The traditional review process for scholarship applicants is, in a word, complicated.
Once the scholarship application window has ended, the review process officially begins. At this point, each application will be individually evaluated by all the members of the review board. Sizes vary, but in general, it’ll be at least two or more people.
Individually, these reviewers will decide whether an application is suitable for a scholarship. After every board member has evaluated each application, the group will compare notes and begin deliberations.
After this, the information from these deliberations will be logged and sent out for another round of reviews. Once that is complete, final decisions on the recipient(s) are made, and the winners are notified.
The logistics of this undertaking are quite complex. Not only is each member of the board individually sifting through the application — including transcripts, letters of recommendations, and essays — but they need to evaluate once again after reconvening with the other reviewers.
Often, unless a strict, quantifiable methodology is used, these recommendations clash with one another. While objective qualifications can filter out unqualified candidates, subjective criteria make the process infinitely more intricate.
This process is time-consuming and will lead to more headaches than not. However, Scholar’s App is streamlining the review process to reduce donor stress while still finding the best candidates.
Our Method
At Scholar’s App, we reach out to pre-qualified applicants on your behalf throughout the application process. Consequently, each application will meet the requirements for the scholarship, meaning you will no longer have to filter out completely unqualified candidates.
Of course, sometimes there are preferences other than absolute requirements. For instance, if you are ideally looking for a bilingual student, you can enter that term into our indexable database and see all the applicants who meet that criteria.
Often, existing workflows employ a hybrid model that accepts applications both digitally and physically. However, this can make things difficult for reviewers, as without a central database, some materials can easily be omitted or forgotten.
We solve this issue by providing an entirely digital application process. These applications can easily be accessed by each member of the review board in our central database. Letters of Recommendation, Transcripts, and Essays are a click away, and we can request additional documents from applicants as needed.
In addition to the simplified application process, Scholar’s App has also streamlined the donor review process. Within our database, reviewers can easily read through each application and vote on your specific criteria using our simple tools. Many digital databases can be challenging to navigate, but we have built a dashboard that is accessible and digestible for any reviewer.
It’s also worth mentioning that our application allows for a highly collaborative review process. Reviewers can add comments that can be shared with everyone else on the team. These notes can be a lifesaver for time-strapped teams, highlighting applicants of interest for their teammates.
The time-consuming, exhaustive review process is exponentially easier through Scholar’s App. If you have any interest in our services, we encourage you to check out our site here.
