COMPLETING THE ONLINE APPLICATION Read all instructions carefully before completing the application Selection Criteria KAUST will only consider applicants with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent and at least a 3.3 major GPA on a 4.0 scale or equivalent. Applicants will be required to submit transcripts to verify their grades. All final scholarship candidates will be interviewed by KAUST officials. If you have any questions, please contact the KAUST Scholarship Management staff at scholarships@kaust.edu.sa or 713-621-6300 ext. 23 STEP 1: Record user ID and password in a safe place Your email address is your User ID. When you create an account for the on-line application, you must identify a password. Keep this information in a safe place. You can log in and out of the application as frequently as you like; however, you must have your User ID and password to do so. While you cannot change your User ID, you can change your password, if necessary, by clicking on Update My Account at the top of the Home page of the application. STEP 2: Complete the application You do not need to complete this application during one session. You can re-enter your application as many times as you like before submitting it. But remember: once you submit your application, you can make NO MORE changes to it. All forms in this application are to be completed in English. Items must be answered completely and carefully. If specific instructions for completing a question or item are provided in the application itself, please read them carefully. In addition, please review the following important information.
Statement of Purpose Essay: The information you provide in your statement of purpose is an essential part of your application. You should take great care to write a clear and detailed essay that covers all of the points in the application essay prompt. Leave a 1.5 inch (4cm) margin at the top of every page if you upload the essay from an off-line document. Review your essay by clicking on the Preview button. NOTE: You have several ways in which you can create your essay. You can compose your essay on-line. Please note, there is a 40-minute "time out" function. In other words, you will need to either complete your essay in 40 minutes or periodically save your essay. You will not be able to customize the formatting of your essay. You can copy and paste text from another document and edit online. Again, you will have a 40-minute "time out" function. You will not be able to customize the formatting. You can upload text from another document. This is the only option where you will be able to have special formatting, e.g. bold, underline, headers, doublespacing. While you cannot edit an uploaded document on-line, you can delete your upload, make your corrections in your document off-line, and upload again. You must leave a 1.5 inch (4 cm) top margin on every page of your uploaded essays to allow space for the header that will appear on the print version of your application. Please click the PREVIEW button on the essay pages to review your essay. You must use the "Back" browser button to return to your essay. Closing out of this view will exit you from your application. University Transcripts (Grade Report): You can attach your transcripts electronically by scanning copies of the transcripts and then uploading them into the online application. Transcripts should list the subjects you studied and the grades you received during each year of your enrollment. All transcripts must be in English or accompanied by an official translation. Transcripts should be in a MS Word, PDF, TIFF, or JPG format and should be two megabytes or smaller. Once you have uploaded your document, please click the preview button in the upper right-hand corner to verify that your
attachment can be easily read. If you are not able to upload your transcripts, you must mail them to the KAUST Scholarships office in Houston, USA before the deadline. The address is provided at the end of the instructions. Unofficial or student copies are accepted for the application. Students who are offered the award must submit official copies before becoming grantees. Tests of English Language Proficiency: KAUST will conduct all courses and activities in English only. Successful applicants must have strong English language ability to take advanced coursework. Applicants must submit a valid TOEFL, IELTS or ITP score. KAUST requires a minimum score of 550 TOEFL paper-based test, or equivalent. Exceptions will be considered for students either: 1. Enrolled in universities where English is the language of instruction 2. From an English-only speaking country For such students, final acceptance will be determined after the interview. IELTS (International English Language Testing System): This exam is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council, and IDP: IELTS Australia. For further information, go to www.ielts.org/. Make sure to select the "Institute of International Education" as the recognizing body to which you would like your scores sent. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): This exam is administered by the Educational Testing Service. For further information, go to www.toefl.org/. Copies of your TOEFL or IELTS scorecard can be attached to your online application. Students who are offered the award must submit original copies before becoming grantees Letters of Reference/Recommendation: You must have three letters of reference submitted on your behalf. Letters of reference are extremely important. They should be written by professors under whom you have studied or pursued research or by someone who has supervised you in work related to your field of study. Letters of reference should
not be written by persons related to you either by blood or marriage or by personal friends. The letters should be written in English if possible. If they are not, an original English translation must be provided. Your recommenders must complete the forms online and submit them electronically. You must click on the Recommendation button on the Home page of this application to register your recommenders. Upon registration, the application system will automatically send a notification email you your recommenders with a private recommendation page link they will access to fill in the online recommendation. STEP 3: Application inspector Before you can electronically submit your application, it will automatically be reviewed for completeness. If there is missing data, you will be prompted to add specific items. STEP 4: Review and print your application Review a PDF version of your application and print a copy for your records. STEP 5: Submit your application After completing this application and thoroughly reviewing it, submit it electronically to the KAUST Scholarship Office. KAUST is not responsible for late or incomplete applications submitted by candidates. If you have any questions during the on-line application process, please email KAUST Scholarship advisors at: scholarships@kaust.edu.sa Note carefully, after submitting your application electronically, you will be able to access it in a printable PDF format. However, you will not be able to make changes to your application. Some helpful tips to assist you: Avoid using all capital letters when answering items, it is better to use upper and lower case, e.g., Ron Smith. You can copy and paste information into all text boxes.
In the text boxes, you must limit your responses to the space provided. Information that exceeds the space provided will not display or print. You can review each page of the application in its PDF format by clicking on the Preview button on the upper right-hand corner. Closing out of the PDF view will bring you back to your application. On the essay page, text entered that exceeds the space provided will display and print. However, keep your essay to two pages when possible; longer essays are not recommended. Your application will be accepted once all required items are completed. The Application Inspector button on the Home page will check your application for completeness and prompt you to enter any missing information on required questions. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Scholarship Office Documents not uploaded into your application should be mailed to the below address. Do not mail additional copies of uploaded documents. Discovery Scholarship Application Institute of International Education 520 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 740 Houston, TX 77027 U.S.A. email: scholarships@kaust.edu.sa