Have you been wondering about the reasons your scholarship application was rejected? Do you feel it was the scholarship committee that decided not to accept your application for no just cause? Well, a lot of people ask why they did not get a scholarship when they were the perfect fit for the scholarship. Some allow their minds to go wild in the imagination because of that.
Here’s a story about two students who applied for a scholarship. Their names are Joe and Ela. Joe is an average student with average school marks. He is also a music enthusiast with equally great music-making skills. As a result, he has represented his school in Music competitions several times.
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Ela, on the other hand, is an all-A student. He has won two consecutive ‘Best Student’ awards in his high school, has been recognized by award organizations in his community, and has also received many Leadership awards.
These two students, Joe and Ela think they’ve got what’s necessary to win a scholarship. Both have impressive profiles and should receive scholarships to the higher education of their choice. Joe should be eligible for a full music/creative scholarship while Ela, an academic scholarship.
Would you be surprised to learn that neither Joe nor Ela was shortlisted for the scholarship? Do you feel a great sense of injustice for both of them? Would you want to know the reasons your scholarship application was rejected?
Many people find it surprising when someone with a more impressive list of achievements is not called up for a scholarship interview while the other with little achievement ends up being the next scholarship recipient.
Although the scholarship selection process is as we repeatedly say on AfterschoolAfrica, a thing of luck, there are some things you probably did that got you the rejection mail. Now, listed side by side are some other things that you can (and should) do to make sure your scholarship application doesn’t end up in the bin. So, here are the reasons your scholarship application was not successful and what you should do next time:
Table of Contents
1. You were not eligible for the scholarship:
The very first possible reason your scholarship rejection could have been your ineligibility for the scholarship that you applied for. Every scholarship has its requirements and even the requirements for a scholarship could be changed from year to year. You completed all the requirements but may be rejected because you were not eligible.
The foremost step to take in applying for a scholarship is to read all requirements for that particular scholarship. If one of the requirements for applying is the first-class only candidature, don’t bother applying if what you have is second-class. Also, the scholarship may be for South African citizens, and you are from Uganda. Or the scholarship may be for Ph.D. candidates and you intend to study a Master’s course. The selection criteria ensure you don’t waste all your time and effort applying for a scholarship that may not come your way. Let’s set some realistic expectations.
And of course, there’s no point in applying for a university scholarship if you haven’t yet been accepted for that programme.
2. Your Essay was not good enough:
This is another reason your scholarship rejection. As was mentioned in the previous blog post, Essay writing, if required, is often the most important factor in winning a scholarship. It can get you selected or rejected. If you have made too many spelling mistakes or copied it from the internet you probably paid for it to be written. It is likely to be too glaring for the selection committee to miss.
Give yourself plenty of time. Read the instructions carefully. If you don’t know where to start in writing your essay, seek advice from a family member, friend, teacher, or counsellor. Ask them what they think are your great features and jot them down. Write your essay in line with the questions before you. In the end, go for quality, rather than quantity. Your final product should read like it was written by a knowledgeable and erudite person, not a robot. If it is a great essay, keep a copy with a few changes you may be able to use for another scholarship.
Also, read How to Write Your Letter of Motivation and 10 Steps to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay
3. You did not apply to the Programme:
That’s right. It is possible you didn’t get the scholarship because it’s nonexistent. In other words, you fell for a scam. It’s often easy to point these types of scholarship scams out of the myriads of opportunities that exist online. One way to do so is to find out if one of the requirements involves applying with a sum of money.
The best way to avoid scams is to link the scholarship information to a school, organization, or individual with a solid online presence. ‘Solid’ is the operative word here. So, carry out thorough research before investing in applying for a scholarship.
Also read 10 Questions You Must Answer Before Applying for a Scholarship
4. You missed the deadline:
It’s easy to point out a scholarship that you are willing to apply for and then miss the deadline. This is one of the reasons for your scholarship rejection. Many candidates start out with great gusto when filling out their application but they may become distracted along the way. Additionally, they may get beset with the number of scholarship application essays or unconsciously dawdle at the difficult parts where they need to write an essay.
Another explanation for missing deadlines is the lack of attention. Here’s a trick: When you have too many scholarship applications to handle, set two reminders: one for the month before the deadline and another a week before the deadline date to send your application.
Advice: No matter how busy, do not wait till it’s a week before finally sending in any application to a scholarship that receives thousands of hopefuls.
5. You limited your application to one or two scholarships:
There is no limit to the number of scholarships you can apply for. For a chance to be successful in one, you may apply for as many as eight! It may be daunting to take on more than one thing at a time. But it will be worth it in the end. The first step is to research. Locate a credible scholarship search website so you are privy to every option available to you. Almost every university has some kind of funding for their incoming students. Start applying today. So, you can see one of the reasons your scholarship application was rejected.
6. You provided incorrect contact details:
This is surprisingly a common mistake with many scholarship applications. When contact details are incorrect, you simply deprive yourself of any chances of success. You will never know that you are the one who won a $2,000 scholarship that could have helped you cover your expenses. To prevent that, double-check your email, phone, Skype name, etc. before submission.
7. Lastly, plenty of Grammatical errors in your application:
Another major reason for scholarship rejection is because of grammatical errors. When you don’t ensure your application is sent in the best possible manner with facts checked, neat documents, correct spelling, etc., you’re telling the scholarship board that you don’t care all that much about whether you get the scholarship. There are many ways you could commit blunders in your application without notice. There may not be enough space to address all the errors but here is an attempt.
- Very poor grammar
- Incoherent vision and goals
- If you had to write on any document, your handwriting may have been illegible.
- You sent an incomplete application form
- Attached irrelevant/incomplete documents
- Submitted a dirty or torn application
- Used impossible-to-read fancy font
- You didn’t answer the questions correctly
- Submitted a younger photo as your ‘recent’ picture
- Gave vague descriptions in your application
- You simply were off-point from the beginning
Conclusively, you can see the reasons for your scholarship rejection. What’s more, ensure to make the necessary corrections in your next application.
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