Hi! My name is Tigran Misakyan, and I am from Yerevan, Armenia. I’m currently a senior at the Artashes Shahinyan Physics and Mathematics Specialized School. It’s one of the most rigorous STEM and informatics curriculum schools in Armenia, and it’s a highly selective institution where students compete in international and national-level olympiads.
Although I attend a STEM-focused school, I do not plan to pursue a traditional STEM major. Instead, I plan to major in Economics and AI in the future to develop tools for use in education and government.
I am also considering pursuing a law degree in the future, especially if universities begin offering graduate programs that combine AI and law. Beyond my academic interests, I am passionate about education. I hope to create more educational opportunities for underprivileged children.
This autumn, I will start my studies at Minerva University in the U.S.
What inspired you to study abroad?
From a very early age, I realized that some of my dreams in Armenia were somewhat limited, and I wanted to use my education abroad to contribute globally, both in the U.S. and in Armenia. I’m very proud of my country, Armenia, but I found that the economics courses in Armenia were not as quantitative as I would like for the career I hope to pursue.
Since I want to develop AI-driven tools for international use, I also realized that studying abroad would provide opportunities that are harder to access at home. Moving abroad also helps you understand yourself more as a person. At the same time, I have no intention of leaving Armenia behind. I want to stay connected to my home country. My goal is to gain knowledge, experience, and resources abroad, then bring those back to Armenia.
Other Schools & Countries
I applied to 23 schools in the US. I got rejected everywhere but Minerva. I got waitlisted at Cornell, U Miami, and the University of Rochester. My dream schools were actually UPenn, Princeton, and MIT because they provide the most rigor, as we say, rejection is a redirection. I’m not upset about it. I think it was part of my journey.
In Armenia, all men are required to attend the army. However, there are two exceptions: health issues and being accepted to any of the top 50 schools by the Shanghai ranking. Because of this, I also applied to Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and got accepted. I got a 60% scholarship. But as I mentioned, I wanted to go to the US to do a double major. In the Sorbonne, you can’t do that. Also, in terms of cost, the U.S. is more affordable for me than the Sorbonne or Abu Dhabi. Minerva has a work-and-study student loan and a scholarship, resulting in a combined financial aid package. Overall, it coveres 78% of the cost, which is very good.
Why Minerva?
One of the things that fascinated me most was Minerva’s San Francisco campus. It’s only about a five-minute walk from the waterfront. Since we’re allowed to take our classes online from anywhere in the city, I can imagine myself studying at the beach, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. The views are absolutely beautiful.
I also fell in love with the city’s atmosphere. Whether it’s Chinatown, the Financial District, Pier 39, or the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco has an energy that inspires you to dream bigger. When you walk through the city and see all the startups, tech companies, and office buildings, you begin to imagine yourself working there one day, maybe even leading your own company. I think the city really encourages personal and professional growth.
Beyond the city itself, I fell in love with the Minerva community, its staff, teaching style, and campus. I’m genuinely excited to become part of the university.
I also researched Minerva’s other global rotation cities, including Tokyo, Buenos Aires, and Berlin. I think they’re all amazing. Last year, students rotated through seven cities, but now the program includes four. Personally, I think that change makes sense because spending more time in each city gives students a better opportunity to adapt, build connections, explore internships, and become part of the local community before moving on to the next location.
Application Journey
My story began on September 7, when I was diagnosed with a tumor. At first, the doctors told me it could be a type of cancer, and because of that, I needed a major surgery. My entire cheekbone would have to be resected and reconstructed with titanium. My parents were afraid to have the surgery performed in Armenia. So we found a specialized plastic surgeon in Moscow who also performs tumor surgery. We traveled to Moscow on October 5, right in the middle of the college application season. At the same time, I needed to maintain a high GPA in high school. It was really challenging in Moscow, but the doctor confirmed that the tumor was not cancerous. Still, I needed surgery. During that time, I considered taking a gap year or applying to fewer schools, but I didn’t give up. I maintained a high GPA. I graduated with a 4.0, scored an 8.0 on the IELTS, and earned a 1500 on the SAT. We were staying at my uncle's house in Moscow. My classmates were very supportive; they even raised money to help our family cover our expenses.
