My Academic Background & Study Abroad Goals

Hi, my name is Dilafruza, originally from Fargona, Uzbekistan. I am currently a gap year student and graduated from school in the summer of 2025. For ten years, I studied at a public school in Uzbekistan, but in the last year, I received a full scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools in Tashkent—Rakhimov School. As a result, I moved to Tashkent to study there for a year. In my senior year, I was surrounded by students applying to universities abroad. Motivated by my peers, I approached my mom to ask for her opinion on whether I could also study abroad. However, I realized she was not fully supportive of my decision. At first, I did not apply to any local universities because I was determined to study overseas, and seeing my friends get into top colleges inspired me even more. Eventually, I concluded that I wanted to study in the U.S. and saw it as my ultimate destination.

Up until now, I have been working as a developer at several companies, building projects even though it was not officially recognized. I believe my extracurricular activities were strong enough that universities accepted me without SAT scores. Before applying abroad, I was also studying at a university in Uzbekistan with a 50% scholarship, which my mom strongly supported. Later, my dad encouraged me to apply to universities abroad. After that, I made my decision and started writing my essays at the end of September.

The reasons I decided to study abroad were not limited to educational opportunities but also included the cultural and university life environments they offer. This is exactly why I chose Rice University as my top school. In addition, it is located in Texas, one of the most beautiful states in the U.S. There are many qualified professors who will guide students in building business projects and turning ideas into reality.

Standardized Tests & Application Process

In August 2025, I took my first IELTS test and scored 6.0 out of 9.0. Feeling pressured by the demands of studying and applying to colleges simultaneously, I decided not to retake it. Nevertheless, I prepared for two months and improved to a 7.0, which still did not meet my expectations. Therefore, I took the test again one day before the deadline and scored 7.5 out of 9.0.

My GPA was 5.0 out of 5.0. I had the opportunity to take the SAT because one of my teachers offered me a free seat in a mock SAT preparation center. I told myself I would have to take the SAT since I planned to apply to Stanford, which requires SAT scores. However, when I tried to register for the SAT, there were no available spots close to late November.

Regarding my applications, I applied to up to 20 universities through the Common App and to 16 universities via Scoir. For some schools in Hong Kong and South Korea, I applied directly through their websites.

My Extracurricular Activities & Start-ups

First, I was involved in many extracurricular and leadership activities. One of my most significant leadership roles was becoming Microsoft’s first female Ambassador from Uzbekistan. I noticed many girls were interested in becoming ambassadors, and I became the first to break stereotypes. Although some people may believe that not entering university immediately after graduation is a sign of laziness, I proved that I was capable of achieving meaningful goals.

I am also a co-founder of a project that has been running for three years, aimed at helping women drivers become financially independent and creating opportunities for girls to choose female drivers for better safety. Furthermore, I am currently interested in other types of startups. In Uzbekistan, startups are very popular, and Rice University has an advisory board that can help students turn their ideas into reality.

To elaborate further, I consider my startup, MehrGo, one of the key factors in my admission. Currently, our monthly revenue is $2000. We aim to make an impact locally in Uzbekistan and are expanding to regions in Kazakhstan and Tatarstan. I joined this project at age seventeen as a co-founder while the main founders were male leaders collaborating to build a program for women. At the time, their project was about to fail, and I helped them continue successfully, earning several awards and certificates during demo days. Later, I traveled to Tatarstan on a business field trip for my startup and met many great founders, which gave me the opportunity to share ideas and build friendships.

As for honors, I participated in one Olympiad—Informatics—and placed third at the national level in Uzbekistan. I also received an award for being a tech leader twice. In addition, I am among the most recognized tech women leaders in Uzbekistan, which I believe stood out to the admissions officers.

My scholarships & expectations of my university

As for how I financed my education at one of the top schools in the U.S., I was awarded a full-ride scholarship that covers both the direct and indirect costs of my attendance—such as tuition, room and board, books, and health insurance. In total, it amounts to $380,000 in aid, plus a $1,000 annual stipend. As long as you can prove your financial need to the admissions officers, Rice University will meet 100% of each student’s demonstrated need.

As I will be starting my freshman year soon at Rice University, I am excited about orientation week, which I learned about from the website and used in my essays. While researching, I discovered they host celebration parties and homecoming events, during which alumni return for graduation ceremonies. Another factor that excites me is the residential college system—Rice University has 11 of them, each offering a diverse range of cultures and traditions.

My Final note to students who aim to study abroad

My final suggestion to students who plan to study abroad is to focus on extracurricular activities rather than placing all your emphasis on the ACT or SAT. When students join extracurricular activities, it should never be solely for the sake of admission—many students do this and end up being rejected or receiving less scholarship support. I would encourage them to develop a passion project, even if it’s not nationally or internationally recognized. However, it must genuinely align with your passions and intended major.

Additionally, I believe building a personal brand is a great initiative. For example, I spent four years building my personal brand, and many people now know me and can find my name through Google searches because of that project. It’s also a great opportunity to show admissions officers what you’ve been working on and to present a clear image of your personality. Furthermore, students should engage in activities and projects related to their major, as this demonstrates genuine passion for their field of study. Besides, community service is another essential part of your application—it should be something both meaningful and valuable to you. All in all, I suggest recording an introduction video of yourself and sending it to universities to clearly convey who you are and why you applied to their institution.