Follow these five essential steps before the application period opens to position yourself for crafting a standout Chevening application.
1. Ensure You Meet All Eligibility Criteria
It’s crucial to confirm that you meet every eligibility requirement. Last year, we received over 10,000 ineligible applications, with 70% of these being disqualified due to not meeting Chevening’s 2-year work experience requirement.
To avoid this, ensure that you:
- Are a citizen of one of the 160+ Chevening-eligible countries or territories.
- Have completed an undergraduate degree that qualifies you for a postgraduate course at a UK university.
- Possess at least two years of work experience. Use this page to calculate whether you meet this criterion.
- Have not previously studied in the UK through a UK Government-funded scholarship.
- Demonstrate exceptional future leadership potential.
Review the full list of Chevening eligibility requirements to make sure you’re fully qualified.
2. Build Your Leadership Portfolio
During the application and interview stages, you will need to demonstrate your leadership potential through concrete examples from your life and career. Begin collecting examples now. Consider times when you led a team or project, how you succeeded, what you learned, and how you showcased your influencing skills.
When selecting examples for your application, focus on quality over quantity. Choose the most compelling stories that best illustrate your leadership abilities.
“Providing detailed examples is generally more impactful than listing everything without depth. In essence, less is more.” – Roshini Menon, 2020 Chevening Scholar, King’s College London
3. Reflect on Your Future Goals
Think about where you want to be in 2, 5, and 10 years, and develop a realistic plan to achieve these goals while making a positive impact in your home country. While life may not always go according to plan, we want to see that you have big ambitions for creating change and have thoughtfully considered the steps needed to realize your dreams.
“It’s not about using the most beautiful words in your application; it’s about clearly communicating what you truly want to achieve in life.” – Syed Farradino Omar, 2018 Chevening Scholar, Royal Holloway, University of London
“Take time to carefully think through the logical steps you need to take to reach your future goals.” – Roshini Menon
Show us your determination to achieve your aspirations!
4. Research UK University Courses
As part of your Chevening Scholarship application, you’ll have the opportunity to select three courses at up to three UK universities. Start exploring the Chevening course finder now to identify the programs and universities that align with your career goals.
This article on selecting the right UK university might also help you narrow down your options.
Remember, you must apply separately to your chosen courses through the respective universities. Your Chevening application does not serve as an application to these courses.
5. Clarify How a Chevening Scholarship Will Help You Achieve Your Goals
Reflect on why you’re applying for a Chevening Scholarship. What can you achieve by becoming part of our global community? Why do you want to study your chosen courses in the UK?
We need to see not only why you are a great fit for Chevening but also why Chevening is the right fit for you.
Start pondering these important questions now, and discuss them with friends and colleagues. This preparation will help you craft a compelling Chevening application when the time comes.
Now open: Chevening Scholarship to Study in the UK 2025-2026 (Fully-funded). Apply now!
