Not really sure what you mean by "Certified Applicant"
Every applicant that has completed all the steps of the application and meet the minimum requirements are sent before the board.
If an applicant is awarded a scholarship by the board, the board then picks one or more of the schools on the applicants list to award the scholarship.
Before the applications are sent to the board the PMS at every school the applicant lists will review the application. The PMS will then check a box, yes or no, for each applicant, these boxes are:
4 year Scholarship
3 year AD Scholarship
No Scholarship
This information will be added to your application that is reviewed by the board.
Each school has an alloted number of scholarships it can be awarded. Some of the very popular schools may fill up fast leaving no spots available for the 2nd or last board. Some schools do not reach their allotment, it really comes down to the schools on your list.
For example:
Applicant #1 may list all popular and very competitive schools/ROTC programs, their stats may be high but because of the large number of applicants that have listed the same schools, they would be just average compared to everyone else. This applicant may not receive a scholarship.
Now, for applicant #2, they may have stats that are lower then applicant #1 but they selected less competitive ROTC programs that don't always meet their scholarship quotas. This applicant may receive a scholarship where the one with higher stats did not.
As you can see, school selection can play a big part in the scholarship process.
If you are not selected for a scholarship by any of the 3 boards you won't have other schools that you did not list calling you to fill spots, those spots will just remain unfilled leaving the battalion with the opportunity to offer campus scholarships to their cadets.
You may find throughout this process that you will receive phone calls, letters, or emails from schools that you did not list on your application. ROO's can see your name and contact info through CIMMS and they may contact you, sometimes in a mass mailing to see if you might be interested in their program.
My younger son received several of these letters when he went through the process. He actually called one of the ROOs back and they talked a few times. The ROO told him he would check the yes box for him and would like to meet him. The whole back and forth was enough for my son to change his school list and add that school as his #2 choice. In the end he received a scholarship to 5 schools (That doesn't really happen anymore) We actually ended up traveling to Florida to see the school and meet with the battalion, it was a tough choice for him but he ended up selecting his #1 choice.
The point is that some of the schools that contact you may be schools that don't usually fill their quotas or are looking to attract the best applicants. It can also mean you may have a better chance at a scholarship with one of these school but again it's no guarantee, they are worth a look.
This is why it's important to only list schools you would be willing to attend, and schools that you are confident you can gain admission. There are many applicants each year the receive a scholarship but then post here saying they really didn't want that school "Can I transfer", the answer is yes, sometimes, maybe, but could be very difficult.
I hope that at least helped answer some of your questions.