Detailed and binding information on which documents you have to enclose with a DAAD application can be found in the respective scholarship announcements of the DAAD. At this point, however, we would like to clarify a few questions about the application documents, which we receive again and again.
In the case of DAAD scholarships, grades are an important decision criterion.
The DAAD Study Plan should describe as precisely as possible the intended goal of the stay abroad, take into account the courses at the host university and, if possible, be agreed with a university teacher of the German higher education institution responsible for the subject. Important: research well!
In most cases you will need an expert opinion. The exact number is stated in the respective scholarship announcement and/or in the application requirements of the foreign higher education institution.
Ask a university teacher who is able to assess your academic achievements precisely whether she will write you an expert opinion. Generally, this should be a professor, but exceptions are also made. For applicants who have not yet passed the preliminary examination or the preliminary diploma, the DAAD accepts expert opinions from academic staff or assistants who have been countersigned by the responsible university teacher. Under no circumstances will expert reports by language lecturers be accepted.
You can only read the review yourself if the reviewer tells you to read it. In any case, the review must be enclosed with the application in a sealed envelope, which must not be opened by you! Open expert opinions are considered worthless especially in Anglo-Saxon countries, since it is assumed that they are not written honestly enough as a courtesy.
In an emergency, you can also use an older expert opinion if it is still of a more recent date (in no case older than two semesters!) and the content is tailored to your application project. However, it always makes a better impression to enclose more recent reports.
Go to the DAAD Scholarship Database