u/4D4MM1

Hello guys, I’m looking for realistic advice on how to improve my chances of getting scholarships to study abroad.

I’m currently a first year Business Administration student, finishing my first year with a 3.4 GPA. I studied abroad briefly before but returned to my home country due to tuition costs for international students and unexpected system differences.

Right now, I’m trying to build a profile strong enough for scholarships, but I feel limited in key areas:

\- I don’t have strong extracurriculars (no research projects, competitions, or major certifications from high school)

\- Most scholarships I find require IELTS/TOEFL, which is difficult for me financially and logistically since test centers are not easily accessible in my country or nearby

I recently applied to a summer research program in Türkiye and got rejected, which made me realize I may be missing important requirements.

I’m asking for advice on:

\- What I should focus on right now to become more competitive

\- Whether there are scholarships that don’t heavily rely on IELTS/TOEFL or extracurriculars

\- Any alternative pathways people in similar situations have used to study abroad

Any advice would be appreciated thanks guys.