My Background

I am from Jalal-Abad, a beautiful region located in the southern part of my country. I attended School #4, where the curriculum was taught in Kyrgyz. Students from my school usually focus on getting good scores on the national exam for high school graduates and continue their studies in one of the universities in Kyrgyzstan. So, I was one of those students. However, everything changed when I met a girl from my school who was a scholarship recipient of the New Generation Academy (NGA) program. NGA is an academic preparatory program at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. That girl inspired me to apply to this program and shared her experience with me, which reinforced my motivation to pursue it. Happily, I got into NGA, meaning I was one of the 25 students from Kyrgyzstan awarded a scholarship to study at NGA for free. It was in 2020. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, the program was held online. However, we lived in the dormitory, which helped us feel the vibe of being an NGA student. As part of the curriculum there, I had to take math classes, Russian language classes, English classes, and other courses aimed at improving students' soft and hard skills. Overall, this is how I got to know about American culture and values while being at AUCA; this experience strengthened my desire to go to the US, which has been a dream of mine since childhood.

Extracurricular activities

I’m the type of person who is more involved in academics than extracurricular activities, but I still try to integrate the two. I believe in quality over quantity, so I focused on a few key experiences. In my freshman year, while mostly studying, I volunteered with UNICEF and Jerdin Baldari, a local ecological organization.

In my second and third years, I became heavily involved with the mentorship project, TechYouthKG, where I developed skills in project management, leadership, and even some basic project finance.

Essentially, TechYouthKG is a mentorship program connecting experienced mentors with mentees who need help with their university applications. We try to match mentors and mentees based on shared interests, and this usually works well. We’ve had around 13-16 mentors each year. To make the program available to everyone in Kyrgyzstan, and even to mentors studying in different countries, it’s offered online.

We organize final in-person meetings in Osh city for mentees residing in the southern part of my country and in the capital city Bishkek for mentees from the northern region of Kyrgyzstan. These events let the students finally meet their mentors face-to-face.

We’re happy to report that our participants found their project experience helpful in gaining acceptance to their desired universities in countries like Hungary, Turkey and top schools like AUCA and Ala-Too University in Kyrgyzstan.

This was my major extracurricular activity that I fully directed my focus on.

Why I Chose Liberal Arts and Sciences

I actually started as a Business major student in my freshman year. I didn’t really like it because I learned that I wasn’t interested in business at all. I just chose Business because it was prestigious and popular. But after my first year, I realized that Liberal Arts is what I really needed. You see, if you don’t know exactly what you want to do in the future, Liberal Arts is perfect. In the Liberal Arts system, you learn about a lot of different things – a little from this area, a little from that area – and now I know what I’m interested in! For my Master’s degree, I’ve kind of decided what I want to pursue.

The great thing about this major is that it teaches you how to think and to consider different perspectives. As a result, many students majoring in it become more interested in studying global problems: global inequality and poverty, migration and displacement, the impact of geopolitical competition, etc. As a part of my major, I also learned a lot about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Overall, studying Liberal Arts and learning more about its subjects has made me understand important issues in our society, and that’s why I’m now more involved in helping my community.

Why UGRAD?

Well, there were two main reasons why I wanted to apply. First, I really wanted to go abroad as an exchange student through the opportunities AUCA offered. Despite the variety of exchange semesters available, UGRAD resonated with me most strongly because it offered the chance to fulfill my dream of traveling to the United States. This desire, like for many people, came from the media – television and celebrities.Second, I was so inspired by the students around me. Many came from rural areas with limited opportunities, but they were incredibly driven to make the most of everything. Seeing their hard work made me want to apply myself, too.

The Application Process: First and Second Attempts

I applied for UGRAD when I was a freshman, but I didn’t put much time into it. I only worked on the application for a day, so I wasn’t accepted. But the following year, in my sophomore year, I worked really hard because I wanted to be accepted so much.

The second time, I started my application early. I prepared for about a month, gathering all the necessary documents like recommendation letters, transcripts, and completing the application itself on the website.Regarding the application itself, the most difficult part was the essays. You should start them early—at least a month or even three months before the deadline—so you have time to edit, recheck them many times, and have other people read and check them.

What I also did differently in my second attempt was reach out to UGRAD alumni from my university. That was the best decision ever! In my first application, I didn’t give my essays to anyone to read. But the second time, even though I was a little shy, I contacted one alumni. And she was ready to help. Sometimes you hesitate, thinking, “I don’t know this person well,” or “They don’t know me.” But I took the chance, and it was invaluable.

She gave a lot of good feedback. I was able to significantly improve my essays. The key feedback was that my first essays weren’t specific enough; I didn’t have clear, specific goals. Her comments helped me make my essays very specific, and I was able to rewrite them in a way I really liked.

