Aalto University Scholar, Umar Nawaz from Pakistan, Pursues a Master’s in Building Technology with a Fully Funded Scholarship in Finland

My name is Umar Nawaz, a Pakistani by birth and by heart, and I come from the capital city, Islamabad. Growing up in a city that boasts modern infrastructure, I was always fascinated by the brutalist design of government buildings and a well-maintained road network. My interest in infrastructure development led me to pursue higher education in the field of civil engineering.

Aalto University Scholarship Details

In 2019, I was admitted to the Master's Program in Building Technology at Aalto University, Finland. I was awarded the Aalto University Scholarship – Category A, which covered 100% of the annual tuition fee, 15000 EUR, for a duration of two academic years. During that academic year, I chose to freeze the scholarship offer due to Force majeure.

Were You Offered any Other Scholarships?

During the year 2020, I received three other scholarship offers:

Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC scholarship) for the Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering at Southeast University, China. The scholarship covered full tuition fees, lodging, medical insurance, and a living allowance.

Tampere University tuition fee scholarship for the Master's Program in Security and Safety Management at Tampere University, Finland. The scholarship covered 100 % of the annual tuition fee (12000 EUR) for two academic years.

Partial tuition fee scholarship for the Master’s Program in Sustainability Science and Solutions at Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology, Finland. The scholarship covered 50 % of the annual tuition fee (10000 EUR).

After carefully evaluating my options, I decided to go with the Aalto University scholarship offer, which I already received in 2019.

Educational Background

I completed my Bachelor of Civil Engineering, with a CGPA of 3.34 / 4.00, from the Islamabad campus of National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST). Other than maintaining an above-average GPA, I would keenly participate in sports competitions and sometimes volunteer for extracurricular activities organized by various student organizations on campus. Throughout my four years of undergraduate degree, I attended a few industry conferences, completed short courses related to my own academic field, and did a summer internship too to gain hands-on experience in the construction sector.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Aalto University?

How Did You Find Information About Aalto University Scholarships and Aalto University?

My scholarship search began during the final year of my undergraduate degree. I knew about the QS World University Rankings, which was the starting point to shortlist the universities. Additionally, I joined many Facebook groups, notably “Scholarship Network”, to keep myself informed about the different scholarship opportunities from all over the world.

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

A few months after completing my bachelor’s degree, I took the IELTS test and secured an overall band score of 7.5. The preparation was done through self-study and free preparation tests available on the British Council website.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the Aalto University Scholarship?

For the scholarship offers that I received from the Finnish universities, firstly, I familiarized myself with the application process through the program and university websites. Afterwards, I reached out to former scholarship recipients in these universities to get their perspective on which skills and experiences are given more weightage by the scholarship awarding committee. Finally, I started preparing and gathering the documents, including a motivation letter, a letter of recommendation, a language test result, and attested documents from the Higher Education Commission (HEC). All of this was done before the application window opened. In these universities, the scholarship application was integrated into the university application itself, so there were no additional documents needed other than those for admission.

For the CSC scholarship, I shortlisted the universities using the QS World University Rankings. After that, I started shortlisting the professors whose research work aligned with my research interests. Around mid-autumn, I started contacting these professors through email to get a conditional / pre-approval letter of acceptance, which was a required document for the scholarship application. I received many letters of acceptance from different university professors, but then I decided to focus on the top three universities based on the ranking. I submitted my online application first and later mailed the hard copies of the documents to the university. The whole application and result announcement process took around 7 months, and I received the scholarship offer from one university only.

Would Potential Students Have Any Problems Academically, Not Knowing Finnish?

No, the international students enrolled in the building technology program at Aalto University will not face problems academically when it comes to language because the lectures, assignments, and exams are conducted in English. However, I would recommend students take at least one language course offered by the university during their two-year degree program because this will help them in integrating into society and can also open many work opportunities during and after completing their studies.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I believe the first important point while making a scholarship application is to comprehend the evaluation criteria. I did that and prepared a compelling motivation letter where I connected my past, present, and future. Sharing “my story” in the motivation letter and how it aligns with the objectives of the study program was one of the points that made my application stronger. Good academic performance, relevant work experience, and the ranking of my previous institution also played a part in my selection.

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

I am satisfied with my scholarship journey and would not change anything in the process. However, if given the chance, I would have avoided undervaluing my academic performance and my abilities and would have applied for the scholarships shortly after completing my undergraduate.

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

1) Strengthen your Credentials: During your undergraduate program, try to participate in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, acquire cutting-edge skills, and gain hands-on experience through internships.

2) First-hand Information: Obtain information about the scholarships directly from the official university/scholarship websites or through a scholarship holder, and keep this information in your database so that it is readily available to you.

3) Start Early: All your admission/scholarship documents should be ready months in advance of the application period. If the scholarship involves contacting a potential supervisor, like the CSC scholarship, start sending emails to the professors a couple of months before the application period starts.

4) Networking: Connect with your peers, contact previous scholarship holders, reach out to professors and seek guidance related to the scholarship application, and ask about their perspective on student life in their universities.

5) Trust the Process: Winning a scholarship is a lengthy process during which you might face rejections too, but do not give up rathe,r stay motivated and keep improving your skills and expertise. Resilience and consistency will go a long way during and after your scholarship journey.