Applying to African Leadership University in Kigali? These are steps you should take!

Being able to pursue an undergraduate degree in Africa's most innovative university is one accomplishment I will continue to celebrate for a long time. The decision came in September 2022 while in the United Kingdom for the One Young World Summit. During a reflection moment, I realized that the education I was receiving wasn't preparing me for the future I wanted to create for myself and others. There and then, I took the hard decision to pursue my dream. 

Was the process easy? No! But was it worth it? Yes. I am here at last at my dream university and whatever difficulties I faced while on my journey here, it is nothing compared to the glorious future that awaits me.

Photo: My first day at African Leadership University

I have had tons of messages in my social media inboxes from young people asking about the application process and some advice on how to make their application stand out. I thought to put down this article to address those questions. And here is a bonus - I have also included the steps you would need to take after being offered admission to ensure you complete your requirement successfully and get fully admitted. 

So who is this article meant for:

• If you ever wish to study at African Leadership University(ALU).

• It is for you if you are contemplating if it is the best fit.

• If you are in the process of your application but are stuck.

• Also, for those who have already gotten admission and are wondering what the next steps look like.

Some things you should know about African Leadership University before applying:

First, you need to know that ALU has two campuses; Rwanda and Mauritius. I do not have enough information on Mauritius' campus since I am not studying there. And so when you see me mention the school's name, know it's for the Rwanda campus. 

• Tuition at ALU currently costs $3,000 per year. 

• ALU is not a traditional university. A lot of schoolwork is self-directed and involves experiential learning. You will only learn physically in your first term; the rest will be online. 

• Here, we pursue Mission, not Majors. The university seeks to raise ethical entrepreneurial leaders for the continent. Throughout your three years, you will be working on your thematic focus to solve Africa's challenging problems, whether as an entrepreneur or someone who wants to be in the workplace.

• ALU offers only undergraduate degree programs.

• The school offers two-degree programs for now, BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering (B.S.E.)  and BSc (Hons) in Entrepreneurial Leadership (B.E.L.). 

• Concerning accreditation, The Higher Education Council of Rwanda accredits the University. African Leadership University ranks first out of 24 universities in Rwanda, 229 out of 1,104 universities in Africa, and 6277 out of 14,131 universities worldwide.

• ALU offers financial aid in the form of grants (partial scholarships ranging from $500 - $2500 yearly) and Full ride scholarship (usually very limited and need-based). Being a grant recipient, you will be required to sort out your other expenses like accommodation, flights, upkeep, insurance, and the remaining tuition. Of course, the scholarship covers everything till your graduation. 

• Kigali is expensive; please have enough money if you are not on a scholarship. Or at least have an excellent strategic plan for generating income while you are here.

  Now Let's Get started: 

1. Application form:

To begin your application, go to start.alueducation.com . When I applied, it was a very straightforward process, and it still is now. You need an Identification Document such as your birth certificate, your National ID or Passport Bio-data page, and educational credentials, that is, your high school transcript covering Grades 10 to 12 (SS1 to SS3) and your National Examination result. For Nigeria, that is W.A.E.C result.

Photo: a screenshot of the Compulsory Documents

However, there is also a space for additional documents, which is considered optional, but I advise that you do not leave the section blank simply because it is optional. Upload your CV if you have one, and get letters of recommendation from your teacher, peer, and community leader. If you have taken any standardized test, please share the result too. Those documents could be what sets you apart from other applicants. Also, if your documents do not show enough proof of your English language competency or you were not taught in English, you will be asked to take an English proficiency test and share the result.

For a comprehensive guide on the application process, view this drive

2. ALU FIT CHALLENGE

Another process in the application may involve completing learning agility, cognitive ability, English Language, and personality assessment. These are just a series of questions that assesses your strength and weaknesses and your approach to solving problems. Don't be scared; there is no wrong or correct answer. It's to enable the school to know more about your personality. I do not know if the assessment is still incorporated into the application process. If it is, you need to be prepared.

3. FINANCIAL AID SECTION

In the last section of your application, there is an option to indicate interest in financial aid. If the answer is affirmative, an email to proceed with the application process will be sent. 

The documents required for this section are:

• Your high school fees receipts (If you paid school fees during your high school education)

• Your guardian's bank statement dates back to 3 or 6 months.

• A letter from your guardian stating their source of income.

• If there is any instance of special guardianship, you will be required to include a supporting document. 

• If you ever received financial support towards your tuition, there should be a document to prove that. 

