Hello! My name is Rifah Malidya, and I'm from Indonesia. This spring, I will begin studying at IU Bloomington, majoring in Computer Science. I come from a public high school that follows Indonesia’s national curriculum, specifically the Kurikulum 2013. During high school, I specialized in Natural Science and Mathematics, and it has always been my dream to study abroad.
What inspired you to study abroad?
My dream of studying abroad developed when I was a child. I was nine years old when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. In Indonesia, many hospitals and healthcare facilities lack advanced diagnostic tools. As a result, my grandmother's cancer was detected very late, which unfortunately reduced her chances of recovery. That was what sparked my interest in studying abroad. The opportunities that the U.S. offers make it possible for me to achieve my dreams.
Opportunities in the US and in Indonesia
The big difference is that, in Indonesia, for example, if you want to become a doctor, you have to enroll in medical school, and that's it. In contrast, the U.S. education system offers a lot more flexibility. In the U.S., you have the ability to pursue interdisciplinary studies, while in Indonesia, it is restrictive. For example, I can study computer science while also exploring biomedical engineering. That's also one of the reasons I chose IU Bloomington because it offers that flexibility.
Other Schools
After graduating from high school in May 2024, I took a gap year. My application journey actually started in 2023. I applied to three universities in Canada: Concordia University, the University of British Columbia (UBC), and the University of Toronto Scarborough, all for Computer Science. I was accepted to all three universities and received scholarships of around CAD 10,000 from each. However, the scholarships were not enough to cover the full cost of attendance, so I decided instead to take a gap year.
In 2025, I applied to 20 universities in the United States, all while seeking financial aid. Since my IELTS score had expired, I took the Duolingo English Test instead. Out of the 20 universities, I was accepted to Barry University, the University of Connecticut, and Indiana University Bloomington. After comparing my options, I decided to commit to IU Bloomington because it offered the best balance of academic opportunities and affordability. I also received two automatic scholarships, one from the university and another from the Luddy School.
Financial aid and Scholarship
The biggest scholarship I received was the Global Excellence Scholarship. It is awarded to outstanding international students who excel in leadership and academics. It provides $10,000 per year, totaling $40,000 over four years. I also received the Luddy Scholarship, which provides $3,000 per year, totaling $12,000 over four years.
Application Process
My application process started in ninth grade, when I was in middle school. In Indonesia, ninth grade is still considered middle school. I conducted research with my teacher, which was pretty difficult because it was when COVID-19 started to spread all over the country. We conducted research on medicinal compounds found in turmeric, which was pretty interesting. We published the paper to our school’s website.
In high school, I joined the speech club, which was a popular club at my school, and I became a finalist for a national competition. In my junior year, I joined a research club with my friend, and I was the team leader, and our project focused on turning tofu waste into biodegradable material. This addressed a problem in my community, Pekanbaru. We spent three or four months in a lab and collaborated with the Faculty of Medicine at my local university.
Outside of school, I also joined a non-profit organization where I taught HTML and CSS to middle and high school students. I conducted weekly meetings with 32 students, and I taught the fundamentals of AI and web development. I was also the programming lead for a project called Cycle of Care. The CEO trusted me to mentor the students working on the project. We built a donation website to support Indian women, particularly by helping improve access to reproductive health resources. That project was a completely new experience for me, and it helped me develop both my technical and leadership skills.
I was also awarded a full scholarship to attend the Berkeley Coding Academy's 6-week virtual AI and Data Science research program, which I completed between June 2024 and September 2024. I did research on basic Data Science and learned how to analyze numerical data by building a weather forecasting model. After that, I learned more advanced AI classes that had more intensive work on image analysis from brain tumors and astronomy. My mentor was an astronomy researcher from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. During the program, I developed an AI model for breast cancer detection and presented it at the program's research expo. I also had the opportunity to discuss my project with a Google Cloud leader who attended the showcase.
