My Background

Hello! My name is Madina and I am from Kazakhstan. Currently I am a third-year student majoring in Business Administration (BA) at Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar campus. I previously studied at Bilim Innovation Lyceum school, formerly known as Kazakh-Turkish lyceum (KTL).

Why Studying Abroad Was My Decision

The main reason that I decided to pursue education abroad was to accomplish my childhood dream of studying in a foreign country, traveling, and discovering the world. Before starting my degrees at university, I had not traveled much, therefore I wanted to discover and learn about unfamiliar places.

My Choice of Qatar and CMU Over Other Opportunities

When I was applying, my dream schools were U.S. universities, particularly those in the U.S. However, due to limited financial Aid options, I also considered satellite campuses in Doha and Abu Dhabi.

I applied to NYUAD, Hamilton College, Barnard College, Franklin & Marshall College, Menlo College, and Harvard. I was waitlisted at NYU Abu Dhabi and Barnard College at Columbia. I was accepted to CMU-Q and Menlo College in the U.S., but I didn’t receive enough financial aid to attend Menlo.

I chose CMU-Q because, firstly, it is in a very safe environment. Secondly, students receive the same U.S. education as in Pittsburgh, which, in my case, is important. Additionally, it offers many opportunities. That’s why, among other universities, I decided to study at Carnegie Mellon University.

Details About GPA, IELTS, and SAT Scores

My GPA was a perfect 4.0. My SAT score was 1450 and IELTS was 7.0. I didn’t take subject tests as they were canceled during my time, and I didn’t take any AP courses.

The Activities I Participated In Outside Of My Academics

I had a lot of extracurriculars and filled out all 10 sections available in the Common App. They ranged from research at a local university—since I was applying as a bio major initially because I was a science major at the time. I carried out research with a professor at a local university and completed an internship at UNICEF in Almaty, where my team worked on satellite construction.

I attended a variety of programs, including engineering camps and those offered by the American Corner organization. One of the most memorable was the Level Up Camp, where we won second place internationally and got rewards from the Chevron corporation.

At school, I was a minister in the school government department, where we arranged numerous events and received considerable funds. I underlined this heavily in my applications. In addition, I founded a teaching club, which greatly improved students' grades and became a major activity.

I also did volunteering, including at Echo Campus in Astana, and received a letter of appreciation from the minister of the college. These were some of the major activities I remember.

My College Essay

The funny thing is that I hated writing Common App essays so much—you can't even imagine. It was such a struggle for me, like going through seven rounds of hell. It was really hard to elaborate on everything, but in the end, I would say it was pretty successful. I wrote about my failure in high school. It started when I was in high school and fell down the stairs in front of everyone. It was such a shame for me, and that was the main key of my story.

Application Process

It took approximately six months, but it was not an intensive six months. In my instance, I already had all of the activities, so I spent two to three weeks writing my extracurriculars, honors, and all that part. It additionally took me three to four months to complete my Common App essay. I started in August and filed my application in January, so it was roughly five months in all. I started by completing my Common App application, then moved on to extracurriculars and honors, and finally the essays.

Details About The Financial Aid

When you apply to American colleges in Qatar, the procedure is funded by the Qatar Foundation, and you have to complete their application. When you submit your Common App before the deadline, everything will be viewable. 

Financial aid is need-based and relies on your financial situation. This scholarship differs from year to year. In my first year, I earned a full scholarship that covered expenses such as tickets. My scholarship stayed the same in the second and third years, but it did not always cover tickets. I obtained the full scholarship available that year. The scholarship amount typically ranges from $80,000 to $90,000 per year.

To be honest, if you earn the full scholarship, you will have enough money to live comfortably. You have no reason to go starving. You can afford to eat properly, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. I occasionally work to supplement my income, but a full scholarship is sufficient to live well for me.

How I Adapted During My First Week

Country-wise, the adaptation process was fine because Qatar has a lot of expats, so there aren’t as many Arabs as people often assume. I would describe my entire CMU experience with one word: humbling.

Everything was going well in high school—my experiences, my grades, everything seemed organized and controlled. However, when I got into CMU-Q, things were no longer perfect. It was more than simply academically hard. It was also mentally challenging. It was disheartening because, in high school, I considered myself a good student who achieved many things. However, at the university everyone had accomplished the same things to be accepted, and the competition made me feel unimportant.

