Trustee Scholarship Scholar Avyukta Srikrishna from India Shares His Journey of Securing a Full Tuition Bachelor's at the Boston University, United States

My Name is Avyukta Srikrishna, and I am from Delhi, India. I’m currently pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering at Boston University, although I was admitted for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Trustee Scholarship Details

I received the Trustee Scholarship at Boston University. It is a full tuition scholarship that is offered to about 15 students in every admitted class. The total amount comes out to around $270,000.

I was offered a few other scholarships, although I have forgotten some of the institutions.

One I remember is the University of Rochester, which was about $20,000/yr.

Educational Background

I did the IB Diploma program and IGCSEs in high school. I got 6 A*, 3A’s for IGCSE, and 43/45 on my IB diploma. The rigor involved in these programs definitely helped me apply to college and even in college. The IB also has an Extended Essay, which I was able to talk about in some of my interviews.

How Did You Find Information About Trustee Scholarship and Boston University?

Mostly online through the help of some college counsellors. I knew I would have had to get a scholarship, or go to a state/public school, if I wanted to study in the US, so I adjusted my search so that every school matched this criteria.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? If So, How Did You Prepare for Them?

I took the SATs and IELTS. For both of them, I studied on my own, using online resources. I set up a schedule for the SAT and took a practice test almost every week under test conditions. Definitely practiced a lot

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Trustee Scholarship?

I tried to get as involved as I could in high school and pick up some projects I was passionate about. With my activities, I did not really do anything special to prepare, and treated them as a normal application. Some scholarships had additional requirements, so I emphasized them more.

How is Your Experience at Boston University?

I have had a great time at BU, socially, professionally, and academically. I could recommend it enough to other people

How Do You Rate Boston University Academically?

Probably an 8/10. BU is a strong academic institution with a large research output and good industry connections. BU is very good for the BME program, and engineering in general, along with communications, law, and business. I know it’s not a target school for investment banking/quant, but we are definitely getting there

How Does Boston University Support International Students?

The School has a lot of cultural student organizations, so it’s very nice to have a community. Since BU is so large, we don’t really have events organized by the school for international students alone, but there is definitely support available if someone needs it.

What Did You Pursue After the Trustee Scholarship?

Research, Internship

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

My essay for my scholarship was strong, my academics were great, and my ECs were strong. For the scholarship in particular, I think it was definitely my essay

Looking Back, Would You Have Done Anything Differently During Your Time in the Program?

Not much, probably start thinking about college earlier, so I wasn’t so stressed the last 2 years.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Start early, prioritize the essay/additional requirements. Also, I think everyone should know that it is genuinely a lot of luck. A lot of the time the type of students the program wants admitted has already been decided, and there isn’t much you can do at that point. If a scholarship is essential for you, cast your net as wide as possible. That increases your odds of getting a scholarship