In addition to research, I volunteered with UNDP Asia-Pacific based in the Philippines as a Youth Empowerment Online Volunteer from June to August 2024. I promoted the Sustainable Development Goal of Quality Education in digital literacy content for students across Asia. Through the Skill Up Rise Up platform, my work reached more than 1,000 high school and university students, helping them learn Microsoft Office and Google Workspace tools.
I was also a writer on Medium . I mainly write about AI and how it relates to social issues like education, finance, and technology. I remember when I was in middle school, and I literally had no idea what AI was. That’s why I wanted to share what I had learned with others. In 12th grade, I wasn't very active in clubs because of my final exams. However, during my senior year, I started my own Instagram- based non-profit called RMONTECH. I shared workshop opportunities with students, and I also shared information about AI content alongside the practical ways students can use AI to solve everyday problems.
Honors and Awards
- Dr. John R. Adams Fellows Scholarship, Project Management Institute ($2,000 awarded for excellence in project management and leadership)
- 2025 Shared Opportunities Scholarship (1 of 300, sole $2,500 awardee for Women of Color in STEM)
- First Runner-up, IWSH World Plumbing Day Essay Contest (200+ entries, 4 winners worldwide, a $1,000 award)
- Immerse Education 30% Scholarship Winner in AI; 7% of 10k International Essay Competition Entrants
- 2nd Place in the National Global Youth Action Math Olympiad (Silver Medal)
Schedule
Basically, I only used Google Calendar. It's a very common tool that both my classmates and I use to stay organized. I planned my schedule so that each week was dedicated to only one or two clubs. For example, if I had a meeting for one club, I would block that day for those tasks. The next day, I would focus on another club, such as creating content or working on a project. On weekends, I dedicated my time to teaching students HTML and CSS. I tried not to schedule too many activities on the same day because it wasn't sustainable or productive.
Why Computer Science?
As I mentioned before, my interest in computer science started with my grandmother. When I looked deeper into what happened, I realized that one of the biggest challenges was early detection. At that time, there weren't enough advanced tools for diagnosing or treating her condition. That made me think that if we had better technology for early detection, it could make a real difference. That's what inspired me to pursue computer science. I was also inspired by my uncle, who majored in computer science. He introduced me to Google Workspace and even taught me some basic programming. The very first website I ever built was a simple one about my cat. I shared stories about my cat as it grew up. It was my first experience creating something with code, and it made me realize how much I enjoyed programming. Those experiences are what led me to study computer science, and they continue to motivate me today.
Stats and Essay
My GPA for high school was 3.78. I went test-optional because I didn’t take the SAT. I used Duolingo for my English proficiency, and I took the test in October 2025 and scored 125. The minimum requirement at IU was 115. IU only requires one essay for all of the students, whether they are international or domestic. The question for the essay was something along the lines of “What is your motivation for studying your chosen major at IU Bloomington?” I explained that my grandmother's experience inspired me to pursue computer science. I also wrote about my background and my journey. Then I described my goals and what I wanted to achieve during college and after graduation. I explained in detail why computer science at IU Bloomington is the best path for me and researched professors whose research closely aligned with my interests.
Plans after Graduation
My plan after graduation is to expand my research by collaborating with clinics and hospitals around Bloomington. I know that Indiana University already has its own hospital, so I hope to work there as a researcher, applying the AI technologies I develop throughout college. I also want to collaborate with local non-profit organizations around Bloomington. In the long term, I want to start my own company focused on AI-powered healthcare solutions. My inspiration has always been my grandmother's experience. I want to help women detect tumors at an earlier stage, before they become life-threatening. I also plan on giving back to my home country, Indonesia, by joining a research team at the National Research Institute and collaborating with my local hospitals. That is the impact I hope to make over the next ten years.
Advice
My advice is that sometimes the people around us, like our neighbors or even our own family, don’t believe in us. They might ask, “ Why would you study abroad when you can study in Indonesia? Why do you have to go abroad? You have no parents there,” blah, blah, blah. But just focus on your goal. As long as it's something meaningful, pursue it. It doesn’t matter what other people say. Keep dreaming, no matter what. The journey will be long, and it takes a lot of time and effort, but you just have to be patient and trust the process. In the end, everything will be worth it.
