DC Lead – Selection's outcome: copy of the notification

Application's Outcome: Copy of the notification

Dear Candidate,

Last week, the selection committee met and reviewed 499 applications. Selecting students for the E+ scholarship is a very challenging task. Applications are divided into three groups, i.e. a group for each track. Each group has three reviewers. First, they individually select students by taking into account work experience, academic records, motivation and letters of recommendation. Lack of a proof of English proficiency did not affect the selection process; we are aware that for many candidates providing a valid English certificate in a relatively short time is complicated if not impossible.

Second, the members of each group gather and discuss the candidates, trying to find among them those that will benefit the most from their participation in the programme, and that, through their participation in the programme, will be able to make a positive impact on society. After the groups have extensively reviewed the applications for their tracks (including the ones that selected a particular track as second choice), all the members of the selection committee participate in the same meeting. At this stage, the sum of candidates considered for each track is still many times larger than the number of places available. Members discuss the candidates and attempt to find out those that are particularly suited for the programme, but also, to create a diverse group. In fact, the final “main list” contains candidates that are young and have recently graduates, but also candidates that are older and have had a very successful career so far; there are candidates from countries that have been already represented in the programme and countries that have never been represented. Gender, backgrounds and interests are also considered.

Self-funding students are considered separately (including the candidates that have sent a ‘combined’ self-funding + scholarship application) and a list of most suitable candidates is compiled. The criteria are the same, although the potential effects on society are not considered. There are three selected candidates for each place available. Experience tells us that many candidates apply as self-funding students hoping that this will increase their chances to be selected for scholarship, although this is not the case. Others may hope to be selected first, and worry about funding later. Unfortunately, only later many candidates selected as self-funding students discover that they will not be able to afford this education. Therefore, in the past years, all the candidates selected as self-funding students that have secured funding for participating in the programme, have finally registered and attended our programme. No further selection was required.

However, participation in the programme (for scholarship and self-funding students alike) is only secured after a successful interview and after admission, following the reception by our administration of all the original (and valid) documents required for phase 2. At the end of phase 2, a letter of registration from the university is provided and students apply for visa, if needed.

Given the large demand, there is a very large pool of very talented individuals that have not been selected for this programme. For this intake, the selection ratio for an E+ scholarship is about 4%. The selection ratio for self-funding students is about 30%. Experience tells us, however, that in the end, the selection ratio of self-funding students will be lower than 15%.

Many of you that have not been selected will want to know how to improve your chances. It is counterproductive for us to give an individual feedback, as we cannot guarantee that whatever we might suggest at this stage will indeed improve the chances for selection. This time you might have been the less experienced one among candidates of the same nationality, or you might have been the candidate with a lower average within the group of the same gender for the same track. Next year, there will be a new pool of candidates and a set of new ‘dynamic’ priorities for the final round of selection. If you are interested in the programme, you should try again.

There are some general characteristics that make candidates better suited for our programme, particularly if they seek a scholarship: experiences with different cultures, an inclusive attitude, engagement with civil society – particularly, if this relates to the use of diffusion of digital communication technologies – academic excellence, presentations at international conferences, publication of books, academic papers, documentaries or newspaper articles, and the awareness of the ways in which the programme can facilitate the achievement of career goals.

From this year, the results of the selection are listed on the website from the following address

With your own application ID, you can find out the outcome of your application. Information about the outcome of your application as self-funded might be visible after clicking on the + sign, depending on the size of your screen.

If the outcome is ‘Not selected for E+ Scholarship’ and ‘Not selected as Self-funded student’ you will be not taking part in the programme in the edition starting in September 2020. Please consider applying again next year, after reviewing the updated selection criteria published in the spring of 2020.

Alternatively, you might be interested in the programmes offered by our partner universities, which are taught in English. Some of these programmes have even some courses together with DCLead students!

For example:
Master in Communication Studies – New Media and Society in Europe [offered by VUB in Brussels]
Master in Communication Studies – Journalism and Media in Europe [offered by VUB in Brussels]
Mater’s Communication, Health and Life Sciences [offered by WU in Wageningen]
Master’s Development and Rural Innovation [offered by WU in Wageningen]
Master’s International Development Studies [offered by WU in Wageningen]
Master’s Management, Economics and Consumer Studies [offered by WU in Wageningen]
MSc. programme Innovative Communication Technologies and Entrepreneurship (ICTE) [offered by AAU in Copenhagen]

If the outcome is ‘E+ Scholarship Reserve list for … ICT4D / TECMAN or POLINN’ it means that you could be offered a place in case some of the ‘main list candidates’ decide not to participate or fail to produce the required documentation for phase 2. Although a very limited number, most years candidates from the reserve list are offered a place in the end. You should have the documentation ready in case we contact you. This could happen between beginning of March and end of May. If you want, you can also apply as self-funding student. In case of a scholarship is made available and you are selected, the deposit (see below) will be returned to you.

If the outcome is ‘Shortlisted for E+ scholarship for …. ICT4D / TECMAN or POLINN’ you are on the “main list”. You should receive an email inviting you to contact an interview partner to arrange a teleconference meeting. If you have been shortlisted and have not received such email (also after checking your spam folder) please email [email protected] from the same email address on your application. Please also mention your application ID and date of birth.

If the outcome is ‘Shortlisted as self-funding student for … ICT4D / TECMAN or POLINN’ please email [email protected] to tell us if you want to proceed with phase 2 of the application, or if you prefer to cancel your self-funding application now. If we will not receive an email from you by 31. January 2020, we will consider your application as withdrawn. You should note that the next step requires the payment of a deposit of 1.807 euro. The interview will be carried out only after a proof of payment is provided. In case of non-selection after the interview, a deposit of 1800 will be returned (7 euro are kept as contribution to the banking fees). Also, 1800 euro will be also returned in case a candidate decides to cancel the application before 23. April 2020. Between the 23. April 2020 (included) and 31. July 2020 there are 100 days, and the deposit of any applicant deciding to cancel her/his/their application will be proportional to the number of days remaining to 1. August 2020. For example, if a candidate cancel the application on 22. July 2020, 10 days before the deadline, 10% of the 1800 deposit will be returned to the candidate (180 euro). The date considered for the reimbursement is the date of the email received by [email protected] that candidate use to announce the withdrawn of their application. In case of withdrawn after 1. August 2020, the deposit is no longer reimbursed.

Those of you accepted as self-funding candidate that intend to proceed with the application should pay the deposit of 1807 euro into the following account:

Precise denomination of the account holder: UNIVERSITY OF SALZBURG
Name of bank: UNICREDIT BANK AUSTRIA AG
Address of branch: 65-67, JAGERSTRASSE, AT – VIENNA
IBAN code: AT231200006953834602
Please add the reference: Surname DCLead Application P_133001_67.

At any stage, please contact [email protected] if you have any questions. Please note that this email is monitored by Programme administrator Carolin Aichhorn, who is employed on a part-time basis. Hence, providing an answer to some questions might require up to 48 hours.

I sincerely wish you all the best in your future endeavours, whether these involve a participation in our programme, or other, equally rewarding and exciting opportunities.

Sergio Sparviero

Coordinator
Master in Digital Communication Leadership (EMJMD)
www.dclead.eu