The Tiny Difference that Can Get You a Scholarship Award or a Rejection Email

Every year, thousands of brilliant Nigerian students apply for scholarships with big dreams, but only a few get selected. For many, they apply for countless scholarships but keep receiving the dreaded line; ‘We regret to inform you….’. Now the reasons for these rejections may not be what you think it is. Many students get rejected by scholarship committees not because they aren’t smart, not because they aren’t deserving but because most students are taught to write what sounds good and not what works. If you’ve ever poured your heart into an application and got silence in return, this is for you. I would share my own story so I would love for you to continue reading.

When it comes to scholarship applications, one key document many student don’t take as seriously as they should is their Personal Statement or the Statement of Purpose. For most when they are not copy-pasting one personal statement for several scholarships, they are bombarding the scholarship bodies with sad stories. Now I understand that many scholarships these days are need-based and they would require you to tell them about your background especially as regards financial needs but let’s face it. if your SOP or personal statement has nothing else to it asides the fact that you came from a poor background, that is a great recipe for rejection mail. At this point, I would want to share my own scholarship journey both as an applicant and as someone who has had the privilege of being part of a scholarship committee.

I was in 200L when I was first introduced to the concept of scholarships and scholarship applications. Prior to that time, I thought scholarship was something you would get immediately you are on first class and you wouldn’t need to apply for anything. What a joke. You would not blame me though, I was 17 and very much naïve. However, when I got to understand scholarship opportunities and its applications, I said to myself: ‘ Shey it is just to write, I can write nau. I will just tell them how poor I am and how I am excelling in school’ and I did just that. The first personal statement I wrote was for Hill City Scholarship. Since it was a scholarship meant for First Class students, I was so certain I would get it. My personal statement? No structure, no balance, no direction. I wrote at length at how much I suffered in school, the fact that I was squatting, barely had food to eat and I did not have money to pay for transport. Now these were very honest from me, but my aim was getting them to pity me and dash me money as they could read at length how much I was suffering in school. I honestly started making plans for the money I believed I will get from Hill City. About a month later, I received a rejection mail from them on a Sunday right there in church few minutes before I was to sing. I was so close to the point of tears, I was lucky not to weep. That was my first reality check. That singular experience made me look for mentorship at all cost.

More than 3 years later, as a reviewer and part of a scholarship committee, I saw the same mistake I made years ago from students. The constant bombarding of sad and sob stories in a way to strike the committee’s heart. Now to address this, talking about your poor background in itself isn’t bad but it begs 3 questions

Question 1:

‘What has your background pushed you to do?’

Question 2:

‘How has it shaped you into what you are now as a person and as a student?’

Question 3:

‘ How does your story separate you from a thousand other applicants?’

If you can’t answer that third question confidently by using your personal statement or statement of purpose as a reference, then you just might have found your answer to why you are getting those rejection letters. Face it, Nigeria is a very poor country. If you are in a Public University, you can be sure that up to 80% or more of you are from a poor or average background . So if poverty is the only card you have to play, it is not going to get you very far, trust me.

Now if you have had ample experience in writing personal statements but still have not been getting the results you desire, let’s talk about the real difference between students who get ignored and those who get that life-changing “𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀!” email.

📌 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱:
“𝘐’𝘮 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮.”

📌 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗻:
“𝘐𝘯 2023, 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 50 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘺 30% 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 3 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴.”

The simple reason why the second statement will always be picked over the first is the fact that scholarships are not a gift, they are investments. Being in a scholarship committee, I understand first hand how the scholarship payments most students see as ‘Free money’ are products of extensive periods of fundraising from donors and sacrifices from the board of trustees; most of whom work 9-5 jobs. So when these people read your essays, they know they are trying to help disadvantaged students but they are more importantly looking for a worthy investment. They are looking for someone who through their essay, can show a drive, a desire and a commitment to make impact in the life of others as they are also being impacted through the scholarship. They are looking for someone who would embody their values and could serve as a worthy ambassador, just like this guy below:

Hence when you put all these into perspective, you tend to realize that fluff-filled stories sound nice but scholarships 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 , 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝗿𝘀.
Most students write for praise instead of proof. They fill their applications with sad emotions and “𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿” hoping it will impress but panels aren’t moved by vibes, they’re moved by 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁.

This is what happens when you submit a scholarship essay with sad emotions and no impact:

• Lots of “good luck” comments from friends just to boost your morale but it doesn’t work that way
• No shortlist
• No interview
• No funding.
  

What happens with 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 applications:

• Clear achievements
• Specific goals
• Alignment with the scholarship’s mission
• Funding, mentorship, and international opportunities

Scholarship algorithms (yes, committees do scan quickly) skips essays that ramble. They’re looking for 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹. Meaning that your “emotions” alone will not get you selected BUT your impact will!!!

Scholarship-Winning Applications do Four Things:

• 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 – What have you learned that others can learn from you?
• 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 – What challenges have you tackled in your community or school?
• 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 – What skills or knowledge do you bring to the table?
• 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 – What exactly will you do with the opportunity?

The Mindset Shift:

Stop asking: “Does this sound emotional?”
Start asking: “Does this prove I’m a worthy investment?”

𝘽𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙪𝙢𝙖 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧.

That’s how you win scholarships and global opportunities. If you read this to the end, thanks for reading through and I wish you the very best of luck in your scholarship application process. Don’t forget to share with all those who might find this article useful and follow the channel for more information and guidelines on how you can be a top applicant in your scholarship application process. Good luck!!!