Start date: Friday, 15^th Dec 2023, 12 pm (WAT)

Deadline: Monday, 8^th Jan 2024, 9 am (WAT)

Applicants who made it past the first stage of the application stage will receive an email prompting them to enroll in our Cyber Essentials course on our Learning Management System.  The Cyber Essentials course is beginner-friendly and equips you with the first tool you need to begin your cybersecurity journey, awareness. This stage is competitive and only applicants who successfully complete the course and meet the 70% cut-off mark will make it to the next stage.

Please note: If there are any adjustments to the feedback date, applicants will be notified via email and through our social media channels. Contact the admissions office via email if you still haven’t received an email two days after the communicated date.

Start date: Friday, 12^th January 2024, 12 pm (WAT)

Deadline: Monday, 12^th February 2024, 9 am (WAT)

In this stage, you will be required to complete the identity verification and recommendation form.

Verifying your identity

Applicants who make it to this stage are expected to provide a valid means of identification in JPG/PNG/PDF format. The means of identification should be one that supports your nationality claim. Accepted means of identification include National identification card, international passport, and driver’s license.

A valid means of identification meets the following criteria;

1. Contains your date of birth
2. Has a clear photograph of your face
3. Indicates your nationality
4. Is a valid national identification method in your country

Recommendation

Recommendations are an integral part of the CyberGirls Application selection process. You are expected to turn in two letters;

1. A signed Academic or Educational recommendation letter written by an individual who has known you in an academic or professional capacity. We recommend having a former teacher, professor, academic advisor, a current or former employer or supervisor writing this for you.
2. A Signed Character Reference letter written by an individual that can comment on your general suitability to a CyberGirl. This can be a family member, friend, guardian, or community leader. This person will also serve as an emergency contact and guarantor liable to incur charges in the event of damage or loss of property.

Ensure you inform the individuals whose letters you are submitting that they will be contacted by our team before submitting their details.

Please note: The submitted data cannot be modified or corrected after submission. Ensure to provide correct and verifiable information as failure to do so results in automatic disqualification from the process and loss of spot in the fellowship.

All applicants who submit verifiable information in the third stage of the application will make it to this stage. In this stage personal statement and application video entries submitted in the first stage are graded using a point-based system and only 500 applicants will make it into the fellowship. Whilst you might naturally feel nervous, understanding the system would help you put your best foot forward and send in a strong application.

Grading System

Entries will be graded using the following criteria;

• Person

This section grades responses to questions 1 and 7 in the application video and questions 1, 2, 5, and 6 in the personal statement. The applicant is expected to talk about themselves, their achievements, experiences, and most importantly why they are the right candidates. In summary, the goal is to answer the question goal “Who are you and why should we choose you?”  Having leadership experience is an added advantage.

• Purpose

This section assesses responses to questions 3, 4, and 5 in the application video. The applicant is expected to discuss their career goals, why they chose the fellowship, and how the fellowship helps actualize those goals. A key indicator is their ability to explain clearly how helpful the training will be in achieving their career goal.

• Passion and Enthusiasm

This section grades responses to questions 2 and 6 in the application video and question 4 in the personal statement. The applicant is expected to discuss their interest in cybersecurity, and showcase the knowledge gathered through research on the subject matter and the next steps if they do not get into the program. We firmly believe that passion doesn’t easily give way when faced with rejections, so we actively look out for resilience. The goal is to answer the question “How passionate are you about cybersecurity and what motivates you?”

• Preparation

This section assesses the response to question 3 in the personal statement. The goal is to answer the question “What have you done about your passion for cybersecurity and how have you been able to nurture this passion?”. The applicants are expected to demonstrate an interest in developing their knowledge of cybersecurity through research, free and paid courses, workshops, training, boot camps, and university education.

• Presentation and Delivery

This section assesses all the applicants’ responses taking into consideration how applicants are able to clearly communicate the points, display passion, and present themselves as excellent choices. The goal is to answer the question “Do you think this candidate fits the profile of our ideal CyberGirl fellow?”

Only 1 in 40 applications will make it to this stage. All applicants will be informed of the status of their application via email. Successful applicants are carefully selected through an intense review process by the CyberGirls Fellowship admissions committee. Applicants who meet all admission requirements will be sent an email welcoming them into the fellowship before the 7^th of March 2024. 

Note: Only contact the admissions team for updates if you haven’t received the email on the status of your application two days after the communicated feedback date.