How I Secured a Fully Funded Master's at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany Through the DAAD EPOS Scholarship

My name is Andrea Avendano Vargas. I was born and raised in the central valley of Costa Rica. I come from a very typical Costa Rican household, and I studied in my home country until the completion of a bachelor's degree. I was always very passionate about plant physiology, and unfortunately found limited education and employment opportunities in Costa Rica, so I was driven to find further education and an exciting career outside my country.

Development-related Postgraduate Courses Details

I received the Development-related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS) scholarship funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to study a master's degree in International Horticulture at Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. The scholarship consisted of a monthly stipend of 950 EUR, a return ticket to the country of origin, and German language courses. It did not cover the semester fee for university, but at that time the fee was set at around 400 EUR.

Educational Background

I studied a bachelor's degree in Biology with and Emphasis in Biotechnology (Graduating score of 92%), and later worked for 3 years at the National Center for Biotechnological Innovations of Costa Rica. There, I did research on Plant Tissue Culture topics, which allowed me to expand my scientific and technical knowledge. Working for the public sector was also a key component in getting the EPOS scholarship, which requires you to have contributed to your home country.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Leibniz University Hannover?

How Did You Find Information About Development-related Postgraduate Courses and Leibniz University Hannover?

I accessed online national scholarship libraries very frequently and googled scholarship opportunities obsessively. In total, I must have applied for at least 10 different scholarship programs during a 3-year period.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I took the TOEFL exam and prepared using online mock tests.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Development-related Postgraduate Courses?

As mentioned above, I studied hard to get a good grade point average and worked for a national science laboratory. These were the two key components of my application.

Is the Institution That You Are Studying at Free for the Master's in International Horticulture? If You Had to Pay Semester Fees, How Much Was It?

The semester fee was around 400 EUR.

Are Your Classes Conducted in English or German?

Classes were conducted in English.

What Did You Pursue After the Development-related Postgraduate Courses?

I entered a Graduate Program at a German plant breeding company and then moved on to become an Agronomist and Commercial Manager of sugar beets.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Not Knowing German?

No.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

My scientific work at the laboratory, as well as a very carefully written motivational essay.

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

Nothing.

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

Make sure to do some meaningful work before applying to EPOS. Additionally, try to showcase any project management and leadership skills and experiences.