It was the end of October, and I hadn’t finished my personal statement. I started drafting my personal statement while I was in the hospital. I remember nurses giving me medication during my recovery while I was sitting in bed, typing my essays and working on my Common App essay. I think it was a part of my journey. When I look in the mirror, I see a small scar under my eye, and I remember the challenge that I overcame.
Extracurriculars & Honors
- Assistant to Senior Finance Manager — Intern
- Supported project management, ran data variance analysis, and contributed to bid coordination and documentation.
- Finance Assistant — Intern
- Managed a $30K budget in Excel, supported month-end closings, and drafted 400+ contracts.
- Founder & Team Leader, "Bridge to Education"
- Built a community tutoring project from the ground up, including an original math-through-music curriculum. Led a team of tutors serving 20+ students across the capital and two villages, with roughly half improving their exam scores.
- Pianist & Concert Organizer (2019–Present)
- Honored soloist in three major concerts and recipient of the "Best Technique" award in my graduating class. Organized a memorial concert for my late teacher, reuniting her former students before an audience of 120.
- Volunteer, Fund for Armenian Relief — "STEM for Rural Armenia" (Aug 2023–Nov 2024)
- Ran STEM classes for 150+ students and translated 250+ beneficiary letters from Armenian to English, connecting donors with the people they support.
- Community Volunteer, Armenian Red Cross Society (2023–Present)
- Selected as a delegate to the Global Youth Convention, yet unfortunately, I was unable to attend because I was undergoing medical treatment in Moscow.
Certificate of Appreciation, DigiTech — for contributing to the organization of a technology event in 2024.
Minerva Application
Minerva’s application process is very unique. They have their own admissions assessments and do not require the IELTS or SAT, although applicants can submit those scores if they want to. The main part of the application consists of six assessment tasks that evaluate skills such as mathematical reasoning and critical thinking, as well as an online interview. When I applied to Minerva, it was the beginning of January, just two days before the Regular Decision deadline. I had come across the university on TikTok. I was curious, so I created an account and completed the tests. Minerva wasn’t very well known in Armenia, so at first I assumed it wasn’t a very strong university. However, about a week later, Minerva emailed me saying they were extending my application deadline by two weeks. I took that as a sign to apply, so I completed the rest of my application. People often say that rejection is redirection, and I truly believe this application process redirected me to the university that was the best fit for me. The rest of the application was fairly similar to the Common App. I submitted my transcripts, and my school counselor uploaded my recommendation materials. Admission decisions were released on March 3. About a week before the decision date, Minerva contacted me to verify one of my extracurricular activities. As I mentioned earlier, I initially thought Minerva wasn’t a very good university because I didn’t know much about it. However, after researching it, I realized that it was the perfect university for me. I really appreciate its openness and flexibility.
Plans for the future
My plans for the future are to study Economics and AI at Minerva. During your first year, you do not choose your major, so I’ll have to figure it out then. As I mentioned, I want to create opportunities specifically for underprivileged children to bring opportunities to Armenia.
Advice
If you have a dream and it doesn’t come true right away, don’t get discouraged because that’s part of life. From my own experience, when I received interview invitations from MIT and Princeton, I was convinced that I would get accepted to one of them. But in the end, I enrolled at Minerva. After attending Admitted Students Day, talking with professors, and learning more about the university, I realized it was actually the perfect fit for me.
My advice is to do everything you can during the application process. Work hard on your SAT, prepare for your IELTS, maintain a strong GPA, and get involved in meaningful extracurricular activities. But remember that all of this hard work is ultimately for yourself, not just for college admissions. Even if you don’t get into your dream school, the skills and experiences you gain will stay with you. Preparing for the SAT strengthens your critical thinking skills, internships help you grow professionally, and community service has a positive impact on others. Show yourself to an admission officer as you are, take them into your brain.
Be yourself.
