Interested in getting a scholarship?

I (Bela Gipp) am happy to support you and provide counseling before you submit your application! Receiving a scholarship is easier than most people assume. The large majority of our team members have received at least one scholarship during their studies. If you have good grades and other achievements, feel free to schedule a meeting with me to discuss scholarship programs and possibilities.

My average grade is 1.9. Is this good enough to apply for a scholarship?
It depends on the kind of scholarship. Generally, I would recommend applying for scholarships if you are among the top 15% in your year. If you successfully participated in competitions, such as Jugend forscht, or have other accomplishments, such as projects on GitHub, or a publication, your grades aren’t that important,

When should I contact you?
Anytime. I advise students who have just started their studies, but also students at the Master’s, Ph.D., and Postdoc levels.

However, please understand that I can only provide a letter of recommendation for you after you have completed at least one lecture or seminar at my chair. You can find our lectures and seminars here.

What is the rate of successful applications?
So far, I have counseled over 60 students. About 70 – 80% successfully applied for a scholarship. Many of these scholarships allowed students to study abroad or receive monthly payments between 800 and 2,000 EUR. Currently, two group members even receive a 40,000 USD per year tax-free scholarship from an organization in the US.

Do you have experience with students applying for the “Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes“?
Yes, I have successfully counseled and nominated candidates.

Do you also counsel students from other fields than Computer Science?
No, please ask a professor from your department. Usually, a letter of recommendation is required. I can only write a letter of recommendation for students I know (e.g., from lectures, seminars, or supervising their final thesis).

I’d like to study abroad. Where can I find more details?
See student corner regarding the possibilities to study in Japan, Canada, and the US.
In addition, you should also check the website of the DAAD.

How much does this mentoring cost?
Haha, it is free, of course! You should never pay for something like this!

What is the next step if I’m interested?
Just schedule a meeting with me using my online booking tool. Please select 30 minutes as the duration.

In the form of the booking tool, please answer the following questions:
— What do you study?
— BA or MA?
— Your grades?
— Any special accomplishments that may help you to get a scholarship?
— Have you taken any courses by myself or my group members (lectures or seminars)?
— Does anyone from my team know you? E.g., supervised you?
— E.g., to get a scholarship to study abroad, to write your thesis in Tokyo, a financial scholarship for your studies in Göttingen…
— Optional: Your CV (please send via email)

If you know any other good students who are studying computer science in Göttingen, please inform them of this opportunity. If you like, you can even jointly schedule an appointment with me.

Why does Bela offer this counseling service?

I received various scholarships during my studies, for which I am truly grateful. These scholarships not only paid for my rent but also allowed me to study in Australia (9 months), China (9 months), England (6 months), California (4,5 years at UC Berkeley during my PhD), and Japan (1 year at NII Tokyo as postdoc).

I learned a lot about how the application process works, and I’m thrilled to share this knowledge. Today, I serve on various selection committees, including the Niedersachsen Stipendium and the Deutschland Stipendium. I’m also a member of the scientific advisory board for the DAAD IFI program, offering international research stays for computer scientists.

To see my own study-abroad photos, click on the phone below and search for “Berkeley”, “Sydney”, “Beijing” or “Tokyo”: