Skip to content
Find Opportunities

Guides & resources

Your next opportunity starts here.

Practical advice, application resources, and step-by-step guides for Pakistani students.

Suggest a guide

Opportunity Pakistan Guides

Original, step-by-step guides written for students in Pakistan.

Getting Started

Finding Opportunities as a Pakistani Student

Where to look, how to read eligibility rules, and how to build a year-long plan for olympiads, summer programs, research and scholarships.

7 min readRead guide
Applications

Building Your First Academic CV

What to include, how to describe your achievements honestly, and how to explain Pakistani grades and activities to reviewers abroad.

4 min readRead guide
Applications

Writing Strong Summer Program Applications

How to plan your application, write specific essays, get strong recommendations and apply for financial aid from Pakistan.

4 min readRead guide
Research

Cold Emailing Professors

How to find the right researcher, write a short and specific email, follow up politely, and stay safe as a school student.

4 min readRead guide
Olympiads

Preparing for Academic Olympiads

How Pakistan selects its olympiad teams, which contests you can enter directly, and a practical study plan using free past papers.

4 min readRead guide

Application Toolkit

Free templates to download and edit. Word files open in Microsoft Word or Google Docs; PDFs are for printing.

Academic CV template

A one-page CV layout with every section a school student needs, plus a pre-send checklist.

Word (DOCX) PDF

Cold-email template

A short first email to a researcher, a polite follow-up, and a checklist before you hit send.

Word (DOCX) PDF

Recommendation request template

An email asking a teacher for a recommendation, and a one-page summary that makes their letter easier to write.

Word (DOCX) PDF

Application checklist

Eligibility, costs, documents and an eight-week timeline for any opportunity. Print one per application.

Word (DOCX) PDF

Personal statement worksheet

Prompts to find your story, connect it to the program and revise your essay.

Word (DOCX) PDF

Recommended External Resources

Handpicked guides and learning materials from universities, educational organisations and official bodies. These are published by others, not by Opportunity Pakistan; each link opens the original publisher’s site in a new tab.

Featured

UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center

Application essays (opens in a new tab)

Practical advice on reading essay prompts, choosing a topic and revising. Applies equally to summer program and university essays.

ApplicationsGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Google

Google Scholar (opens in a new tab)

Search academic papers and find what a professor has published before you email them. Many papers have free versions linked.

ResearchToolFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
USACO Guide team

USACO Guide (opens in a new tab)

A structured, free curriculum for competitive programming from beginner to advanced, organised by USACO division.

OlympiadsCourseFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
EducationUSA (U.S. Department of State)

Finance your U.S. studies (opens in a new tab)

How international students fund a US degree: costs, financial aid and scholarships, and what to plan for early.

ScholarshipsGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
EducationUSA (U.S. Department of State)

Your 5 steps to U.S. study (opens in a new tab)

The official step-by-step path to studying in the US: researching options, funding, applying, the student visa and departure.

International OpportunitiesGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Khan Academy (with College Board)

Digital SAT prep (opens in a new tab)

Free, personalised practice for the digital SAT, built with the test’s makers.

Test PreparationPracticeFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource

Getting Started

Khan Academy

Math courses (opens in a new tab)

Self-paced lessons and practice from arithmetic to calculus. A good place to fill gaps before olympiad or test preparation.

Getting StartedCourseFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Khan Academy

Physics (opens in a new tab)

Video lessons and exercises covering mechanics, waves, electricity and more, useful alongside Matric, FSc or A Level physics.

Getting StartedCourseFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Khan Academy

Chemistry (opens in a new tab)

Lessons on atomic structure, bonding, reactions and equilibrium, with practice questions after each topic.

Getting StartedCourseFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Khan Academy

Biology (opens in a new tab)

Covers cells, genetics, evolution and human biology. Helpful for building the foundations the biology olympiad expects.

Getting StartedCourseFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT OpenCourseWare (opens in a new tab)

Lecture notes, problem sets and videos from real MIT courses. Best for motivated students who want to explore a subject beyond school.

Getting StartedCourseFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Coursera (Deep Teaching Solutions)

Learning How to Learn (opens in a new tab)

A short, popular course on study techniques such as spaced practice and avoiding procrastination. You can join for free; some features are paid.

Getting StartedCourseFree, with paid options
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
College Board

BigFuture (opens in a new tab)

Tools for exploring careers, majors and US colleges. Useful for working out what you want to study before you shortlist programs.

Getting StartedToolFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource

Applications

Harvard FAS Mignone Center for Career Success

Guide to creating a strong resume (opens in a new tab)

Harvard’s student guide to resumes, with action verbs and sample layouts. Pair it with our CV guide and template.

ApplicationsGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

Résumés and CVs (opens in a new tab)

Clear explanations of how résumés and academic CVs differ, and how to organise each section.

ApplicationsGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Yale Undergraduate Admissions

Essays (opens in a new tab)

Yale’s own explanation of what its admissions officers hope to learn from your essays, in their words.

ApplicationsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
MIT Admissions

Our selection process (opens in a new tab)

How MIT reads applications and what it looks for. A useful window into how selective programs think about applicants.

ApplicationsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Common App

Common App essay prompts (opens in a new tab)

The current personal essay prompts used by hundreds of US colleges. Read them early if you plan to apply to the US.

ApplicationsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
UCAS

How to write your personal statement (opens in a new tab)

UCAS’s guide to the new question-based personal statement for UK universities, from 2026 entry onwards.

ApplicationsGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
UCAS

Personal statement worksheet (PDF) (opens in a new tab)

A printable worksheet for gathering ideas before you write a UK personal statement.

ApplicationsToolFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
University of Cambridge

What to expect at your Cambridge interview (opens in a new tab)

Cambridge explains what its interviews are for and how they run. Reassuring reading before any academic interview.

ApplicationsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Stanford Undergraduate Admission

First-year applicants (opens in a new tab)

Stanford’s official overview of first-year application requirements and deadlines.

ApplicationsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource

Research

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

Research papers (opens in a new tab)

Step-by-step help with choosing a research question, finding sources and structuring a paper.

ResearchGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center

Scientific reports (opens in a new tab)

How to write up an experiment: introduction, methods, results and discussion, and what goes in each.

ResearchGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Society for Science

Regeneron ISEF (opens in a new tab)

The official site of the world’s largest pre-university science fair, including its rules for student research projects.

ResearchOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource

Olympiads

International Mathematical Olympiad

IMO problems (opens in a new tab)

Every past IMO paper from the official site. Very hard: start once you are comfortable with national-level problems.

OlympiadsPast papersFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
International Biology Olympiad

IBO examination papers archive (opens in a new tab)

Past theory and practical papers from the International Biology Olympiad.

OlympiadsPast papersFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
IPhO

International Physics Olympiad (opens in a new tab)

The official IPhO site, with the statutes and syllabus that define what olympiad physics covers.

OlympiadsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
IChO Steering Committee

International Chemistry Olympiad (opens in a new tab)

Official IChO regulations, a section for students, and links to the archive of past problems.

OlympiadsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
CP-Algorithms

Algorithms for Competitive Programming (opens in a new tab)

Detailed write-ups of the algorithms and data structures that appear in informatics olympiads.

OlympiadsGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
CEMC, University of Waterloo

Past contests, solutions and results (opens in a new tab)

Years of past math and computing contests with official solutions. Ideal for building up to olympiad-level problems.

OlympiadsPast papersFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource

Scholarships

MIT Admissions

Afford (opens in a new tab)

MIT’s explanation of cost and financial aid, a good example of how need-based aid works at US universities.

ScholarshipsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Harvard College

Net Price Calculator (opens in a new tab)

Estimate what your family might pay at Harvard after aid. Most US colleges have a similar calculator on their site.

ScholarshipsToolFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
College Board

CSS Profile (opens in a new tab)

The financial aid form many US colleges and some programs require. Read about it early; check the site for fees and waivers.

ScholarshipsToolFree, with paid options
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan

Scholarships (opens in a new tab)

HEC’s official list of scholarships and international study programs it runs or nominates for.

ScholarshipsOfficial informationFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource

International Opportunities

UCAS

International students (opens in a new tab)

UCAS’s hub for students outside the UK: how the UK application system works, fees and visas.

International OpportunitiesGuideFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource

Test Preparation

College Board

SAT Suite practice and preparation (opens in a new tab)

Official full-length practice tests in the Bluebook app, plus sample questions and study guides.

Test PreparationPracticeFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
ETS

TOEFL iBT test preparation (opens in a new tab)

Official TOEFL iBT prep materials from the test maker. Some are free; full practice tests and courses cost extra.

Test PreparationPracticeFree, with paid options
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
IELTS

IELTS preparation resources (opens in a new tab)

Official sample questions and practice materials for IELTS Academic, with links to further paid preparation.

Test PreparationPracticeFree, with paid options
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource
Duolingo

Prepare for the Duolingo English Test (opens in a new tab)

Free practice tests and question-type guides for the Duolingo English Test, which many programs accept.

Test PreparationPracticeFree
Link checked 11 Oct 2026Visit resource

Want a guide on something else?

Tell us what you’re stuck on, whether that’s a scholarship form, an interview or a specific olympiad, and we’ll consider it for a future guide.

Suggest a guide

Never miss an opportunity.

Join the list to hear about upcoming deadlines and newly verified opportunities. Email updates haven’t started yet; we’ll begin once our first verified listings are published.

We only use your email for these updates, never share it, and you can ask to be removed at any time. Privacy notice