Influence of academic grade on your scholarship application

Influence of academic grade on your scholarship application

Good academic grade testifies to your ability to maintain a consistent level of good performance over time. The key thing is not really the grade but the process that lead to the grade.

Every year, the pool of scholarship applicants keeps increasing (especially for the prestigious ones); while the number of available slots remain constant or increase at a much lower rate. Hence making it more competitive to win. Due to the increasing demand for these scholarships, academic grade is becoming more influential.

There is a school of thought that advocates ‘‘your skills are more important than your grades’’ which I do not subscribe to especially with regards to scholarship applications. To some extent, this thought can be influential in the job market. Although, most job openings still set grade benchmark for applicants and use it for preliminary screening. So, if academic grade is not that important as some say, why accord it the special attention? I am not against having good and relevant skills (both hard and soft). In fact, it is better to say that good skills are as quite important as good grades. Both complements each other. While good academic grade can get you a job or win you a scholarship, skills are required to be sustainable and successful. But unlike academic grades which cannot be improved on after graduation, existing skills can be improved on and new ones can be acquired.

Good academic grade testifies to your ability to maintain a consistent level of good performance during your time in the university and indirectly indicates that with the right training and exposure, such level of performance can be replicated in the workplace and the society at large. A renowned professor and entrepreneur once said that, “it is safer to hire an A student than a C student as the A student had demonstrated the ability to set goals (every student desire to make good grades) and accomplish them. The key thing is not the A but the process that leads to the A”. So, in relation to scholarships (especially ones that require the recipients returning to contribute to home country development) the sponsors will preferably go for candidates with strong academic background (though with respect to other aspect of the application), as they have demonstrated the ability to achieve set goals.

OK! So, how good a grade do I need to stand a chance in a competitive scholarship(s)? Well, that’s a good question but there is no definite answer to it. Even a perfect grade is not the right answer but can have a significant impact. Most scholarships like Commonwealth require the applicants to have a minimum of second class upper (2:1) grade to be eligible. That means if one does not have up to the minimum required grade, there is no need applying. A list of 2020 Erasmus Mundus scholarship winners from Nigeria shows that approximately 90% of them have first class grade in their undergrads. It implies that for every 100 scholarship winners, 90 and 10 of them have first-class and second-class upper grades respectively. Similar trends can be applicable to other prestigious scholarships. So, a very good academic background gives one a competitive edge but landing high profile scholarship goes beyond having good grade anyway.

Good grades are deceptive and over reliance on them is detrimental. I have seen a close instance where a candidate with a 2:1 grade was nominated for a commonwealth shared scholarship slot over other candidates with first class grades (one of the first class candidates was even an overall best graduating student in his undergrad, though he was later nominated by another school). So, with outstanding academic background, you still have to leverage well on other areas of your core competence to strengthen your applications. I will be elaborating on ‘leveraging the areas of your strength’ later in another issue on this series. 

Let me digress a bit and quickly share this with you before concluding on this part. Note, this is totally my personal decisive experience and nothing more!

From the very first day as an undergrad, my primary objective was to graduate with a first-class grade. I knew it will demand a lot of commitment and consistent performance to attain. At the end of first semester, I had a 2:1 result though very close to a first class. Back then, I was not just a book-oriented student. As a consensual class representative, I was entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the smooth running of lectures and other non-academic activities both at the department and faculty level (with other representatives where necessary). I was also involved in other leadership activities off-campus.

Towards the end of my penultimate year, I decided to contest for the president of my faculty association. A bold decision isn’t? Well after seeing my first semester result in that year, I immediately knew it was necessary for me to review my initial decision to ensure the actualisation of my primary objective. I knew that the responsibility of such office will likely have an inimical impact on my academic performance in my final year and I do not want to take any chances. Many tagged my decision then as silly, but some have turn back today to say otherwise. Well it was my decision and I am glad I took it. I went ahead to graduate with a first-class grade (best student in my department and second best in the faculty). My final result was a cumulative of five second class upper and five first class grade semesters. The lesson from this experience was that I was able to make a very good grade and also acquire some vital skills without allowing one to have an overwhelming impact on the other.

Now, that I have explained the importance and influence of good academic grades on scholarship application, the ball in your court to do the needful. If you are still an undergraduate, chances are that you can still improve your grade by taking drastic decisions. On the other hand, if you are a graduate and your grades are not that fantastic but above the required minimum for scholarship eligibility, you still have the chance to land your dream scholarship. You just need to leverage extensively on your other areas of strength or competence. At least you must be uniquely good at something that other may not have in common. But If not really, you can still develop quality skills through volunteering, online courses, networking, working experience, etc.

Finally, take charge of your decisions in accordance to your goals. Remember you own your life and you are totally responsible for the outcome of the choices you make. So, take wise and well thought out decisions that will improve your scholarship winning chances with respect to your grades.