2020-2021 University Acceptances
65 KGSP Foundation Year (FY) students spent the past year building up their academic profiles and skills to earn undergraduate admission to top STEM Bachelor of Science programs in the United States. Even under the conditions of a global pandemic, this year’s FY students demonstrated strong academic performance, impressive standardized testing results, and impassioned personal statements to distinguish themselves in their university applications, resulting in notable university acceptances to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Brown University, Cornell University, Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and University of Texas at Austin.
With the support of the KGSP Advising Team, students worked diligently attending STEM-focused university preparatory programming, while also developing competitive university applications. Although this year’s FY Programming was entirely virtual, students made impressive progress: Seventy-four percent earned a SAT Math score of 750 or above, with 34% earning a perfect SAT Math score, a record high. In fact, the FY class of 2020/21 earned the highest average scores across all three standardized testing metrics: TOEFL, SAT Math, and SAT Verbal.
Additionally, Arwa Karim, a Foundation Year student at University of Pennsylvania, became the first FY student to be selected for the prestigious Qimam Fellowship! Six KGSP undergraduates have also been accepted into this year’s Fellowship cohort, continuing a trend of KGSP students becoming Qimam Fellows since its inception in 2018. With a year of many challenges, Arwa and her FY peers exhibited great perseverance and resolve to succeed in the first year as KGSP students. As they continue to grow in the program and pursue their undergraduate education, the KGSP anticipates that many more great accomplishments will emerge from this year’s FY students!
STUDENT PROFILE
KGSP students represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s future scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders. As both individuals and as a community, they reflect the KAUST mission of driving scientific discovery through excellence in education and cutting-edge research, and share a commitment to fostering innovation, economic development, and social prosperity throughout the Kingdom and the world.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Selection to the KGSP is extremely competitive, and currently by invitation only. Successful applicants are Saudi Arabian students in their final year of high school who demonstrate impressive academic credentials within STEM fields, meaningful extra-curricular achievements, and who share the KAUST ethos of continuous discovery. Learn more here.
KGSP ADMINISTRATION
The KGSP is administered by the Office of Strategic National Advancement at KAUST, under the direction of Vice President & Senior Associate to the President, Dr. Najah Ashry. Strategic National Advancement directs the university's strategy to serve Saudi Arabia's transformational priorities: Through initiatives in young talent and Saudi workforce development, social responsibility, and national engagement, the Office contributes to a thriving innovation ecosystem by building knowledge capacity, creating opportunities, and strengthening impact.
—King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud
1924 – 2015