ukraine global scholars presentation
TRANSCRIPT
Ukraine Global Scholars
January, 2016
Find out more about us at UkraineGlobalScholars.org or by sending an email to [email protected]
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Executive Summary
▪ Ukraine Global Scholars (UGS) is a non-profit startup founded by the current Wharton
School MBA student and a University of Penn alumna with a mission to help talented
Ukrainian students gain admission to and financial support from the world’s most selective
boarding schools and colleges
▪ Ukraine is an unstable emerging state troubled by the military conflict with Russia,
widespread corruption, and an economic situation nearing a default. Despite the difficult
conditions and lack of resources for the youth, Ukrainian students consistently
demonstrate top performance at international academic competitions. Nevertheless, they
remain strongly underrepresented at world’s best schools
▪ Founded in 2015, UGS is run by 5 Ukrainians who either graduated from or are currently
enrolled at Ivy League schools such as University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, and Yale
▪ UGS identifies top talent in Ukraine and helps our selected finalists with the application
process and the transition to the US in hope of raising young Ukrainian leaders capable of
having a positive impact on the development of Ukraine and the world
▪ More specifically, UGS provides the following services to its finalists: (1) leads a six-week
online test prep bootcamp, (2) conducts a two-week camp covering the full cycle of the
application process, (3) provides continuous 1-1 mentorship support on personal
development and career opportunities after the camp, (4) advises on financial aid and
scholarship opportunities
▪ Since inception, UGS has selected and coached 13 Ukrainian students to apply to top prep
schools and universities during the 2015-2016 academic year
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Contents
▪ Problem UGS aims to solve
▪ Ukraine Global Scholars
▪ UGS 2015 progress to date
▪ UGS needs and next steps
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Ukraine has a strong talent pool of high school student with proven track record of achievements in international competitions
Despite Ukraine’s mediocre ratings in high school education quality…
… Ukraine can boast impressive results in international high school Olympiads
▪ Ukrainian high school students consistently demonstrate top performance in prestigious international Olympiads
Source: 2015 PISA assessment
Singapore
Hong Kong
South Korea
Japan
Taiwan
Finland
Estonia
Switzerland
Holland
Canada
1
2
3
4
4
6
7
8
9
10
Poland
Germany
UK
US
Russia
Sweden
Slovakia
Ukraine
Israel
Greece
11
13
20
28
34
35
37
38
39
40
ChemistryChemistry
BiologyBiology
PhysicsPhysics
MathematicsMathematics
2014 2015
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However, Ukrainian higher education quality lags significantly in the global rankings and is also behind top regional institutions
Only a handful of Ukrainian institutions made it to top 1,000 universities…
…and are significantly behind top Eastern Europe & CIS universities
Taras Shevchenko
National University
Kyiv National Technical
University “KPI”
Kharkiv Karmazin
National University
Sumy State University
Kharkiv National
Politechnic University
#421-430
#481-490
#551-600
#651-700
#701-1,000
NameName RankRank
Source: 2014/2015 university ranking by Quacquarelli Symonds
Moscow State
Lomonosov University
Charles University in
Prague
Bauman Moscow State
Technical University
Gumilev Eurasian
National University
University of Warsaw
#114
#244
#322
#324
#335
CountryCountry RankRankUniversityUniversity
▪ Ukraine’s universities provide low value proposition for the top performing students
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The number of Ukrainian students in the US has been declining since 2009, while the share of undergrads is substantially lower vs. EE countries
-4% p.a.
2012/13
1,4651,490
2013/14
1,5831,727
2009/10 2011/12
1,535
2010/11
4126
37 2830 24
555846455742
16161512
5
Ukraine
100
Estonia Latvia
100
10 9122 2
4
Lithuania
8100 100
Georgia
Undergraduate
100% =
Non-degree
OPT
Moldova
Graduate
100 100
Number of Ukrainian students in the US Number of Ukrainian students in the US
Number of students
Breakdown of students in the US by degree typeBreakdown of students in the US by degree type
% of total
▪ Number of Ukrainian students in the US has been steadily declining since 2009 by ~4% p.a.
