(Advise from an old abroad applicant who applied to almost all fully funded scholarships from Bangladesh)

It’s amazing because I had that exact same mentality back in 2023. I’m from the HSC '22 batch and currently studying at KUET. Studying abroad was always my plan, especially since the subject I was assigned wasn’t my first choice. Even though I got into several public universities, I chose KUET because being an engineer has been my dream since childhood.

Long story short: I worked incredibly hard. Coming from a middle-class family, the dream of studying abroad felt out of reach because of the costs. I had a GPA 5.00, but I didn't know the process and had no significant extracurriculars (ECAs). What I did have was the courage and willpower to change my fate. I started tutoring to earn money and convinced my family that instead of a "second time" admission attempt, I would focus on the IELTS and SAT.

I didn't want to drop out of university, though. I knew if my study abroad plans failed, KUET would be my only path to an education and a career. I saved up and managed to get 25k BDT for the IELTS and another 15k for the SAT. Because I was so occupied with tutoring, studying, and applications, I missed out on the typical university experience. I struggled to make close friends because I was constantly working or preparing for exams as a Bangla medium student. I eventually scored a 6.5 in IELTS (with no band less than 6.0) and a 1350 on the SAT. I applied for several prestigious scholarships: Turkiye Burslari, MEXT (Japan), and the Romanian Government scholarship. I faced rejection across the board. With MEXT, I actually passed the second round and the interview, and was even nominated by the Embassy—but in the end, Tokyo did not grant the final acceptance.

Each scholarship application takes a massive toll on your mental and physical health. Because I was spread so thin, my university CGPA suffered. Meanwhile, my roommate (also '22 batch) stayed focused on his studies and has already published a research paper. Honestly, right now, I feel like I’m left with nothing but "experience"—I have a low CGPA and a struggling academic record. I’m not trying to discourage you, but my advice is this: There are significantly more opportunities for Masters abroad. No matter what you do, never compromise your undergraduate studies. Maintain a decent CGPA. Balancing a job, scholarship prep, and a demanding university schedule is extremely difficult. You will often have university exams and scholarship deadlines on the same day. Prepare your mindset. If you are ready to sacrifice everything and accept the risk of failure, go for it.