Scholarships are highly competitive that's a known fact, it becomes more challenging for those with lower grades to compete with all those with first class, 4.0 and above.

However not everyone who graduated with a 2:2 or low 2:1 played their way through school, some were sick, had family challenges and/or experienced one psychological, financial or social trauma but have distinguished themselves and sometimes even surpassing those with higher grades.

But when it comes to scholarships in most cases, grades play an important role before the shortlisting of candidates for interviews.

So if you're out there and you ever got a fully funded Scholarship with less than a 4.00 on a 5.00 scale, say 3.5+ and below or above. Please come and share your experiences and secrets, it will benefit many. Thanks.

Moderators I crave your indulgence to please move this to front page. Thank You

Socratez20:
Scholarships are highly competitive that's a known fact, it becomes more challenging for those with lower grades to compete with all those with first class, 4.0 and above.

However not everyone who graduated with a 2:2 or low 2:1 played their way through school, some were sick, had family challenges and/or experienced one psychological, financial or social trauma but have distinguished themselves and sometimes even surpassing those with higher grades.

But when it comes to scholarships in most cases, grades play an important role before the shortlisting of candidates for interviews.

So if you're out there and you ever got a fully funded Scholarship with less than a 4.00 on a 5.00 scale, say 3.5+ and below or above. Please come and share your experiences and secrets, it will benefit many. Thanks.

Moderators I crave your indulgence to please move this to front page. Thank You

secondin! following !

Who told you scholarship companies shortlist by grade? Well, maybe it's just oil companies that favour peeps from oil producing states more.

WAZOBIA3:
Who told you scholarship companies shortlist by grade? Well, maybe it's just oil companies that favour peeps from oil producing states more.

I mentioned that it is one of the major criterion

Socratez20:


I mentioned that it is one of the major criterion

in my school, most of the people who win scholarships are 3point CGPA, it's a matter of how God wants to pick up your call.

WAZOBIA3:

in my school, most of the people who win scholarships are 3point CGPA, it's a matter of how God wants to pick up your call.

I'm actually referring to graduate scholarships ( Masters and PhDs)

Most of these scholarship would say a Minimum of Second Class Upper. Here Final CGPA may not count. Thereafter, they are subjected to aptitude test where a 3.5 may outshine a 4.47. If you are still an undergraduate reading this post, try all you can to come out with a 2.1 even if it is 3.5, because you will always be qualified for the first shortlisting before you go to prove yourself later.

insperyadyou:
Most of these scholarship would say a Minimum of Second Class Upper. Here Final CGPA may not count. Thereafter, they are subjected to aptitude test where a 3.5 may outshine a 4.47. If you are still an undergraduate reading this post, try all you can to come out with a 2.1 even if it is 3.5, because you will always be qualified for the first shortlisting before you go to prove yourself later.

I'm a graduate already, currently serving, I was few seconds from 4.00 but that's past already and I'm over it but after getting two rejection mails from chevening I was beginning to wonder if any one with a less than 4.0 ever got a fully funded scholarship. My essays were good(some lecturers attested to this) my work experience is more than two years so I'm forced to think that my grade is the issue here

Socratez20:


I'm a graduate already, currently serving, I was few seconds from 4.00 but that's past already and I'm over it but after getting two rejection mails from chevening I was beginning to wonder if any one with a less than 4.0 ever got a fully funded scholarship. My essays were good(some lecturers attested to this) my work experience is more than two years so I'm forced to think that my grade is the issue here

you see, nobody told you the real reasons for not being shortlisted. Any other thing could be the reason, not necessarily CGPA. One day your call will be picked.

Socratez20:


I'm a graduate already, currently serving, I was few seconds from 4.00 but that's past already and I'm over it but after getting two rejection mails from chevening I was beginning to wonder if any one with a less than 4.0 ever got a fully funded scholarship. My essays were good(some lecturers attested to this) my work experience is more than two years so I'm forced to think that my grade is the issue here

Mind sharing your Personal Statement essay?
Would love to pick ideas.

Aside pursuing fully funded scholarship, try out writing GRE and contacting faculty in the US that are looking out for students to offer research assistantship positions. The assistantship may cover your full tuition or a significant portion with monthly stipend for living expenses.

thelastgenius:



Mind sharing your Personal Statement essay? Would love to pick ideas.

Uh ok, however it depends on your area of interest

Mitchely:
Aside pursuing fully funded scholarship, try out writing GRE and contacting faculty in the US that are looking out for students to offer research assistantship positions. The assistantship may cover your full tuition or a significant portion with monthly stipend for living expenses.

Yeah, thanks, thanks however I think i will have to delay my applications till next year considering the fact that the deadlines of most US schools are past.

Extraordinary achievement and extracurriculars. Go out there and do stuff. Join an NGO or a research team or do something for your community and then apply again with your accomplishments. If a first class student who has worked for let's say 5 years at KPMG applies to harvard business school along with a third class student who started a business straight out of college that reaches 5 million dollars in revenue within a 5 year period, who do you think harvard will take in?

Socratez20:



Uh ok, however it depends on your area of interest

it doesn't matter much irrespective. I'm in management

tensazangetsu20:
Extraordinary achievement and extracurriculars. Go out there and do stuff. Join an NGO or a research team or do something for your community and then apply again with your accomplishments. If a first class student who has worked for let's say 5 years at KPMG applies to harvard business school along with a third class student who started a business straight out of college that reaches 5 million dollars in revenue within a 5 year period, who do you think harvard will take in?

Both of them.

thelastgenius:



Both of them.

