u/Parking-Bid7959

▲ 2 r/KAIST

I really need some advice from European KAIST students

Hello, I am from Central / Eastern Europe and want to apply to KAIST next year. I have perfect high school grades, 1550 SAT (800 Math), and a good leadership EC, with a very good recommendation letter from my advanced math teacher. However, I might lack the depth in my field (CS) that KAIST usually wants. I do have one very good project, an advanced stock bot, and I have the prestigious Java OCP certificate, which is usually for professional coders. My main flaw is that I don't have any national/international olympiads, only regional math and physics olympiads (one step below national, my best placements are around the top 30%), or any other competitions, and no research either.

Most applicants to KAIST (and other Asian universities in general) are from Asia, and I read that KAIST seeks a diverse student body. If I were from Kazakhstan or India, I'm sure my chances would have been very low. The success stories I read here are pretty depressing to me, honestly. Like, did the Ivy League monster applicants come to Asia, too?

As I come from a pretty underrepresented region, will my chances be good? Are any fellow Europeans here with no olympiads/competitions who got in? Sorry, I know there are countless other similar questions, but I haven't seen one about this specific topic before. I'd really appreciate some feedback from you guys. Thank you!

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u/Parking-Bid7959 — 12 days ago