Leaving Tashkent

I grew up in Tashkent, where my days were filled with drawing classes, volleyball practice, and weekends at events like MUN, Digital Generation Girls, and IT House. I liked being busy, and those activities made me curious about the world beyond my own city.

When I heard about Samarkand Presidential School, I knew I wanted to study there. The exams were tough, so I made a bold decision: I moved to Samarkand a year early to prepare. It wasn’t easy leaving my friends and the life I knew behind, but I believed it was worth the risk.

Why I Chose China

In Uzbekistan, when people say “study abroad,” they usually mean the United States. It’s the dream for many. But I didn’t want to follow the usual path. My mom was the one who pushed me to think differently—she believed in me even when I wasn’t sure myself.

China felt exciting. It was unfamiliar, full of history, culture, and opportunities I had never experienced before. I wanted to see the world from a completely new angle, and applying there felt like the right step.

More Than Just Numbers

My results were good, though not perfect: a 3.9 GPA, a 7.5 IELTS, and a 1510 SAT. I applied with predicted A-Level grades—A in Math, A in Economics, and B in Business—since the final results came later.

But the real lessons came outside the classroom. I interned at the Parliament of Uzbekistan as an accountant, where I got a glimpse of how institutions work in real life. I also started HoneyComb, a small project where I taught Business, English, and Economics to students from underprivileged backgrounds. Teaching them reminded me that knowledge doesn’t mean much unless you share it.

Why DKU Felt Right

What drew me to Duke Kunshan wasn’t just its academics. It was the mix: the energy of an American-style campus blended with Chinese culture.

I admired Duke’s main campus in the U.S. for its sports tradition—they’ve competed against top universities like Harvard and MIT and often come out on top. But scholarships there were difficult to secure, and visa problems were common. DKU felt more realistic and, honestly, more exciting. It offered the same academic strength but in a completely new environment.

Writing About a Taxi Ride

When it came to essays, I knew I didn’t want to write about something generic. At first, I followed other people’s advice, but eventually I rewrote everything to sound like me.

My personal statement was about something as ordinary as a Yandex Taxi ride. Every weekend, when I went home from the dorms, drivers would ask how much I had paid to get into the Presidential School. It wasn’t an attack—it just showed how normal corruption had become in daily conversations.

That question turned into the heart of my essay. I wrote about how I wanted to use economics to fight corruption and create systems that valued merit instead of money. It wasn’t a grand story, but it was honest.

Getting Feedback

I also used Borderless to check my essays. Their feedback was straightforward and practical, which helped me polish my drafts without losing my own voice.

What I Learned

Start preparing for the SAT early—it saves a lot of stress.

Be careful about whose advice you take. Not everyone knows what they’re talking about.

Don’t do extracurriculars just because they “look good.” Do things you actually care about.

Most importantly, write your application in your own voice.

Looking Back

The whole process took about six months. It wasn’t easy—there were long nights, moments of doubt, and times when I wondered if I could really pull it off. But in the end, I learned that you don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be real.

For students in Uzbekistan and beyond, it is possible to study abroad. It takes effort, persistence, and a willingness to take a different path.

If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: dream big, but don’t be afraid to dream differently. Sometimes, the most unexpected paths are the ones that shape you the most.