection. You fill in a questionnaire on the website. only shortlisted applicants will be responded to which means you have to be clear. Your responses to the questionnaire have to be good to propel you to the next stage/round. Talk of first impressions!!
9/26 Stage 2: If you pass the initial screening, you will be sent an application form and be asked to fill it and send it as hardcopy together with certified copies of your Academic certificates, letters of recommendations, CV and proof of University admission
10/26 For PhD please note securing a supervisor at a Germany university at this stage is essential… I will explain the process of getting a PhD supervisor later. Your documents will be scrutinized and if they are good enough, you will be invited for an interview in Zimbabwe.
11/26 Stage 3: The interview in Zimbabwe by The Partner committee, made up of Intellectuals from the Church and the Academia is an essential stage. You have to impress this committee. The people in the committee have been doing this for a long time and thus, faking it will...
12/26 not end well for you. As the Nigerians say, Mi Broda, Mi Sista, it will end in tears now the interviewers will grill you (Think of an Academic shark tank) Some will ask about your social contributions, others your church contributions and others your academic story
13/26 What they will definitely ask is your plan and choice of program/topic/university. You have to be really on top of your game @Ndi_Sandra yesterday highlighted on how to prepare for interviews so I wont get much into it here. The partner committee will score you& send....
14/26 their recommendations to the Selection Board in Germany. This recommendation is highly valued hence you need to make sure you get the highest score possible. You have to be on your A game
15/26 Stage 4: The selection Board in Germany will go over your application materials (Emphasis on the quality of your Motivation letter and recommendation letters) and recommendations from the Partner committee in Zim. This is the final stage. They will then send you either
16/26 of three responses: (a) Congratulations you have been selected (b) The famous ‘we regret blab bla..’ and (c) your application is good but please send xyz so that we reconsider it....
17/26 So now that we are all familiar with the Application process let me deal with the Pith, the fulcrum, where the majority fail to make it past any or all of the stages I’ve just explained:
18/26 1. Application Materials. I will focus on Recommendation letters and Motivation since they are the ones you can change...Academic grades I assume zvakabuda musarudzo ndizvozvo and hakuna rerun or concourt appeal. They aint looking for a Sheldon Cooper or Einstein
19/26 Recommendation letter: KAAD will tell you the minimum required but the golden rule here is ‘The more the better’ Your recommendation letter carries a lot of weight and thus they have to be well written and specific. Don’t get a generic one, it will not score many points 4U
20/26 The recommendation letters also need to be expansive, showing that the recommender really knows you, which means whoever recommends you has to know you, your strengths and motivations and explain why you deserve the Scholarship (Remember you’re competing with people
21/26 from all over the World). Nothing less than a page please, length is also important. The generic "to whom it may concern" letter your lecturer/priest uses for everyone who comes to him will not cut it.
22/26 Motivation letter: This is where many fall by the wayside. The motivation letter is your ambassador, it is the only chance the Selection board in Germany have of meeting you & understanding your background and drive. This means you need to be very clear and convincing
23/26 Who are you? Why should you get the scholarship ahead of others? Why do you NEED this scholarship? Why KAAD specifically? Why this program and why this University? There is a word limit to this and thus an ‘if you cant convince them, confuse them’ approach wont work
24/26 Also keep in mind that you need to SHOW not TELL. The motivation letter is a LETTER which means it needs an address, a date, salutation, Reference, and signature. I know this is basic but if I tell you the number of letters submitted which lack these you will be shocked.
25/26 2. Profile of a KAAD scholar. KAAD is looking for a leader with the capacity to change Zimbabwe and Africa at large. A KAAD scholar is therefore a leader in the Church, and in society. He/she also is a change agent with a big vision and evidence of having led change and...
26.1 /26 done work for the good of others. Apa ndopanodonha team with Distinctions but zero social commitments. A KAAD scholar is smart, responsible, and a man/woman for others. A typical KAAD scholar has volunteered somewhere, has membership in a couple of social organizations.
26.2/26 While being an active Catholic is a plus, it is not a deal-breaker if you are not, an appreciation of the Catholic ethos will therefore, serve you well. Unfortunately, this means if you hate the Catholic church and think the Pope is the antichrist this scholarship might
26.3/26 ..not be for you. Basically, the Scholarship is for a leader with a difference. Leadership is the key theme here. Remember leadership is not about positions, however positions help to show that you are a leader...it makes it easier to show your leadership story
Let me rush back to class. Thats pretty much all from me for now...Please fire away the questions and I will answer when I come back