The humbling experience came from being pushed out of my comfort zone. It forced me to do more, learn more, and constantly push myself forward. It was shocking at times because, in high school, studying for one evening before a test was enough to do well. At university, you could study for an entire week and still fail a test, which made me question “What was going wrong?”. I wasn’t stupid—I had been smart—but university challenges were on a completely different level. That realization humbled me greatly.

Balancing Life Outside the Classroom with Academics

I would say it’s really hard because, at CMU-Q, we assume you have a pretty decent social life. However, regardless of what you do, sometimes it’s really hard to even attend events because you don’t have time. Even if you do have time, sometimes you’re just tired and want to sleep or take a nap. I feel like it’s manageable, though. In the first month of sophomore year, I had to figure out a lot, but starting from junior year, I became more focused on academics.

Building Friendships

I would say there are two sides to this journey. At universities such as CMU-Q, GU-Q, or NU-Q, there are many Central Asians, so you don’t feel alone from the start because you share the same language and culture. However, making friends with international students proved quite difficult. You are from the beginning immersed in a community of Kazakhs, Russians, and other CIS nationals, which can make it challenging to connect with international students and form lasting relationships. Therefore, I would say this is both a benefit and a drawback to the educational experience.

Campus Jobs and Applications

Campus jobs can be extremely selective and comprehensive, but I was privileged to get job opportunities on campus throughout my education.

In sophomore year, I worked in the laboratory as a research assistant, helping with a multitude of responsibilities. When I tell people about my extracurricular activities, some are amazed, while others are astonished, especially when they realize I was a science major working in a research facility.

After moving to the business administration program, I began working as a media communications assistant in my university's marketing department. These were my two primary jobs, as I did not change positions much. I normally worked one job for a year and a half.

As a science major, I was fortunate to earn an internship in the United States at CMU Pittsburgh. I was granted complete funds to perform research under the guidance of academics, including those from Princeton. My university provided me with an incredible experience. Because I was a biology student, the biology department covered all of the costs for individuals admitted into the program, from CMU Qatar to CMU Pittsburgh.

Unforgettable University Moment

A lot of people will recall positive memories from university, yet for me, the most unforgettable moments were the bad ones. One such time was when I was humbled—no matter how shocked I was, it left a lasting impression on me.

It happened during my sophomore year, which was an extremely hectic time. I had classes from 8:30 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. every single day, with three to five 75-minute sessions. I only had a two-hour lunch break, and while the other students finished their days early, I remained in class until 6:00 p.m. It seemed comparable to working full-time. This difficult schedule was one that I will always remember due to its intensity.

My Biggest Challenge

I hold the opinion that your success at CMU is influenced by the school you attended before entering university. I attended Kazakh-Turkish Lyceum (KTL) High School, which is today known as Bilim Innovation Lyceum (BIL). We had a regular system that did not include any advanced programs.

When I came to CMU, I had challenges academically since I had never experienced anything like it before. While some individuals had already faced similar difficulties in 10th grade, the academic preparation at my school was different, which came as a shock to me.

The most challenging time in my life occurred in my sophomore year. I had six core courses that were truly stressful. In addition, It was an unbelievable workload, but I completed my courses successfully. It was a traumatic event in my life that I will remember for long.

Advices For The Students

You should thoroughly research universities because many of us focus only on prestige or the brand name. However, I truly believe it is more important to consider their career construction.

For example, there’s no point in going to CMU-Q Business major if you’re more inclined toward media or language studies, as CMU-Q programs are heavily focused on providing programs with a lot of math, coding and technicality primarily for math-focused individuals. While CMU-Q is prestigious, you might not be happy there.

Students shouldn't look at only the institution's name, but additionally the programs offered as well as how they are structured.

By doing so, you'll know what course will actually benefit you. For example, at our university, there were students who did Business Administration degrees, but were more interested in media and writing than in mathematics and statistics. They struggled since the curriculum was challenging for them and did not correspond with their interests, leaving them dissatisfied.

The primary factor is not the university's title, but how its programs meet your academic requirements. Regardless of whether it is Harvard, MIT, or a different school, you should consider how the university arranges its academic offerings to fit your objectives.