One of the most critical elements in any scholarship’s success is communication. Email is still one of the most important channels for students, which you should leverage in your scholarship marketing strategy. After all, there is nothing more important for candidates than hearing whether their application is successful, whether they are moving on to the next round and finally, whether they won the scholarship.
No matter what kind of scholarship you’ve established, email communication is of utmost importance to keep your candidates happy. Here are a few reasons why you need to send emails to your scholarship candidates.
PS. if you want to start sending out mass emails from a brand new address, you may need to warm up your email first.
To welcome them
As a candidate starts with their scholarship application, it’s a great idea to send them a quick, short welcome email to say hi and thank them for applying. Within the email, drop them a link with the most important information about the scholarship (including the deadline, the necessary documentation, etc.). Moreover, let them know what email or phone number to turn to in case they run into any issues. This email takes very little time to set up, but it makes a major difference in how your scholarship (and business) are perceived from the start.
To remind them about upcoming deadlines
If there’s one thing that your applicants need to respect and follow, it’s the cutoff date for their applications. If you’re receiving your applications manually, then they may be able to slip something in after the deadline has passed. However, if you’re using a scholarship management platform such as ScholarshipApp, the deadline will be closed automatically, so staying on top of the deadline is extremely important for students.
Our experience has shown that it’s best to remind candidates about a deadline a few days earlier (4-7 days ahead), then again 24 hours before the application officially closes.
To let them know their application came through
There is nothing more important to students than knowing that their application has landed safely in your inbox. Letting them know that their application is successful including their next steps should be a priority for your scholarship team. Just like all the other emails, you can keep this one as simple as possible, with just a few sentences and a link with the most important information. This single email will save you tons of questions and calls later on.
To let them know when their status has changed
What better way to stay on top of students’ minds than letting them know that something has changed in their application. For example, if someone moved up from the first to the second stage, send them a quick automated email. Once again, this will save you from a boatload of emails and calls – candidates love knowing where they are in the application process.
To let them know they’ve been disqualified or declined
No one wants to have their hopes up, only to find out that someone else has been selected when the scholarship deadline is finished. If they can find out sooner, it will give them resolution and they can move on to the next scholarship. These emails will not only benefit the students but will also show your business in a great light.
While they will undoubtedly be disappointed, there is a great relief in knowing that they’re disqualified early on. That way, they’ll focus their attention and efforts on another scholarship, and you’ll leave the impression of a business that cares about their scholarship applicants.
To thank them for applying
The scholarship has been awarded and your work is almost done. You can now use the opportunity to get in front of the students one more time and thank everyone who applied. You can give a short overview of the scholarship application process and remind students to apply again next year. Once again, it’s a short email that will cost you little in time and money, but it will make for a great final impression.
Conclusion
Sending emails to your scholarship applicants is an efficient way to keep your students in the loop at all times. Moreover, it’s one way to make sure that your applications go through more smoothly and that everyone who applies is satisfied, even if they’re not the scholarship winner. If you’re looking for an efficient way to manage your scholarships – you need to use a scholarship management system like ScholarshipApp. Our platform lets you create and manage scholarships with ease so that you can get started within as little as 15 minutes. If you’d like to give us a try – it’s completely free!
