When the Answer Is No

We’ve talked about agency — choosing to act. Audacity — trying anyway. Small steps, habits, staying in your lane, protecting your mental state, and most recently, resilience — starting again when things slip.

If you do all of that, one thing is still certain.

You will be rejected.

Not maybe. Not possibly. If you are applying consistently and aiming high, rejection is part of the process. The email will come. Or sometimes worse, silence.

In my first year of applying, I was rejected from every single scholarship I applied to.

Every one.

At the time, it felt like a verdict. Maybe I wasn’t good enough. Maybe I had overestimated myself. It’s easy to think that when the results are consistent.

But with time, I realised rejection was not a judgement. It was information, even when it didn’t come with explanations.

Looking back, there were gaps. My applications were not as clear. My story was not as well told. My positioning was weak. I was trying, but I wasn’t yet competitive.

So I improved.

I refined my essays. I became more intentional about what I applied for. I paid attention to how I presented my work and asked for feedback. I understood the process better.

The next cycle, things changed.

I was awarded the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship.

Not because I suddenly became different, but because I became better prepared.

That is what rejection can do, if you let it.

Applications are personal. You share your story, your ambitions, your work. So when the answer is no, it can feel like you were rejected. But scholarships depend on many things: fit, competition, priorities, context. Two strong candidates can apply, and only one will be selected. That does not automatically make the other weak. A no is not always about your worth.

Sometimes it means: you need clearer positioning, a stronger narrative, or more evidence of impact.

None of these are fixed.

This is where everything we’ve discussed comes together.

Agency — you act again.

Audacity — you apply again.

Small steps — you improve gradually.

Habits — you stay consistent.

Resilience — you return after the no.

Rejection is part of the process. It does not erase your progress.

Apply. Learn. Adjust. Apply again. It takes courage to apply again after a no. It takes even more to improve instead of repeating the same approach.

A no is not the end.

It is part of how you get to yes.

—Ojonugwa

Scholar ChitChat