Harvard will take the second. I attended a harvard business school seminar in Accra and I asked the admissions officer the lowest GPA they admitted in the previous year. He told me they had someone with a 1.8 but this person founded a company worth 10 million dollars straight out of college. Do you know the number of perfect GPAs and perfect GMATs rejected from HBS yearly. Op go and do stuff and wow the admissions committee with your accomplishments.

tensazangetsu20:
Extraordinary achievement and extracurriculars. Go out there and do stuff. Join an NGO or a research team or do something for your community and then apply again with your accomplishments. If a first class student who has worked for let's say 5 years at KPMG applies to harvard business school along with a third class student who started a business straight out of college that reaches 5 million dollars in revenue within a 5 year period, who do you think harvard will take in?

With all humility I have some of these already but in the race for excellence there's no finish line so in accordance with your advice I will keep developing myself, is just that next year seems like a century to me(smiles) . Thank you so much

thelastgenius:

it doesn't matter much irrespective. I'm in management

Ok then send me a pm and we will discuss.

Socratez20:


With all humility I have some of these already but in the race for excellence there's no finish line so in accordance with your advice I will keep developing myself, is just that next year seems like a century to me(smiles) . Thank you so much

It's not exciting enough. You live in a developing continent, there's a lot you can do here to make yourself stand out there. So continue developing yourself and try again. Make sure your essays show what you have accomplished since you graduated and also try to explain the CGPA thing and how your accomplishments have made you mature as a person. It's all about packaging o. Even a third class student can go to Oxford if he packages himself well after all klaus Roth had third class and still went ahead to do phd and won a fields medal.

tensazangetsu20:

Harvard will take the second. I attended a harvard business school seminar in Accra and I asked the admissions officer the lowest GPA they admitted in the previous year. He told me they had someone with a 1.8 but this person founded a company worth 10 million dollars straight out of college. Do you know the number of perfect GPAs and perfect GMATs rejected from HBS yearly. Op go and do stuff and wow the admissions committee with your accomplishments.

Wow 1.8 this is interesting and encouraging. "yes I hear"

tensazangetsu20:

Harvard will take the second. I attended a harvard business school seminar in Accra and I asked the admissions officer the lowest GPA they admitted in the previous year. He told me they had someone with a 1.8 but this person founded a company worth 10 million dollars straight out of college. Do you know the number of perfect GPAs and perfect GMATs rejected from HBS yearly. Op go and do stuff and wow the admissions committee with your accomplishments.

Well, my point is both of the two types of applicants will be admitted. Many perfect GPAs are rejected yearly, yet other perfect GPAs get in.

What we can both agree on however, is that despite the entrepreneur's low GPA, his demonstrated business pedigree will get him in.

His business pedigree will not get him a fully funded scholarship though.

thelastgenius:


Well, my point is both of the two types of applicants will be admitted. Many perfect GPAs are rejected yearly, yet other perfect GPAs get in.

What we can both agree on however, is that despite the entrepreneur's low GPA, his demonstrated business pedigree will get him in.

His business pedigree will not get him a fully funded scholarship though.

The guy was actually begged to attend. His whole tuition was waived. Everyone wants to identify with success .

tensazangetsu20:

The guy was actually begged to attend. His whole tuition was waived. Everyone wants to identify with success .

Well what can I say? Nothing is impossible? Yeah, appropriate.

It's up to everyone of us to utilize our gifts towards breaking bounds and reaching seemingly impossible Heights.

Following

So in essence the advice here is that those with CGPA lower than 4.0 should get engaged in other activities to boost their resume when applying for these highly competitive scholarships

While a low CGPA is not advisable, there are additional factors that can weigh in your favour for full funding. A critical factor is PUBLICATION. You need not target UK scholarships or US schools but then it is possible to attract attention from say South Africa or Europe (eastern) with a CGPA of say 5.5/7.0 (UI format) and 2-3 Q1/Q2/Q3 journal papers.

So post graduation, doing one year of research in uni is a sure way of getting an edge. Also, many funds down south (Africa) are from a lecturer's cost centre which implies that during your research stint you might be able to establish useful links and get nice recommendations from your lecturers to colleagues outside that could be the tie-breaker.

A low CGPA is not advisable but for postgraduate studies, research prowess at UG levels offers absolution (more like 'go and sin no more'.)

Guys thank you so much for all your advice, I improved on my extracurriculars, published two papers, wrote excellent essays and eventually got a fully funded scholarship in UK.


From here I will make attempt at other top shots and opportunities.


Anyone can be successful if they're willing to pay the price plus the God factor.

Socratez20:
Guys thank you so much for all your advice, I improved on my extracurriculars, published two papers, wrote excellent essays and eventually got a fully funded scholarship in UK.


From here I will make attempt at other top shots and opportunities.


Anyone can be successful if they're willing to pay the price plus the God factor.

I am so happy for you op

Socratez20:


I'm a graduate already, currently serving, I was few seconds from 4.00 but that's past already and I'm over it but after getting two rejection mails from chevening I was beginning to wonder if any one with a less than 4.0 ever got a fully funded scholarship. My essays were good(some lecturers attested to this) my work experience is more than two years so I'm forced to think that my grade is the issue here

Does work during your undergraduate studies count as part of the two years required work experience? If no, how did you get over two years work experience while you were still serving?
Thanks.

tensazangetsu20:

I am so happy for you op

Thank you so much, grateful.

bizmania:


Does work during your undergraduate studies count as part of the two years required work experience? If no, how did you get over two years work experience while you were still serving?
Thanks.

Apart from your SIWES or IT other kind of work experience counts e.g volunteering experience, leadership positions held, part time Job, etc.