▪ Furthermore, the share of undergraduate students from Ukraine is substantially lower compared to other countries in the region
SOURCE: EducationUSA country reports
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Ukraine remains underrepresented at top schools as gifted students don’t pursue opportunities abroad
Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Breakdown of undergraduate students by country,# of students during the 2013-14 school year
122235566713
17
023175
16
125
1718
02214
10
19
12578
Turk
ey
Ukra
ine
Georg
ia
Czech R
.
Cro
atia
Russia
Pola
nd
Esto
nia
Rom
ania
Fra
nce
Italy
Germ
any
▪ Virtually zero presence of Ukrainian students in Ivy League universities due to lack of information, coaching and financial constraints
Yale UniversityYale University
Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Source: University data
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Three key challenges prevent Ukraine’s top students from getting admitted to world’s best colleges and universities
Financial constraintsFinancial constraints
Selection & coachingSelection & coaching
InformationavailabilityInformationavailability
• Limited information on prep school and college admissions process
• Existing resources often insufficient to deliver right information in the right time, enough to persuade students to apply to a top global university
• Currently no program targeting top performing students with tailored admissions & career mentorship approach
• Education support limited only to a few locations and often not performed by university alumnis with first-hand experience
• Insufficient information on financial support opportunities and advice on obtaining it
• Limited financial resources to cover the cost of coaching, tests, tutorials and other preparation needs
▪ Ukrainian Global Scholars Initiative was launched to help Ukrainian students overcome these challenges
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▪ Quality of teachers/ professors is a key driver of student performance
▪ On average, students with high-performing instructors perform 53 percentile points better
▪ UGS aims to
– Identify talented Ukrainians at a young age
– Help gain admission to best universities, maximizing their potential
At UGS, we aim to maximize students’ potential by identifying them early on and coaching them through the application process to top universities
Student performance100th percentile
50th percentile
Age15 22
90th percentile
37th percentile
53 percentile points difference
Two students with same performance
Students with high-performing instructors1
Students with low-performing insutructors2
Source: Sanders and Rivers ‘Cumulative and residual effects on future student academic achievement’
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Contents
▪ Problem UGS aims to solve
▪ UGS team and services
▪ UGS progress to date
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Board of DirectorsBoard of Directors ▪ University of
Pennsylvania, BA in Economics
▪ Founder and CEO at
Mitten
▪ Expertise in business
development
▪ Deerfield Academy, Harvard University, Wharton, MBA 2017
▪ Consultant at
McKinsey & Company
▪ Expertise in
operational
transformations
▪ Choate Rosemary Hall, Harvard University, AB in Applied Mathematics
▪ Analyst at Goldman
Sachs
▪ Deep knowledge of
corporate finance and
financial instruments
▪ St. Mark’s School, MIT, Harvard University, PhD
▪ Currently a graduate
student at Harvard
▪ Award winning
teaching instructor in
the Department of
Chemistry
▪ Yale University, BS in Computer Science
▪ Currently a freshman
at Yale
▪ Focus on computer
science and
entrepreneurship
Yulia Sychikova Misha Lemesh Roman Yevstihnyeyev Anna Levina Vlad Vyhodets
UGS was founded by 5 Ukrainian Ivy League alums and students who collectively received USD 1.5M in fellowships, grants, and scholarships, putting us in a strong position as educational advisors
Total funds received by source (US$M)
1,8
1,5
0,3Prep schools
Universities
Total funding
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UGS finds talented youth in small towns and rural areas of Ukraine to prepare for and mentor through the application process to top schools
2. Coaching
3. Support
4. UGScommunity contribution
1. Selection
Full-cycle college and prep-school advising
▪ UGS scholars receive
admission decisions
▪ UGS alumni are
expected to contribute
to the expansion of the
UGS program and are
encouraged to act as
volunteers and
coaches for incoming
