This summer I submitted my application for the Discovery Scholarship at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. It would pay for my last year of school here, cost of living, travel, tuition there, and a stipend to buy a new laptop. Well, when you have the fifth largest endowment in the world, I guess you can afford to do that sort of thing.
At any rate, I nit-picked an essay (they wanted an essay of 50 lines or less detailing academic achievement, international experience, statement of purpose, etc., so it’s bound to be a paced a certain way), and got letters of recommendation from three of my professors. Specifically, Graeme Fairweather, the department head, Mike Colagrosso, a recently tenured professor who just left us for the private sector (you’ll be missed, Mike), and Yong Bakos, a first year professor. All in all, I felt pretty good about my application.
Well, earlier this week I got an email saying that I had been selected as a finalist. Of the 2300 who applied, they whittled it down to 672 students (of whom they’re saying they’ll accept 500); 99 of these are from the US or Canada. Making it to the finals means that they’re going to fly me out to Washington D.C. for an interview this weekend, about which I’m very excited. I’ve never been back east, and it will give me a chance to see my cousin Elizabeth and her husband Wess, who live in Arlington, VA. The KAUST people even let me delay my departure so I could spend Labor Day weekend with them. Hooray!
At a recent dinner, my mother mentioned that she was praying I didn’t get accepted. Something about the perceived danger of living in the Middle East for two years. At any rate, things are looking up, and at the very least, I’ll get a trip to D.C. out of it.
It really looks like a beautiful campus and a unique opportunity. I would be in their first graduating class, getting my Master’s when I finish. I have a knack for being in the early graduating classes for schools. I was in the second class out of my middle school, and I was in the second class to graduate from the IB program at Niwot.
For more on KAUST, visit their website.
hi
Good to know that you have also been selected for the interview by KAUST. I would like to get i touch with you as to how was your interview at DC and lot of other KAUST related questions
Regards
Abrar
Huzzah, just remember to not show any one the soles of your feet or pick anything up with your left hand and they probably won’t kill you. Probably. Say hi to Elizabeth and Wes for Kara and I.
Hello Sir
Congratulations for making it to the finals!
How did the interview go?
lol i had an interview last week with Roche Pharmaceuticals and it was sooooo weird! They asked me weird questions that I wasn’t expecting!
What did the KAUST people ask you?
Would love to know!
Regards
Shammi
Thanks for your insights, I have an interview with KAUST sometime soon. Could you please tell me the type of questions and how the interview went?
Any more insight on KAUST? Jawad, did you have your interview yet? When did you apply?
Think of these interviews as a chance for them to kick the tires, so to speak. They’ve seen your academic record, but they want to get a feel for what kind of person and student you are. You might expect to hear questions like, “Why KAUST?” and “What are you interested in researching?”
Also, I get the impression that these are also to gauge applicants’ English skills. Some places have problems with students paying other students to take their TOEFL exam for them.
Hi guys, nice to see finalists for KAUST interviews as i’m also one of the finalist and asked to give my interview in Dubai as i’m from Pakistan.
I will also like to hear about interviews…
best regards
Hello, please give me any new input about the interviews. I am a finalist too. Is it true they are going to further shortlist?
I know a couple of people who are still waiting on interviews, and I’d expect that they wouldn’t make announcements until all the interviews are in. Not all people interviewed in my round were accepted (though many were), but I’m not entirely sure how this and subsequent rounds will play out. Best of luck, though, and feel free to post as you get information!
They really have delayed the interview schedules this time. It’s mid April and there is no new update. I wonder what’s going on.
With the school opening in September of this year, I’m sure the administration has a lot on its plate beyond the interviews. That said, I’m sure they will make provisions, and hopefully they’ll be in time to not influence your alternate plans.
Well, they very much have influenced my alternate plans. As you can guess they still havent scheduled our interviews. It’s the end of april, so this is very nerve wracking.
I just hope I hear from them some time soon because I have to travel somewhere, and I don’t want these things to clash.
Applied for the masters program through the fellowship. Anyone else here in the same boat? Hoping to hear back any day now.
I applied for the discovery scholarship and I have not heard anything from them. Has anyone heard from them yet? I am really anxious for a response.
Any word yet? Waiting is not fun at this point, since it is now May – decisions need to be made to other institutes. Does anyone have any idea of who should be contacted?
You should email your point of contact with KAUST. KAUST is in the middle of taking over the reins from IIE in terms of running the actual institution and so there are bound to be some hitches.
Whatever email address got in touch with you to notify you of your interview initially is definitely who you should talk to.
I had a phone interview and then I was contacted to have an interview in Dubai, however one week ago I was informed that the interviews were going to be postponed for several undisclosed reasons until further notice. However I am not applying for a student position but for a non-academic job.
I applied for the discovery scholarship and I have not heard anything from them. Has anyone heard from them yet?
and after which date if we did not get any feedback from them that means we are not accepted ?
Can anyone help me?
Applied for a discovery scholarship, selected as a finalists back in March. And that’s it. No word from them until now.
Mazen, as far as I know you WILL receive a decision. I believe they are a little overwhelmed with the number of applicants they have, as well as the fact school is starting soon. When did u apply?
I have applied for MS in EE. Got an email recently saying all my documents have been received and my application is forwarded for evaluation. What do I do now? Seems like there will be an interview if I am selected.
Anybody know what’s their GRE requirement? Heard it’s really high.
That just means that they’ve received your submission, and if they’re interested after looking at all applicants, they’ll contact you for interview information.
Regarding the GRE, though they may have changed the policy in subsequent rounds, we did not have to take the GRE in order to get accepted or even apply.
GRE wasn’t required for Discovery Scholarship. I have applied for KAUST Fellowship as I am joining this fall. They said they were looking for GRE score 770 or more in quantitative section. Don’t know whether they have changed it later.
Student, where did you get your info for on the GRE requirements?
Also, I thought the deadline for applying was in March?
Discovery Scholarship / Fellowship / etc. applications are done in cycles. I believe they’ve begun a fourth cycle, but I’m not certain.
A friend of mine had emailed them enquiring about GRE requirements.
I had applied in Jan, but my GRE scores were sent last month. Another friend was saying they were still accepting applications until June 10.
Dear all ,
Thank you for your response.
I applied for the KAUST discovery scholarship in January,2009. and I have not heard anything from them.
Has anyone heard from them yet?
And after which date if we did not get any feedback from them that means we are not accepted?
When will the KAUST interviews start? Because if they started it and we did not anything from them that means where are not accepted .
Regards,