Hello! I am Abd-El Rahman Labib from Cairo, Egypt. I graduated from STEM High School for Boys - 6th of October in 2020 and from Tufts University in 2024. This is the story of my journey!

My Background

I attended STEM High School for Boys - 6th of October. The story of how I joined this remarkable school is nostalgic. My father's best friend was a math teacher who tutored both me and his son in Grade 9. He was an amazing person who treated me like his own son. One day, he told me about this high school and explained how it differs from other schools in Egypt. It's a boarding school that brings together the best Grade 9 students from across the country. "I will apply for you and my son," he said to me. And true to his word, he phoned my dad and convinced him of the school's curriculum. He even took me from home on the test day and delivered me to the exam. I am so grateful to him!

After I joined the school, I began to explore its world. I discovered an outstanding community that was passionate about STEM fields—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The community's goal was to achieve better education. We studied hard in high school to earn opportunities to study abroad in search of that better education.

Why Did I Choose the U.S. as My Destination?

I saw the U.S. as a place that truly nurtures talent. The United States prioritizes education, which is why so many talented international students come here. The U.S. has excellent research programs and rigorous academic standards.

I had considered Germany as a destination, but I am glad to have ended up in the U.S. The U.S. offers robust computer science programs, but what really excited me were the entrepreneurship programs. The approach to money management and entrepreneurship is different here, and I'm learning new things every day!

Why Tufts University?

I knew a senior from my school who had gone to Tufts University, and he was the only one from our school to do so. I contacted him and asked a few questions about the university. I decided it would be a good idea to apply early decision to Tufts. The university has notable alumni like J.P. Morgan, who was the CEO of J.P. Morgan Chase, and the founder of PayPal. I believed Tufts would provide me with better opportunities.

Stats, Grades, and Test Scores

My high school GPA was 4.0/4.0. I submitted an SAT score of 1410 to Tufts University. After being accepted, I retook the SAT and scored 1510, which I also submitted to the university. I also took the TOEFL and scored 101/120.

Extracurricular Activities

I was the Vice Chief Executive Officer at my school, responsible for organizing school events and managing the dormitory's schedule and food. I also chaired TEDx 6October, though unfortunately, the event was not completed due to COVID-19.

One of my most fascinating experiences was participating in the LaunchX Egypt program. Ali Krema, a member of the Class of 2019, got a license from the LaunchX program to create a year-long program in Egypt. My team and I won a global nomination for our startup. We were supposed to compete at MIT, but we couldn't attend due to unforeseen circumstances.

Personal Statement

I am passionate about teamwork. I believe that working as a team creates great potential for success, not just for the individual but for the entire team. This concept was effectively applied at my school. All of my classmates were determined to receive a better education, so we supported each other in achieving our goal of studying abroad at top educational institutions. In my personal statement, I described a beautiful girl, listing her qualities, and revealed at the end that the "girl" was actually my school.

Scholarship and Tuition

I was accepted to Tufts University with a full-ride scholarship that covered all my needs. I only had to pay for personal expenses.

Life at Tufts University

I initially majored in Mechanical Engineering. However, in the middle of my sophomore year, I took a computer science course that led me to change my major to Computer Science. I found Computer Science captivating—I love translating my ideas into code. I also pursued a minor in Entrepreneurship.

One of the things I loved most about the university was the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts. Jack Derby, a millionaire entrepreneur well-known in Boston, invested in Tufts to establish this center for budding entrepreneurs. He brought in his friends, who are also successful entrepreneurs, to serve as professors in the program. These individuals work as CEOs during the day and teach at night, providing real-world advice from people who have successfully built startups. Jack Derby even brought in a former software engineer who was part of the team that designed the Xbox remote controller to serve as the program's director.