My Background
Hello, I’m Petru-Cătălin, a 19-year-old guy from the Republic of Moldova with big dreams and a huge appetite for success and new adventures. I’m currently a freshman at LCC International University in Klaipėda, Lithuania, studying International Business Administration.
I attended a public school—the only high school in my small hometown in Moldova. It followed the national curriculum with standard assigned classes and a traditional educational system. Starting with 10th grade, I chose a STEM-focused curriculum.
Summer in Switzerland and a year in the U.S
My international journey began after 8th grade, when I applied for a summer program in Switzerland out of pure curiosity. I never thought that it would be the experience that would turn my perspective of how I see myself and the world 180 degrees. Since then, I became much more open to study-away opportunities.
In 9th grade, I applied for the famous FLEX program, aiming to go to the USA and live the "American Dream," but I didn’t even make it to the semi-finals. The next year, in 10th grade, I started setting real goals and became more motivated to pursue my dreams, so I applied again to the same program with much more focus and maturity. Happily, I was selected as one of the 44 finalists for the 2024–2025 academic year.
Changing continents and my lifestyle while adapting to a different culture helped me reach the most mature stage of my life and shaped me in ways that made me stronger and more open-minded about my purpose in life. While in the USA, I also applied for the UWC scholarship and reached the finals, but I wasn’t able to secure the scholarship, which pushed me to keep searching for other great opportunities and projects.
Extracurriculars, GPA & Stats
After returning home from my exchange year, I took the IELTS exam and achieved a C1 level, which opened doors for many academic opportunities and gave me a competitive edge.
My high school GPA was 9.8/10, as I did my best to keep my academic performance high while maintaining an active social life full of exciting opportunities. From an early age, I was involved in diverse extracurricular activities that helped me discover my passions and build connections. These included school arts, traditional Moldovan folk dancing in local and international festivals, serving first as a Student Council member and then as Vice President, earning a 100+ volunteer hours certificate from the U.S. Department of State, and facilitating workshops as a project leader in local youth centers.
Why LCC?
I chose LCC because of its diversity (with students from over 50 countries), wishing to become the best version of myself by creating friendships based on shared values and principles. Its predominantly American faculty and North American liberal arts style made me want to dive deeper into this style of learning, building directly on my U.S. exchange experience. Moreover, being surrounded by an English-speaking environment plays a crucial role because I believe there are always ways to grow and improve. I was looking for educational opportunities abroad out of a strong desire to step out of my comfort zone, so I researched colleges across the USA and Europe until I made my final choice based on these specific criteria.
Financial aid & living costs
At the time I applied to LCC, it was already past the deadline to receive standard financial aid or major grants (which is in mid-February), but I still managed to secure a 50% tuition scholarship for my first year. Furthermore, the university offers merit scholarships for top academic performance that can cover studies across all 4 years, as well as financial aid packages covering up to 80–90% of tuition for subsequent years, which I plan to apply for. The application process to LCC ( through the LCC Admissions Portal ) is very straightforward: submit your grades online, demonstrate your English proficiency, participate in a quick 1-on-1 interview, and apply for financial aid if needed.
I pay €150 a month for my dorm, sharing a suite with four other guys (split across two rooms with three beds each, a hallway with sinks, and a shared bathroom setup). There is also a large common kitchen on our floor—all for €150 per month with no extra fees, except for monthly groceries, hygiene products, and personal spending. On top of that, holding international student status in Lithuania comes with awesome perks, such as public transport discounts that drop bus fares from €1.00 per ride down to just €0.14!
Looking back at my journey, my biggest advice is: stop worrying about whether you're 100% ready for the future, because you will never be. Just grab every opportunity that comes your way and trust the process!!!
If you have any questions about LCC, scholarships, or student life in Klaipėda, feel free to reach out on Instagram!