I also reached out to a professor, not to check the essay content, but to help me reduce the word count. The main essay had a 600-word limit, and I was struggling to meet it. As a native speaker, the professor could help me cut out unnecessary words. So, reaching out to people for help was the most effective part of my second attempt. You should ask for help; if they reject you, it’s okay. You don’t lose anything!

So the main essay question was about why I wanted to join the UGRAD program.

I structured my main essay as a narrative, showing how a childhood experience influenced my future aspirations. I demonstrated how my extracurriculars, studies, and college classes were all steps towards reaching that goal. I explained how my major—Liberal Arts and Sciences with a concentration in social entrepreneurship—aligned with my ambition to develop innovative solutions for societal challenges. I shared why I deserved the opportunity, what I hoped to learn from studying in the US, and how I’d use it to pursue my goals back in Kyrgyzstan. My central theme revolved around the significance of expanding educational opportunities, especially for young people from underprivileged backgrounds.

The strategy of connecting my childhood, the issues in my village, my leadership project (TechYouthKG), and my future goals in higher education was key to writing specific details. These details effectively conveyed what kind of person I was to the admission officers.

Financial Aid

The UGRAD program provides generous financial support, covering tuition, housing, meals, and round-trip travel for its participants. As a UGRAD finalist, you also receive:

• Settling-In Allowance: Upon arrival in the US, participants receive a one-time payment of over $1,000. This is intended to cover initial expenses such as airport transportation, luggage fees, settling-in costs, and academic books. This payment may not be immediate and can take up to two or three weeks to be received as a bank account needs to be opened.

• Monthly Stipend: After the initial settling-in period, participants receive a monthly stipend of $300.

• Cultural Enrichment Fund: Participants can apply for a one-time payment of $100 for cultural enrichment activities, such as visiting museums to experience American culture.

First Week

The adaptation process was very smooth. I didn’t experience much culture shock. I think that was due to a few things. First, the university was in a relatively small area, not a huge city. We had an orientation week, which really helped me settle in. The fact that there were other international students also made a big difference. The first week was just fun – eating, socializing, and the orientation program.

It felt like a dream come true, especially considering the setting. I’d always wanted to live in a place with fewer cars, lots of trees, and by a river. This place had it all.

Academics at SUNY

The State University of New York (SUNY) was my host university for a semester. There, my coursework consisted of courses directly related to my major and general electives. Specifically, I took:

• Introduction to Sociology: This course fulfilled a requirement for my major at AUCA.

• Entrepreneurship Through Movies: A film-based discussion course.

• Visions of America: A US literature course.

• Introduction to Public Speaking: An elective course.

Academically, my experience at SUNY wasn’t significantly different from AUCA – I still had to read and write a lot. However, I felt that SUNY professors generally prioritized making learning easier for students.

Life outside of academics

My life outside of studying at SUNY as a UGRAD exchange student was very active and fun. I participated in many student events, which I really enjoyed. What I loved about SUNY, and American universities in general, was how easy it was to find the people and clubs that matched my interests. These included things like bracelet making, dancing, and even VR (Virtual Reality) experiences.

Moreover, as a UGRAD finalist, I was required to complete 20 hours of community service. I did a few different things to fulfill this requirement:

• School Presentation: I gave a presentation about Kyrgyzstan at a middle school and elementary school, along with other UGRAD students from countries like Montenegro and Pakistan.

• Volunteer Work: I volunteered at the university mail center, helping students pick up their packages. Additionally, I participated in a beach cleanup event by the lake. What made this experience even more special was that it coincided with my birthday. A friend, who knew this, shared the information with the other volunteers, and I was touched when the group surprised me by singing “Happy Birthday to You.”

Furthermore, I had some amazing experiences traveling in New York, Washington, and Boston. Being on the 102nd floor of a skyscraper and looking out over the city was incredible. There were lots of those special moments during my exchange.

Final Advice

My advice for students starting university who hope to become UGRAD finalists:

• Grades Matter: Most people say that grades don’t matter, but they actually do! You should study well. Aiming for a good grade forces you to put in the effort, and that effort is important. Whether you’re applying for programs like UGRAD, scholarships, or master’s degrees, your grades will be considered.

• Prioritize Quality over Quantity in Extracurriculars: Don’t participate in thousands of activities and neglect your studies. Instead, choose a few areas you’re really interested in and focus on quality projects that contribute to your personal or academic growth.

• Start Your UGRAD Application Early and Focus on Your Essay: Give yourself plenty of time to work on your application. Pay special attention to your essay. It’s a critical part of the application.

• Get Your Essay Reviewed: You can give your essays to UGRAD finalists to read and check. Their feedback is invaluable. When you contact finalists for help, do it right. Don’t be rude, and don’t ask obvious questions that you can easily find on Google. Do your research first.