This Stanford student was a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship: Here’s what everyone can learn from her experience

On November 15, 2025, Celeste Chung received the news that she had not secured a spot for the Rhodes Scholarship, one of the world’s most prestigious scholarships.

The acceptance rate is at 0.7% and only one Malaysian out of 1,000 applicants is awarded this scholarship. Since 1966 (60 years ago as of 2026), only 37 recipients have been honoured.

Chung was one of the six finalists. She spent months preparing for the interview, as well as hoping to break the five-year streak of male recipients and give Sabah the representation it deserved.

Sadly, the results weren’t what she hoped for.

Chung, alongside COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago, at the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME). Source: UNICEF Malaysia

Here’s why she thinks she failed to secure the Rhodes Scholarship

Chung did what everyone would do — replay her interview in her head over and over again to figure out what went wrong. After some thinking, it clicked in her. 

“I was too humble,” she shares. “I think I had to name-drop more in the interview.”

No, not name-dropping people, but listing out all the impressive things she was doing in detail. She believes this was one of the main reasons she was unable to secure the Rhodes Scholarship.

“I should have ‘bragged’ about myself, but I find that so hard to do,” Chung explains. “I didn’t mention that I worked for NATO. I didn’t share how I spoke at a United Nations Conference in the US as the Malaysian representative in front of 10,000 youths.”

That wasn’t all; Chung advised European Union ambassadors on writing policies and is currently helping Stanford University establish a Southeast Asian department. She’s also in the process of pitching the idea of sending Stanford students to Malaysia for internships.

 

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Oh — let’s not forget that she founded ‘Youth For The Future’, an organisation that’s supporting over 10,000 children. Chung even successfully secured funding at the age of 14 and won several grants to keep it going, in addition to US$100,000 from crowdfunding.

“I spoke about my non-profit, but I did not speak of the people in this non-profit,” she shares. “You know, I don’t think I was telling enough stories that connected to them, because anyone can talk about a non-profit, but can they really go into depth to talk about the people that it’s built for?”

Chung finds it frustrating, as she has many stories to tell. 

She acknowledges that she preaches about representing Sabah and that education is essential; however, she believes that not explaining her “why” was what also cost her the Rhodes Scholarship.

Chung participating in the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) to hand over the ASEAN Children and Youth Climate Declaration, also known as the Langkawi Declaration, to the environmental ministers. Source: UNICEF Malaysia

5 tips for future Rhodes Scholarship applicants, from a past applicant

With the benefit of hindsight, Chung has identified five key lessons she hopes other applicants will know when applying.

Here are five tips, in the hope that they’ll guide future applicants through the overwhelming and often emotional Rhodes Scholarship application process. 

Write your personal statement from your heart

Chung spent three months preparing all the documentation for the Rhodes Scholarship, and the easiest part of the application was writing her personal statement. 

“It was easy to write, and I was in a flow state,” she shares. “You know, when you’re in a coffee shop, and you’re writing, it just keeps going; that was how it was for me. And it was because it came from my heart.”

Form a close relationship with your professors

Five recommendation letters, and three of them are from professors. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but Chung later learnt that it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

“Three recommendations are already a lot of work to secure, let alone five,” she shares. “But I managed to get them as I had three professors I’m close with, as I worked with them on research.” 

Chung recommends forming a close relationship with your professors, as it will help you reduce the burden and time of looking for recommenders.

Secure internships and work opportunities

This tip — no doubt — is a must. 

“The other two recommendations needed are from your workplace,” Chung explains. “So I got one from NATO and the United Nations,” she shares. 

Internships and your jobs should be related to what you’re studying or applying for, and even holding leadership positions during those jobs will help boost your credibility and showcase your skills.

Chung is originally from Sabah, the poorest state in Malaysia. Source: Celeste Chung

Prepare for your interview

Chung found the interview preparation the most challenging — and believes that this is the reason for her failure to secure the scholarship.

“I prepared every day for three to four hours, but it was my downfall,” Chung says. “I thought it was going to be like a US-style interview, and I prepared so much like reading up on rural events, but we didn’t talk about it at all.”

They’ll start with an introduction and then proceed directly.

“They asked me a lot about how my non-profit started, and then the questions got very technical,“ she explains. “For example, they asked me a specific article of the constitution and asked me how I work on statelessness, education, and even climate change.”

There were even trick questions.

“One interviewer asked me this question, ‘We understand you’re working to build schools for stateless children, but isn’t it immorally wrong to leave out refugee children?’” Chung laughs. “It was a play on words, and I know they did it on purpose for good reasons.”

Chung even received a history question on how it relates to what she’s trying to achieve. 

“However, I’ve heard that in past interviews, they have questioned candidates on their financial standings,” she adds. “They’ll question your privileges and whether you actually need this scholarship.”

Chung is participating as a Malaysian youth delegate at the ASEAN Children & Youth Climate Summit (ACYCS) 2025 in Malaysia. Source: The Rakyat Post

Dedication and forking out your own funds

Here’s the curveball that Chung was thrown — she had to fork out over US$1,000 (RM4,164) for a flight back home to Malaysia. 

“I had the opportunity to take the interview online, but I decided it would be better if I flew back home to attend it in person,” she explains. 

The main reason? The engagement party.

“The interview is just 40 minutes long, but I wanted to attend the party that’s hosted the night before the interview, as we can meet the candidates and panellists,” Chung shares. “If you’re online, it’s not authentic, and it’s harder to connect with the interviewers.”

Chung understands that there may be a financial burden for applicants, and she advises checking with your universities to see if they can sponsor a ticket home, as she knows that some do.

Know your why

This is key to your application, and here’s why.

“You can be the most qualified and amazing person out there, but if you don’t know your why, then I don’t think it will make a big difference to your application,” Chung shares. “Because your why is what makes you outstanding.”

Knowing your why will make your case more captivating, and that’s how you’ll pull people in to support your cause. And there’s no doubt that judges and panellists want to see that. 

“Know your why,” Chung repeats. “And draw them in.”