21/08/2025
Here are the top reasons why students fail in scholarships. Avoid them and win prestigious scholarships around the world like I did!
-Not Meeting Eligibility Criteria
Applying for scholarships where GPA, major, citizenship, or other requirements don’t match.
-Weak Academic Performance
Low grades or inconsistent performance can hurt applications (especially merit-based scholarships).
-Not Following Instructions
Missing documents, incorrect formatting, or ignoring essay guidelines disqualify many students.
-Poorly Written Essays
Generic, rushed, or plagiarized essays fail to stand out. Committees look for authentic, personal stories.
-Not Tailoring Applications
Sending the same essay to every scholarship without aligning with the sponsor’s mission or values.
-Weak Recommendation Letters
Choosing the wrong referees (people who don’t know the student well) or failing to guide them.
-Procrastination / Missing Deadlines
A very common reason and scholarships are strict about cutoffs.
-Lack of Research
Applying only to a few popular scholarships instead of exploring smaller, local, or niche ones.
-Incomplete Applications
Forgetting transcripts, proof of enrollment, financial documents, or signatures.
-Not Highlighting Achievements
Some students underplay their strengths, extracurriculars, or leadership experiences.
-Applying Half-Heartedly
Treating scholarship applications as a “lottery” instead of giving them the same attention as a college application.
High Competition Without Differentiation
Many students have strong academics: what’s missing is a unique personal story, passion, or community impact.
