Asmita’s journey to Australia started the way many life-changing things do — completely by accident.

Scrolling through WhatsApp one evening, she noticed a friend’s status — his brother congratulating him for running free online data science classes. She Googled the name, landed on Digital Nalanda’s Bluebird School for Foreign Education, and immediately wanted in. There was just one problem: the registration deadline had passed two days earlier.

She emailed anyway.

The coordinator enrolled her on the spot. On 2nd September, Asmita landed in Sydney to begin her Master’s in Data Science and Innovation at UTS on the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS).

“I am really very lucky. Nikhil Sir guided me from beginning to end. And I am here now.”

— Asmita Kamble

Choosing Your University

Start with the QS World University Rankings. NOS and Maharashtra scholarship applicants must target universities within the top 100 or top 500, so filter your list accordingly. Visit each university’s website, check whether your course is offered, note eligibility criteria, and record language test requirements — IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE.

Then build a spreadsheet: university name, application deadline, required documents, and intake season. Most students target the September/October (Fall) intake; August is the Australian equivalent.

Asmita applied to three universities in the UK and five in Australia, received unconditional offers from three, and chose UTS.

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Critical for scholarship applicants: NOS and Maharashtra scholarships require an unconditional offer letter. Make sure all conditions are cleared before the scholarship deadline.

IELTS: Tips That Actually Work

Most universities require a minimum of Band 6.5. Asmita skipped coaching and prepared herself using a few targeted strategies.

Asmita’s IELTS Strategy
  • Listening: Watch Friends. By the third episode, you start picking up the accent naturally.
  • Writing: Download vocabulary and connector word lists via a Google search, and weave them naturally into practice essays.
  • Reading: Don’t just match words from the passage — understand what the question is actually asking first.
  • Hidden tip: After registering for IELTS, your confirmation email contains a link at the bottom for one free month of preparation material from official examiners. Most students miss it — find it and use it.
  • Medium of Instruction: If your undergraduate degree was entirely in English, your college can issue an MoI certificate. Some universities accept this in place of IELTS — but attempt the test at least once before relying on it.
Watch the Full Session

Asmita shares her complete journey in this Digital Nalanda Bluebird Foreign Education Series session — from discovering the program to landing in Sydney.

The SOP: Your Story, Told Honestly

Asmita faced an unusual challenge: applying for data science with a background in electronics, and a seven-year gap since graduation. She didn’t hide either. Her SOP explained how she encountered data-driven thinking during engineering without knowing what to call it, and how she later took a course specifically to bridge the gap.

“SOP is your transparency. Write from your schooldays — your projects, internships, weak points, and how you overcame them. The university reads your SOP and imagines your personality. Make that image honest and real.”

— Asmita Kamble

Her mentor reviewed every draft line by line. Multiple revisions. Don’t expect to get it right in one attempt.

Documents: Start Earlier Than You Think

If you have backlogs from your diploma or degree, get the backlog certificate issued now — before any university asks for it. Official transcripts (not just graduation certificates) typically cost ₹6,000–6,500 and take time to process.

For the scholarship, you’ll also need a solvency certificate proving your family can cover a minimum amount in case of emergency. Asmita took a personal loan of around ₹3 lakhs to cover visa fees, initial deposits, health cover, and flights — most of which the scholarship reimbursed later. Having funds upfront is essential.

“Do not lose your patience. This is a long process. Start step by step, make a plan, collect your documents, and keep going. If I can do it — you can do it too.”

— Asmita Kamble’s advice to every aspiring student

The story of Asmita Kamble is part of Digital Nalanda’s ‘Foreign Education and Career Series.’
The series consists of 16 sessions conducted in 2022 by Nalanda alumni studying at leading universities abroad — sharing practical insights on applying to overseas universities, visa processes, cultural adjustments, and career guidance.

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