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Christain || Erasmus Mundus Alumna ‘24🌍 👩‍🎓 MSc. BioMed || MSc Skin Health and Care || MScPH || Scholarship Mentor || I accept inquiries via IG ⤵️

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

✨Erasmus scholarship really said: here’s funding, here’s Europe, go explore 🌎

One visa unlocks all 27 Schengen countries.
In 2 years, I’ve been to countries my younger self only saw in Google Images.

Hi 👋 from 🇪🇸

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@AbosedeOgunnika 👍🏽👍🏽

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

Let’s break down how she won a fully funded Erasmus Mundus scholarship with a 2.2.

1. The programme, SDSI isn't mainly selecting for grades

Read what SDSI says about its ideal candidate.. You don't need to be a service design expert. They are looking for people who are:
• Open minded and creative
• Good at solving problems
• Strategic and critical thinkers
• Motivated to lead in service design and so on ..

That's a very different question from, "Who has the highest undergraduate GPA?"

Her degree was in Chemistry, but her career had moved into product and service design. The committee wasn't simply judging who she was academically several years ago. They were assessing whether her current trajectory aligned with the kind of person the programme is designed to train.
That likely explains why her 3.21/5.00 did not automatically eliminate her.

2. Five years of design experience was probably one of her biggest assets

Not just any experience….Relevant experience!

Product and UX design sits directly within the broader service design space. SDSI also states that professional experience is preferred and can give applicants a competitive edge.

3. The selection structure tells you what matters

SDSI selects applicants in two rounds

Round 1:
• Motivation video: 20%
• Admission assignment: 80%

Round 2:
• Interview: 70%

Notice something important.

Academic excellence isn't given a separate weighting in this selection structure. The committee is instead assessing things like:

Can you think like a service designer?
Can you break down a messy, real world problem?
Can you develop a useful solution and communicate it clearly?
Can you demonstrate the motivation and potential to succeed in this specific programme?

That changes how you should approach the application.

4. Her strategy was smart and very proactive

One line from her post really stood out:

"I stopped trying to apologize for a low grade and instead focused on making my application outstanding."

She identified the strengths that actually aligned with the programme's selection criteria and made those strengths impossible to ignore.
She built the application around what she could prove, rather than spending all her energy explaining what she couldn't change.

4. Eligibility vs competitiveness

Your GPA can determine whether you are ELIGIBLE for a programme but eligibility is not always the same thing as competitiveness.
If a programme has a strict GPA cutoff, then your academic record may be the deciding factor. If it doesn't, you need to understand what the programme actually evaluates when selecting candidates.

So before you decide that your 2.2 automatically rules you out of an Erasmus programme, read the selection criteria carefully.

Find out:
• What are the minimum eligibility requirements?
• What qualities does the programme prioritise?
• How are applicants assessed?
• What parts of the application are weighted most heavily?
• What evidence can you provide for each criterion?
• Where is your profile strongest?

Then build your application around those strengths.

Your question should not be:
"Can someone with a 2.2 get this scholarship?"

Ask yourself:
"What does this programme actually select for, and how can I prove that I have those qualities?"

If a programme places 70% of its selection weight on academic excellence, then you already know your academic record will matter heavily.

But if the programme places significant weight on professional experience, motivation, research potential, an interview, or demonstrated impact, then those areas deserve serious attention.

The point isn't to pretend your weakness doesn't exist. The point is to understand the selection system well enough to know exactly where your strengths can make a difference.

Don’t apply blindly!!

Study the programme, study the selection criteria, understand the weighting, Identify your strengths, then build an application that makes those strengths impossible to overlook.

[Olowo Iyanu Victor-Educated farmer🧑‍🌾 @IyanuOlowoV]

This is a Hard Launch! 🚀 Winning Erasmus mundus with 2.2 (Second class lower)

From Pure and Industrial Chemistry at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with a 3.21/5.00 CGPA in 2023 to being awarded a fully funded Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Scholarship for the Service Design Strategies and Innovations (SDSI) program!

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@_slawal You’re welcome boss

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@OladokunOmolar5 You’re welcome

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@fobi_kakari This is dependent on the course you’re applying for

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@ugwuchinaz4177 You’re welcome

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@OnojaGold You’re very welcome

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@Lhan_rhey Anytime! 😃

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@ayyah_dev I’m glad you found it helpful

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@chinedusomto I’m glad you found it informative

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

Let’s break down how she won a fully funded Erasmus Mundus scholarship with a 2.2.

1. The programme, SDSI isn't mainly selecting for grades

Read what SDSI says about its ideal candidate.. You don't need to be a service design expert. They are looking for people who are:
• Open minded and creative
• Good at solving problems
• Strategic and critical thinkers
• Motivated to lead in service design and so on ..

That's a very different question from, "Who has the highest undergraduate GPA?"

Her degree was in Chemistry, but her career had moved into product and service design. The committee wasn't simply judging who she was academically several years ago. They were assessing whether her current trajectory aligned with the kind of person the programme is designed to train.
That likely explains why her 3.21/5.00 did not automatically eliminate her.

2. Five years of design experience was probably one of her biggest assets

Not just any experience….Relevant experience!

Product and UX design sits directly within the broader service design space. SDSI also states that professional experience is preferred and can give applicants a competitive edge.

3. The selection structure tells you what matters

SDSI selects applicants in two rounds

Round 1:
• Motivation video: 20%
• Admission assignment: 80%

Round 2:
• Interview: 70%

Notice something important.

Academic excellence isn't given a separate weighting in this selection structure. The committee is instead assessing things like:

Can you think like a service designer?
Can you break down a messy, real world problem?
Can you develop a useful solution and communicate it clearly?
Can you demonstrate the motivation and potential to succeed in this specific programme?

That changes how you should approach the application.

4. Her strategy was smart and very proactive

One line from her post really stood out:

"I stopped trying to apologize for a low grade and instead focused on making my application outstanding."

She identified the strengths that actually aligned with the programme's selection criteria and made those strengths impossible to ignore.
She built the application around what she could prove, rather than spending all her energy explaining what she couldn't change.

4. Eligibility vs competitiveness

Your GPA can determine whether you are ELIGIBLE for a programme but eligibility is not always the same thing as competitiveness.
If a programme has a strict GPA cutoff, then your academic record may be the deciding factor. If it doesn't, you need to understand what the programme actually evaluates when selecting candidates.

So before you decide that your 2.2 automatically rules you out of an Erasmus programme, read the selection criteria carefully.

Find out:
• What are the minimum eligibility requirements?
• What qualities does the programme prioritise?
• How are applicants assessed?
• What parts of the application are weighted most heavily?
• What evidence can you provide for each criterion?
• Where is your profile strongest?

Then build your application around those strengths.

Your question should not be:
"Can someone with a 2.2 get this scholarship?"

Ask yourself:
"What does this programme actually select for, and how can I prove that I have those qualities?"

If a programme places 70% of its selection weight on academic excellence, then you already know your academic record will matter heavily.

But if the programme places significant weight on professional experience, motivation, research potential, an interview, or demonstrated impact, then those areas deserve serious attention.

The point isn't to pretend your weakness doesn't exist. The point is to understand the selection system well enough to know exactly where your strengths can make a difference.

Don’t apply blindly!!

Study the programme, study the selection criteria, understand the weighting, Identify your strengths, then build an application that makes those strengths impossible to overlook.

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@kamildolapo3 Thanks 🙏

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

A few days ago, I mastered it yet again. 🎓

I’m proud to share that I’ve officially graduated from the European Master of Science in Skin Health and Care, specializing in Biomedical Science, as an Erasmus Mundus scholarship recipient.

This achievement marks another meaningful milestone in my academic journey, and I’m incredibly grateful for the experiences, opportunities, and people who made it possible.

This journey took me across borders, academic systems, and far outside my comfort zone. It meant long hours in the lab, tight deadlines, and adapting to new cultures and ways of working, often all at once. There were moments of doubt, and many more moments that reminded me why I chose this path.

A few things this programme taught me:

🔬 Science is more than skin deep. Skin health sits at the intersection of biology, medicine, and patient wellbeing, and that complexity is what makes the field so exciting.

🌍 Diversity drives better thinking. Learning alongside peers from different countries and disciplines sharpened how I approach problems.

💡 Persistence beats perfection. You don't need every answer upfront. You need to keep showing up.

A heartfelt thank you to my professors and supervisors for their guidance, to my classmates for the collaboration and camaraderie, and to my family and friends for their unwavering support. This achievement belongs to all of us.

To anyone considering further study, or wondering whether it's too late or too hard to take the next step: bet on yourself!!!!

——————

Two master's down. The next chapter is already loading… 👀

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@GODMADEKNG Thank you!

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@Sylviachiamaka3 Thank youuuu

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@its_mayox Thank you 🤩

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@erinayooo @SeunnlaAdelusi Thank you 🤩

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@_slawal Thanks oremi ❤️❤️

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@MaryOyeyemi76 Thank you so much!

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@Omachi17640 I’m glad it did

Thank you!

[CH£€Z¥💫 @Cheezy_Favour]

@OyindunniAisha Thank you girlll

Rooting for you big time!