he chose Harvard. “I will probably be classmates with future Nobel laureates, heads of state or other personalities of my generation”

Student Tudor Terian-Dan, who this year will graduate from the “Gheorghe Lazăr” National College in Sibiu, will go to the USA to begin his university studies at one of the most prestigious universities in the world – Harvard. The young man applied to four top universities, being accepted at all of them.

The Sibian student Tudor Terian-Dan studies at the mathematics-informatics profile, being part of a family of teachers. He is known among Sibiu students, being president of the County Council of Students, and last year also being elected to the position of vice-president of the National Council of Students.

He says that in recent years he has also realized the importance of social sciences, so he wants to combine them with computer science in the future. “My parents always supported me to find my own way, so that I wouldn’t be compared or associated with them professionally. Being both Romanian teachers, they always guided me towards the exact sciences. My luck was that I ended up liking math, especially thanks to teacher Delia Şerb, with whom I studied in secondary school. So in high school I chose the math-info class from the “Gheorghe Lazăr” National College, which was also the most competitive in the county. But throughout high school I realized that numbers and codes are not worth much if they are not useful for people’s daily lives. This discovery has in recent years awakened my interest in social sciences, which I intend to combine with computer science in college,” the young man tells us.

About the decision to apply for studies in the USA he made during the 11th grade, when he crossed the Atlantic for two weeks. “I can’t say that I seriously thought about which profile and which college I wanted to go to until the middle of high school. After researching the application process, prices, and opportunities offered by universities in several countries, I decided to try the United States, because that’s where the best universities in the world are located. I admit that I was also subjective here, because at the beginning of the 11th grade I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in an American university (UCLA) and their campus seemed like a dream to me. Anyway, both the profile and the country were my choice, my parents assuring me that they will support me regardless of the decision, within the limits of material possibilities”.

Tudor states that he also applied to several universities in Europe, taking into account the possibility that he might not be good enough for how competitive the American system is.

“I was accepted at four universities in the world’s Top 20, and at another three I was included on the waiting lists. But Harvard was always my first choice,” he emphasizes.

I asked him how the admissions process was, but also learning the news that he was admitted. “The admissions process was not the easiest, but I think it suited me, because US institutions choose not only to consider academic results (grades, tests, competitions), but also extracurricular activities and the candidate’s personality. I had to take the SAT (a kind of American baccalaureate), a few English language tests, write several essays and fill out seemingly endless forms. However, it was worth it in the end. When I got the decision I was impatient and a bit tired (it was 1 am). I went to the site and after logging in I saw confetti and the word “Congratulations“. I read the whole letter and was in shock for some time, after which I also informed my parents”.

Tudor says that at Harvard he will have a scholarship that will cover all his study expenses that his family cannot cover. Classes will start this year on September 3.

He sees being admitted to Harvard as a great responsibility and says that he wants to contribute to solving some social problems, but that he has not yet decided whether he will do it as a researcher or an entrepreneur: “Being admitted to Harvard, of course, brings me great joy, but I also see it as a great responsibility. I feel the weight of representing my country at this level and realize that I will probably be classmates with future Nobel laureates, heads of state or other personalities of my generation. As far as I have been informed, the study program will be a very demanding one. I’m still undecided about what I want to do after graduation; that is, I know that I want to contribute to solving important social problems, but I don’t yet know whether the most appropriate way to do this would be research, civic involvement or entrepreneurship”.

Asked if he intends to return to Romania after his studies in the USA, Tudor answers that he would like to, but the four years will have the final say. “My plan now is to return to Romania, to share my knowledge and experiences with those at home. But who knows how the next four years will change me?”

In the end, the young man wants to convey a short exhortation to any high school student: “I was not an international Olympian, nor did I found any company. I consider myself a young man like any other, who listens to the same genres of music, frequents the same terraces and is as curious as anyone of his generation. But what I think made the difference in my favor was the desire for civic involvement, the initiative and the fact that I didn’t try to appear to be something other than what I am. Anyone can choose to get off the bench and fight for change. I hope that my entry into Harvard will not only be a personal achievement, but also an encouragement to my peers that the only limits in life are the ones you set for yourself.”

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