Abeer, a Pakistani National, Wins the Fully Funded Fulbright Scholarship to Pursue a Master's in Biology and Biotechnology in the USA

Hello and Assalamoalaikum! I’m Abeer a Fulbrighter from Pakistan. I’m currently pursuing a Master’s in Biology and Biotechnology from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), USA. I decided to pursue further education because I fell in love with research during my undergraduate studies! Although I sometimes wonder what exactly I want to work on, for now, one thing is clear: I really enjoy research. I enjoy how you form a hypothesis, struggle to find threads connecting to its truths, and actually figure out something that no one has ever done before. I find that fascinating and crazy cool at the same time!

Fulbright Scholarship Details

The Fulbright Scholarship is a prestigious, fully funded award for international academic exchange. It covers tuition, living expenses, and flights. Through this scholarship, I pursued my degree at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

Educational Background

I did my undergraduate degree in biotechnology at FCCU, Pakistan. I wasn’t always a high achiever—in fact, I was below average as a kid. But everything changed when I started seeing the real-life applications of biology and how it connected to something tangible. That’s when I became truly fascinated. I graduated with a CGPA of 3.82. My focus was on Biotechnology, and I chose to specialize in medical biotechnology to give myself an edge when applying to labs for further studies in the field

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Fulbright Scholarships and Worcester Polytechnic Institute?

I prepared for the GRE on my own using digital books and a lot of practice. One tip I’d give is to believe in yourself and never use the calculator—it’s clunky and wastes time. I’m sure I would’ve done better if I hadn’t used it. I studied for about three months.

As for the TOEFL, even if you speak English well, I’d still recommend a lot of practice—I certainly did, even though English has always been my main medium of education. I prepped for about a month, using YouTube channels that had great content and practice tests (though they’ve since been removed). I suggest practicing writing digitally with correction marks turned off and recording yourself. Time management is crucial, as is staying focused. I’d even play a movie at full volume in the background while practicing to train myself to not get distracted.

Building a list of difficult vocabulary words helps for both the GRE and TOEFL. You can use them in both tests and improve your score, especially since computer-based grading plays a big role. Also, make sure to use all the basic punctuation. It helps create diverse sentence structures, which can really improve your score when it’s being checked by a computer.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

Don’t apply to scholarships half-heartedly or just for the sake of it. Put your all into it. I rewrote my Fulbright application about 8 or 9 times. One thing I’d recommend is separating the application process from the outcome. Apply with passion, but don’t stress yourself out by overthinking the result. Try to enjoy the process.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

I say this a lot—if you're applying for a Fulbright scholarship, find people who can help proofread your personal statement, especially those who have won a Fulbright or any major scholarship. Also, connect with a professor who has successfully sent students abroad. Both will know what should be in your application and what the reviewers are looking for.

Never use a template. Make your introduction interesting and personal. You need to have a clear goal, even if it's not fully developed. It should benefit both you and your country, and it should be something you’re genuinely passionate about.

Apply early, keep reviewing your application, and build yourself through social work, leadership roles, and intellectual activities in your field. Don’t spread yourself too thin—focus on a few meaningful activities instead of doing 15 different things. It's more valuable to be an active participant in a community, organization, or society than to just collect volunteer certificates.