All students were screened against the eligibility criteria for the program. Students who did not meet the eligibility criteria were excluded. Then eligible students were assessed based on their verified English level, grades and academic merit, as well as motivation and suitability for study in Australia in their selected domains. A shortlist of students were selected for interview. Each interview was conducted by a panel of experts including academics, community leaders, those with lived refugee experience and individuals working in the Australian refugee settlement sector. Interviewers scored each student on key criteria including academic merit, academic ambition, motivation, leadership potential, communication skills and English performance. The highest scoring students were offered a place in the program.