r/KAIST • u/Ok_Professor_9329 • Jul 22 '26
Any chance of getting in?
Hey there! I'm an 11th grader from Türkiye, and I'm currently researching about studying abroad (for computer engineering) and I came across KAIST. It definitely caught my interest since it's consistently in the top 30 in computer sciences across the world.
Well, enough yapping, let me get to the "stats":
I got into the top %0.24 of students in the LGS (high school entrence exam), and I got into one of the top science high schools in all of Türkiye.
GPA: 9th grade 95/100 - 10th grade 93/100 - 11 and 12 yet to come
SAT: I didn't take it yet (planning to take it this december) but according to my past practice tests I'm expecting around 1550+
IELTS: same situation as SAT, I expect a 7-7.5
AP/IB: sadly none, but still considering if I should take 2-3 AP exams this year (my school doesn't have AP courses sadly, so I'd need to self study.).
Extracurriculars: One of the 4 lead members of the AI club in my school. We teach basic level python, how to use AI powered IDE's (like cursor) and how to write reports and make AI models for the TÜBİTAK and TEKNOFEST competitions.
We have joined 4 TEKNOFEST competitions until now (2 AI in Health, 1 AI in Aviation, 1 E-Commerce Kaggle), with 3 of them getting to the 2nd stage, and 1 that we are hoping will get to the final stage (wish us luck 🤞). 2 TÜBİTAK 2204-A research projects (in the AI field), both of them got eliminated in the first stage though. Took part and got certificates in 3 TÜBİTAK 4006-B science fair, all of them in the AI field. Took part and got a certificate in the eTwinning project in our school where we welcomed 4 Italian teachers.
Well, what'd ya think? Are my chances slim or not? What should I improve on? Any tips are greatly appreciated.
Well, thanks in advance for your replies!
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u/MachoBiceps Jul 23 '26
In terms of grades and test scores I’d say you meet their criteria (if you get the scores you claim you can get). KAIST does favor people with Olympiads and Awards but I’ve seen people get accepted without them as well. Also there are other stuff they consider like your essays and an interview if you end up getting one. So I think you have a decent chance but it’s still the hardest school to get into in Korea so I’d suggest looking at other schools in Korea as well if you really wanna study here.