Please note that the scholarship is very competitive and limited, and few persons get awarded. In case you are thinking of contacting me to guide you on how to get the scholarship. Unfortunately, I can’t since I did not get the scholarship. But I can say you should try as much as possible to provide enough evidence of your financial circumstance if you feel you deserve it to enable the team to decide. And if you do not get the scholarship, there is also the possibility of getting a grant, so don’t worry too much.

For the comprehensive requirement, read this document Pages 11 - 15

POST ADMISSION JOURNEY

So now you have received your admission and it’s positive, what next?

• Get your International Passport:

  An international passport is a must-have for every young person. But if you do not have one, I recommend you get it before putting in your application. The reason is that you may have little time to process your passport after receiving your admission decision. You wouldn't want all your hard work to go to waste because of that. 

• Upload final results or any other requirement(s):

  There are different admission decisions, and depending on which you get, you will be required to carry out some actions. You can read through the various choices on page 16 of this document. If it is Preliminary or Conditional, be ready to upload the documents as required. Please do so promptly.

• Pay your Place reservation:

  You will also be required to pay your place reservation to confirm your admission acceptance. The good thing is that this money will be deducted from your tuition fees, so it's not like it is an additional charge. Also, if you were awarded a scholarship, it covers this, too, so you won't have to bother. This only applies to those with partial scholarships (Grants) or paying their total fees. 

• Notarize your certificate:

  Your Notarized document will be needed when applying for your Equivalence certificate ( we will discuss this in the next point). Also, it will be required by the school for documentation. So, photocopy your original result and get it to a notary public to notarize it. Notarizing a copy of the original document is a way of notifying whoever receives the copy that the document is authentic and can be trusted. You can read more about the Notarization of documents here .

• Get your Equivalence Certificate:

  This is also important as you will need it to study in Rwanda as an international student. As long as your National examination was not administered by the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (N.E.S.A.) of Rwanda, you have to equate your certificate to prove that your secondary education meets their standard. You must have this to receive an unconditional offer from ALU. Your International Passport and Notarized certificates will be needed, which is why I mentioned them earlier.  Learn how to submit an equivalence certificate application on Irembo here .

• Get your police character certificate:

  As a prospective international student, you need your police character certificate from the country you have lived in for the last six months to apply for your visa/study permit when you arrive in Rwanda. In Nigeria, the process is straightforward. Visit possap.gov.ng for the online application. Print your receipt afterward and take it to the Police headquarters in your state for the biometrics. Of course, you would need to pay. 

• Get your yellow fever vaccination and the card:

  Right now, some Nationals in African countries are required to vaccinate against yellow fever and have the card before traveling to Rwanda. Nigeria is one of them as it falls under Yellow fever endemic countries.  The vaccination can be done in health centers and then apply for the card via Yellowcardnigeria.com . Take the receipt to the Ministry of Health to be given the card. Please note that the process may differ in terms of location and country. You need to ask questions to find out which process works in your location.

• COVID-19 Vaccination:

  Although we live in the post-covid era, we cannot say that COVID-19 is gone, so we would rather stay safe than sorry. If you were vaccinated, you would need to travel with your card; if you do not have one, you must get one. These requirements, however, may change as time goes on. Check the Rwandan health website and the airlines you would be traveling with to be sure.

•  Decide on your Health Insurance:

  It is compulsory to have health insurance before resuming At African Leadership University. You will need to either opt into the school's insurance plan or get your insurance provider and supply the information to the school. 

• Sort out your accommodation: You can choose to opt into the residence provided by the school or get your accommodation in town. For scholars, you need to reside at home, and if you choose to rent an apartment, you must choose places close to school, like  Kabeza, Kibagabaga, Remera, and Kimironko. You can take a motorbike to school, which will cost you a maximum of 500 - 1000rwf ($1) per trip, or a bus that costs about 200 RWF per trip.

• Book your flight early: If you are not on a scholarship, it is advisable to book your flight early to get a good deal. I booked my flight 7 weeks earlier, but I still could not get a good deal. So if you are planning on resuming in the intake you have been admitted to, please do not wait until the last minute to book your flight. 

I also want to add that ALU has the most supportive team for the application and post-admission processes so if you get stuck, please submit a request on the Help Desk or have a look at the Help Center articles.

Final thoughts

African Leadership University is for young people who want to create real change within themselves and their communities and who believe that the degree programs the university offers align with their goals and mission. I am here because this is where I belong. Here is a sneak-peak into ALU’s unique learning model .

If this is where you feel you belong, do not wait any longer, Start your application today!

I wish you all the best in your application process, and I hope this article has helped you in some way. I look forward to seeing you on Campus!

Photo: Me during orientation week at ALU Rwanda Campus

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