Chevening Scholar Romy Massaad recently joined IDS to study the MA Development Studies (class of 2025-26). Along her journey to securing the Chevening scholarship, she initially faced rejection. In this blog post, Romy shares what she learned from this rejection and how she used it to strengthen and clarify her policy profile.
In 2024, I applied to Chevening for the first time and was shortlisted for an interview. I prepared intensively, joined networking groups, studied past questions, and structured my answers around leadership, networking, career goals, and “Why the UK?”
Blazer on, I walked into the British Embassy confident and convinced that I was ready. I highlighted impact numbers, programme outcomes, and community engagement. I had spent three years working in entrepreneurship and development in Lebanon.
But one question kept returning: ‘Why the UK?’
My answer sounded polished: world-class universities, international perspectives, and development organisations. All true. But not personal. Not specific.
When the rejection came in June, it felt devastating. I had already imagined my life in the UK: the lectures, the conferences, and even the concerts. I had planned out everything.
Facing rejection
That night, after receiving my rejection, I made a promise to myself: I would not spend the next year waiting to pursue the career I wanted; I would start now. For a long time, I had subconsciously treated a master’s degree and a scholarship as the only “starting line” for my policy journey. The rejection forced me to confront this mindset and begin now, with the resources and context I already had.
I enrolled in the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and, after months of preparation, became the youngest PMP holder in Lebanon. It helped me strengthen my ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects, skills essential to development and policy work.
At the same time, I joined the Governance Lab programme supported by the British Council and organised by Out of the Box and the United Nations Global Compact, where I developed a more structured understanding of policy analysis, governance systems, and evidence-based decision-making. I learned how policies are designed, evaluated, and contested.
I also deepened my civic engagement through Rotaract and the Global Shapers Community under the World Economic Forum, where I worked alongside young leaders committed to social change.
Alongside these experiences, I began networking more intentionally and humbly asked for help. I sought out mentors in policy, development, and public administration. I asked questions about career pathways, next steps, institutional constraints, and the realities of working at the intersection of politics and social impact. Each conversation refined my sense of direction.
Most importantly, one question stayed with me long after the interview ended.
Why the UK? A standard scholarship question. But after my rejection, it became something else entirely.
At first, I thought I had answered it well. When the rejection arrived, I kept replaying that moment in my head. Not the leadership answers. Not the networking examples. That one question.
Why the UK and not France, or the US, or anywhere else? Why this country? Why this ecosystem? Why IDS specifically? And more importantly, why did it matter to me?
That question haunted me for months. And in hindsight, I am grateful it did.
I began studying how the UK supports social enterprises through structured policy frameworks. I also looked at the UK’s development priorities in Lebanon and asked myself how I could realistically contribute to those objectives in the long term.
The more I explored, the more my answer shifted.
The UK was no longer simply “the best place to study development.” It became the place where I could learn about evidence-based policymaking, understand how policy is designed and evaluated, and connect with global practitioners.
And that shift transformed my entire application.
When I reapplied, my essays were completely different. Not because the first ones were weak, but because I had evolved. This time, my application was rooted in stories of experiences that shaped me and how they impacted the community around me. My “Why the UK?” was no longer about its reputation. It was about understanding how the UK’s policy system could deepen my thinking about development, social entrepreneurship, and change, especially through the training at IDS.
Documenting my journey
I wanted to approach my second interview differently. I prepared an 18-page booklet documenting my journey. It included:
- My impact journey with photos and reflections
- Five core questions: Why the UK? Why Chevening? Why IDS? Why me? Why now?
- My plans during the scholarship
- My short- and long-term career trajectory and how I aim to contribute to the Cheving community.
The process of building that booklet forced me to connect every experience I had into a coherent narrative. I realised that Chevening is not simply looking for high-achieving students. It is seeking intentional individuals who can explain how their skills, years of experience, studies, and community engagement have prepared them to lead, connect others, and act with purpose. It is about demonstrating how these experiences shape the way you approach a master’s degree and how learning within a specific institution in the UK will help you translate that learning into real impact through your career plans.
Chevening also values scholars who will give back to the Chevening community by acting as networkers, bringing others together, and contributing actively to the collective good.
In the interview, I wasn’t trying to prove I could become a Chevener. I had already stepped into one.
The hardest part: waiting
What is rarely discussed is the emotional toll. From March to June, waiting for results was the most difficult stretch of the journey. I am naturally anxious, and this opportunity meant everything to me. At one point, I realised I had to actively manage the stress instead of letting it consume me.
Running became my outlet. I had never been a runner before, yet during those months I completed three 5 km races. Movement grounded me. So did prayer and quiet reflection.
If you are applying, know this: your patience will be tested. Find something that anchors you. Exercise, creative work, community, faith, anything that helps you release the stress. Do not let the outcome define your sense of worth.
What rejection taught me
Without that first rejection, I would not have immersed myself so deeply in UK policy and development research. I would not have strengthened my policy profile. I would not have approached my journey at IDS with the clarity I now carry.
As Chevening says, “Rejection is redirection.”
Advice for future Chevening applicants
If you are considering Chevening, here is what I would share:
- Connect your experiences: Do not list achievements. Show how they form a coherent trajectory.
- Be intentional about IDS and the UK: Rankings are not enough. Identify interventions, institutions, organisations and academic strengths that align directly with your goals.
- Quantify your impact: Numbers matter, but so does reflection. What changed because you were involved?
- Think beyond the degree: What will you do during your time here? How will you use the Chevening network? How will you contribute to your home country?
Most importantly, do not approach the interview as someone hoping to become a Chevener. Step into the interview as a Chevener. Finally, even though the interview preparation might seem just part of the process, it will shape how you experience your time here at IDS and in the UK. It becomes your guiding light.
If you’re considering applying for scholarship funding, or have been selected for a Chevening interview, we are running a free webinar offering support and guidance from successful scholarship applicants. You can sign up below to attend: