From NIS to Harvard
Selimzhan Chalyshkan 12 grade student of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Almaty won a scholarship at Harvard.
Selimzhan Chalyshkan is one of the brightest NIS students. He is a member of the Kazakhstan Olympic Team in Biology. He has bronze medal of the International Olympiad 2018 in Tehran, as well as gold and bronze medals from the Republican Olympiad. In addition to achievements in science, he has a successful experience in creating innovative projects. At the end of 2017, Selimzhan Chalyshkan and Lyubov Dudchenko won first place in “Socially Important Innovations” award at the national youth contest “NURINTECH”. Their invention “Oqyp kör”, which reproduces the text through the camera in Braille, was a real breakthrough and gained fame as one of the most famous scientific projects among students in the country. The list of Selimzhan awards includes diplomas of the Makeathon “TOM: ALMATY ” and Kazrobotics contest – 2018 winner. Also, Selimzhan is engaged in volunteering activities – he is the title of “Eco-hero of the city” for supporting the green movement ASU in Almaty, startups in Astana Hub and he has been actively involved in the development of children’s educational robotics.
Selimzhan’s achievements and high scores on the SAT Subject Tests international exam enabled him to continue his studies at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Representatives of the Harvard admission committee adhere to the policy of “comprehensive” study of the candidate. Last year, from st 43,000 applicants only 2,000 received the cherished invitation.
Selimzhan also received a full grant from New York University in Abu Dhabi, which has one of the highest entry requirements. Only 3% of those wishing to get a chance to enroll in a research university, in which the most talented students from all over the world study. In March, at the invitation of the university, a young talent from Kazakhstan visited the university, where he got acquainted with his work and team.
– “At the moment I have not decided what will be my choice. But I would like to express my deep gratitude to my parents, who always believed in me and supported me. Here at NIS I realized that I had to study for myself, not for the marks. I think that knowledge should not be measured by the number of points you have taken from the exam. It is very important to be a good person and possess 21-century skills,” confesses Selimzhan Chalyshkan.
At the end of 2018, another graduate of the Almaty Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Almaty Aknazar Kazhymurat won a scholarship to study at Harvard University, gaining a possible maximum of 36 from 36 and 2400 from 2400 in the international ACT and SAT Subject Tests exams.
