Peter Rousseeuw Scholarship Recipient, Jovan from Serbia, Shares His Journey of Pursuing a Master’s in Statistics and Data Science at KU Leuven, Belgium

I'm Jovan, and I grew up in Belgrade, Serbia. I did my bachelor’s in mathematics at the University of Belgrade. After that, I moved to Belgium to do a Master’s in Statistics and Data Science at KU Leuven. At the time, my main motivation was sports analytics. I was (and still am) really into sports, especially basketball. If you’re from Serbia, that probably doesn’t need much explanation.

Peter Rousseeuw Scholarship Details

I received the Peter Rousseeuw Scholarship from Science@Leuven. The scholarship was €10,000 for the 2023/24 academic year and another €10,000 for 2024/25. On top of that, my tuition fee was reduced to the EU student rate.

The scholarship also made finding a place to live much easier. While most of my friends spent weeks stressing over accommodation, I sorted it out with three emails.

Were You Offered Any Other Scholarships?

Yes, I was offered a scholarship to study at Ecole Polytechnique in France through Campus France Serbia, funded by the French government. I declined it because I felt that Belgium and KU Leuven would be a bigger challenge for me.

Educational Background

I graduated from the University of Belgrade with a GPA of around 9.3 out of 10. In Serbia, that is considered okay, not amazing. The bachelor’s program was extremely theoretical, pure math all the way, with very little focus on applications. What it did give me was a grind mentality. I knew I could lock myself in a room for days and study if needed. So handling the workload was never the issue in Belgium.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to KU Leuven?

My preparation happened in a few stages.

First was pure procrastination. I was mostly just thinking about going abroad, sometimes listing universities I liked, and talking to friends of friends who were already studying abroad. Nothing serious, but I knew I wanted a fresh start, and Belgium felt right from the beginning.

Things became real in January 2023 when I realized deadlines were much closer than I thought. That’s when I started filling out applications, asking professors for recommendation letters, and writing motivation letters. Realistically, I got lucky because all of this happened right when ChatGPT went viral, which helped me structure my letters and save a lot of time.

After submitting everything, the final step was the scholarship interview in May 2023.

How Did You Find Information About Peter Rousseeuw Scholarship and Institutions?

I first learned about the scholarship through a friend who had received the same scholarship two years before me. After that, I did my own research online. KU Leuven provides super clear information about both their program and the scholarship on their website.

Did You Take Any Standardized Tests? How Did You Prepare?

Yeah, I took the GRE and the TOEFL. I took a few classes at a local English school, but they were basically useless. The only thing they did was make me realize I was on my own in this. So I was doing old tests, figuring out the patterns, and making my own notes with templates I knew I would need.

I took the GRE first, pretty last-minute, while also studying for my January university exams. I prepared for about ten days. The math section was fine; I got a perfect score there. The verbal score was 148, slightly below the required 150, and my writing score was 0 out of 6 because it wasn’t required, and I didn’t even try to prepare for it. I still applied anyway, and it turned out not to be an issue.

I took the TOEFL later in the spring, and that one I prepared for properly. You can take it almost anytime, so I planned it better and focused on it more seriously. I needed 90 and ended up with 105.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Peter Rousseeuw Scholarship?

Applying for the scholarship was basically part of applying to KU Leuven. They just asked me to mention in my motivation letter that I was applying for it as well, and the deadline was 15 days earlier than the program deadline. I submitted my application in mid-February and got invited to the scholarship interview in early May. I prepared once by talking to a friend who had done it before.

Honestly, it was just like any other interview. They asked a mix of academic and personal questions. They asked why I chose KU Leuven, and details about my academic background. They asked about the courses I mentioned in my letter and even brought up my low GRE writing score. I said it is better to have 0 than a low score, because a low score just shows you are bad, while 0 kind of disguises it. Other questions touched on my interest in sports analytics. This was six months after the FIFA World Cup 2022, and both Serbia and Belgium had a terrible tournament. They asked my opinion, and I said it was utter chaos.

I found out I got the scholarship on May 9.

How is (was) Your Experience at KU Leuven? How Do You Rate KU Leuven Academically and Why? How Does KU Leuven Support International Students?

Decent. Everything is in English, so no issues there. Academically, my bachelor’s in Belgrade was tougher, but Belgium was different. There were lots of projects, group work, and people from very different skill levels. At first, I struggled because I was used to the grind mentality and didn’t know how to work properly in teams. That ended up being my biggest lesson.

The university is great. All lectures are live-streamed and recorded, and all study resources are available. Professors are generally great. I learned a lot. Many come from industry, which sometimes means plugging their own companies, but apart from that, it was really enjoyable. Communication is easy, everything is through email, and student support responds fast.

My master's thesis was about analyzing NBA player injuries. Because of the EU’s strict privacy rules, I had to get permission to use publicly available data. As part of this process, there was a GDPR questionnaire asking if the “subjects” would receive money, coupons, or free parking. In my case, the subjects were NBA players who are already paid millions, which made it hilarious. The thesis went very well, and it was great that my supervisor let me be myself and work on something I actually enjoyed.

The first week is an intro week where they help you get acclimated. It is super useful for a lost guy like me in a new country. You get a sense of how things work, meet other students, and figure out where to go for registration and student services.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

Pure luck. I could say my strategy was to be authentic, but honestly, that is not enough. You need a lot of luck.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

Nothing. I got lucky, and there is no way I am doing that again.

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

 Just apply even if you don’t meet every requirement. I thought my journey was over because of my GRE score, but here I am two years later with a degree. Good luck.