In recent days, Huseyn Guliyev, an 11th-grade student at Shamkir Chemistry and Biology Lyceum, was admitted to the University of Manchester in the UK.
AzEdu.az spoke with Huseyn on this occasion.
He noted that he did not receive any support from any courses for university applications.
“I have been involved in informatics since the 8th grade, and this field has now become my main area of interest and development. I have a great interest in algorithms, programming, and cybersecurity. I have qualified for the finals twice in republican subject Olympiads and won 1 bronze medal. In addition, I won a silver medal at SAF 2023, the “Energy Award” at the "VEX Robotics" Republican tournament, and was a finalist in the World Robotics Competition and "First Lego League" competitions. If I hadn't chosen to study abroad, my choices in Azerbaijan would have been ADA University and Baku Higher Oil School.
For studying abroad, I scored 1470 on the SAT exam and 7.5 on the IELTS exam. In the AP program, I scored 5 points in each of the 3 subjects. During this period, I did not receive support from any courses. I planned everything myself, chose the resources myself, and wrote my essays entirely myself. I dedicated more than 6 hours daily to this process.
Huseyn was admitted to 12 US universities:
“My university choices were mainly in the US, UK, and China. Currently, I have received admissions from 12 universities in the US. One of the universities I most wanted to get into was the University of Hong Kong, and I am still waiting for its results. At the same time, I have received admission from the University of Manchester in the UK. In addition, I have applied to some universities in Europe and am waiting for their responses. I will make my final decision after all results are announced.
Currently, I have been admitted to the computer science specialization at the bachelor's level. In the future, I want to continue my master's education in cybersecurity. After completing my education, I plan to return to Azerbaijan. I want to apply the knowledge and experience I gained by working in large companies in my country. I also plan to pursue my master's degree abroad, but I have not yet finalized the university. In the future, I see myself as a specialist in the field of technology, especially working on large projects and innovative solutions.
Studying abroad will be a new experience for me. It's a bit exciting to be away from my family for the first time and adapt to a different environment. One of my main goals is to represent Azerbaijan in the international environment.
At the University of Manchester, special attention is paid to extracurricular activities. There may be some difficulties in this area, as it can be challenging to adapt as an international student. But the similarity of the courses to the programs in Azerbaijan will facilitate adaptation".
He noted that he didn't believe it when he first saw the admission news:
“In the future, I plan to apply for a state program related to scholarships. Then I will apply for various scholarship programs. I also want to make the most of the universities' internal scholarships.
I opened the admission news with my teacher during a lesson. When I first saw it, I didn't believe it and thought I was checking other universities. Then I checked again and was very happy when I saw it was true. Afterwards, I informed my teachers.
My dream of studying abroad formed in the 10th grade. Since my sister also studied abroad in the 10th-11th grades, I also made this decision. Because both experience and job opportunities are wider.
While studying abroad, I will be able to adapt quickly to the environment because I have many foreign friends. However, adapting to a new society can create some difficulties. After all, it is a different country".
He advised students not to choose a specialty just to study abroad:
“I took the SAT exam twice. My first result was not what I wanted, and this showed me that I needed to work harder. I had about two months until the next exam, and during this time, I tried to motivate myself. I told myself that this was my main way out. That is, I thought that either I would get the desired result from this exam, or I would not be able to get into the university I dreamed of. For this reason, I had set up a strict regimen for myself and prepared almost every day for 6-7 hours. As a result, my second exam result was very good.
I advise other applicants to choose the field they are interested in and not to lose heart. If it doesn't work out on the first try, they can prepare better and try again. It is more effective to use online resources for exam preparation. Instead of spending large sums on expensive courses, it is more beneficial to use self-study materials.
My desire to study abroad was also shaped by my family's influence. Although my family supported me, they stated that the result was up to me. This made me more responsible".
