When your scholarship closes, most applicants won’t receive an award. How you communicate with those students, before and after decisions, shapes how they remember your program, whether they apply again, and whether they become advocates for your brand. Thoughtful communication builds trust, reduces unnecessary support requests, and keeps doors open for future engagement.
Below is a practical playbook that helps you be empathetic, transparent, and efficient at scale.
Why this matters
- Reputation: Clear, kind messaging protects your brand and encourages word-of-mouth.
- Future cycles: Applicants who felt respected are more likely to reapply or share the program.
- Operational efficiency: Proactive messages cut support tickets and repetitive questions.
- Data & impact: Engaged non-winners can become donors, ambassadors, or community sources for future outreach.
Core principles to follow
- Be timely. Communicate on a consistent schedule so applicants aren’t left guessing.
- Be transparent. Explain the process, timelines, and what decisions mean.
- Be empathetic. Thank applicants for their time and effort. Writing an application is a meaningful act.
- Be actionable. Offer next steps, resources, or alternative opportunities.
- Be scalable. Use templates and automation, but include personal touches where possible.
Before decisions: set expectations early
Most confusion comes from uncertainty. Use pre-decision messaging to reduce it.
What to include upfront:
- A clear timeline: when reviews begin, when finalists will be announced, and when final decisions land.
- What “under review” means. Are you doing rounds of review, phone interviews, or verification?
- How and where they’ll be notified (email, platform notification, SMS).
- Whether feedback will be available and in what form.
Where to place this info:
- Application confirmation email (immediately after submission)
- Public FAQ/landing page
- Reminder emails during the review window
Example pre-decision line:
“Thanks for applying. Decisions will be posted on [date]. We’ll send a short status update on [midpoint date], no news until then means we’re still reviewing.”
During selection: keep short, useful updates flowing
You don’t need to narrate every internal step, but a few well-timed updates help.
Good cadence:
- Confirmation on submission (immediate)
- Mid-review status update (“still under review”), optional, but reduces anxiety
- Final timeline reminder a week before decisions
Channel mix:
- Email for formal updates
- In-platform messages (or SMS for urgent notices) for quick nudges
- A pinned FAQ or short “what to expect” page for reference
When someone doesn’t win: the non-winner message
The non-winning message matters more than the acceptance message in many ways. Keep it short, human, and useful.
Structure to follow:
- Thank them for applying.
- Deliver the outcome clearly (don’t bury the lede).
- Offer next steps (resources, other opportunities, how to reapply).
- Invite connection (join alumni group, follow for updates).
- Optional: Short survey link to collect feedback.
Template — Non-Winner Email
Subject: Thank you for applying to the [Scholarship Name]
Hi [First Name],
Thank you for applying to the [Scholarship Name]. We received many strong applications, and unfortunately, we were unable to offer you an award this cycle.
We truly appreciate the time you invested in your application. If you’d like to share feedback about the process, please fill out this quick 2-minute form: [survey link].
You may also consider these next steps: [link to resources, upcoming opportunities, alumni group]. We’d love to stay in touch.
Best,
[Program Team / Name]
Keep tone warm and brief, don’t overload with reasons or critique in one-to-one replies.
Offer feedback, but only when you can do it well
Personalized feedback is valuable but time-consuming. If you can’t offer individualized reviews, consider:
- Short, aggregate tips posted publicly (“Top 3 ways to strengthen essays”)
- A brief feedback survey where applicants opt in for a short summary
- Group office hours or a feedback webinar
This scales insight without promising impossible one-on-one reviews.
Use automation, without sounding robotic
Automation keeps volume manageable. Combine it with small personalization tokens:
- Use name, program applied to, and one-line reminder to keep messages human.
- Trigger messages based on status (open draft, missing docs, waitlist, non-winner).
- Batch-send but stagger delivery to avoid inbox overload.
Kaleidoscope’s connect messaging tool lets you build these flows so you can be consistent at scale.
Keep the door open: re-engagement and community
Non-winners can become your strongest supporters if treated well:
- Invite them to a newsletter or alumni group.
- Offer short “application tips” content for future cycles.
- Highlight opportunities for mentorship, volunteer review roles, or ambassador programs.
Final tips
- Be proactive. Most problems are prevented by clear instructions and timelines.
- Be brief. Applicants appreciate short, respectful messages.
- Be consistent. Use templates so everyone on your team speaks the same way.
- Be human. A small personal touch (a signed name, a short line) goes a long way.
When you treat applicants, especially those who don’t receive awards, with respect and clarity, you create goodwill that lasts beyond any single cycle.
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