classes of scholars
▪ UGS reaches out to
applicants across
Ukraine
▪ Candidates
– Apply online via
our website by
March 31
– Take SAT/TOEFL
tests by April 31
– Have 2 interviews
by May 31st
▪ UGS board collectively
makes admission
decisions and selects
~30 top students
Feb through May 2016
Jan through Apr 2017
▪ Post-camp, UGS team
provides resources to assist
with further test prep
▪ Each UGS scholar gets a
UGS board member assigned
as a personal mentor
providing personal
development support (through
daily/weekly catchup and
feedback sessions)
▪ UGS board members and
qualified volunteers review
and provide feedback on
applications, essays, CVs,
etc. and provide additional
individual coaching as needed
▪ UGS team leads a 6-week
online test prep bootcamp
▪ Students demonstrating
positive trajectory in test
scores get selected as UGS
finalists and invited to attend
the 2-week camp in August
▪ The camp consists of daily
lectures, workshops, daily
homework assignments, and
constant feedback
Aug through Dec 2016
June through Aug 2016
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1. UGS selection mirrors the application process to US prep-schools/colleges and consists of 3 rounds
100%100% ~50%~50% ~25%~25%
## # of candidates
Round 1: online application
OutreachRound 2: English and Math test
Round 3: 2+ online admission interviews
Selection criteriaSelection criteria
▪ Clear and logical personal story
▪ Track record of academic and other achievements
▪ Leadership qualities and potential for growth
▪ Above average performance vs. the applicant pool
▪ Next round decisions made in combination with qualitative data from round 1
▪ Fluency in spoken English
▪ Outstanding soft skills (e.g. presence, attitude, willingness to contribute)
Selection methodSelection method
▪ Application essay▪ Transcripts▪ List of extracurricular
and academic achievements
▪ List of 5 favorite books
▪ Customized set of SAT/TOEFLquestions testing grammar, reading comprehension and mathematics
▪ 1-1 admission interviews with 2+ UGS board members
UGS selects ~30 students who then go through the 6-week online test prep bootcampfollowed by a 2-week camp on the Black Sea coast
~5-7% selected as finalists
▪ UGS targets high schoolers through– Social media– Online and offline
media campaigns– Direct mail to
Ukrainian high schools
– Publications on top edu platforms
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2. Selected students participate in a 6-week online test prep bootcampfollowed by a 2-week camp covering the value chain of the app process
2-week camp on the Black Sea coast in Ukraine in early August
▪ Application process overview
▪ Types of schools/ colleges
▪ Choosing college/ prepschool
▪ Common app▪ Deadlines
▪ Fee-waiver writing
▪ Recommen-dations
▪ CV writing▪ Transcripts
reporting
▪ Do’s/Don’ts of email corres-pondence
▪ Social media profiles
▪ Scholarships overview (merit-based vs. need-based)
▪ Loans▪ Financial
forms and docs overview
▪ Interview techniques workshop
Topics covered
US education system
Homework assignments
▪ Write short responses and “Why College X” essay
▪ Complete the Common Application
▪ Create a CV and CV supplements
▪ Adapt Ukrainian transcripts to the US template
▪ Take practice ACT test
▪ Create a LinkedIn profile
▪ Complete a sample Financial Aid report
▪ Conduct mock admission interviews
All tools and materials (e.g. templates, handouts, guidelines, etc.) have been specifically developed by UGS team members based on their extensive experience of having won multiple scholarships and been admitted to numerous top prep-schools and colleges
School package
Digital intelligence
Scholarships / financial aid
Admission interviews
Selected students go through a 6-week online test prep bootcamp. Those showing a positive trajectory in test scores are then awarded the UGS scholar status and participate in a 2-wk camp
Selected students go through a 6-week online test prep bootcamp. Those showing a positive trajectory in test scores are then awarded the UGS scholar status and participate in a 2-wk camp
6-week online test prep bootcamp June through July
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3. UGS support continues post-seminar on the individual basis as needed up until application deadlines in early January
UGSsupport September through December
UGSsupport September through December
Description Intended impact
Application essay guidance
Application essay guidance
▪ UGS team members
regularly review and
provide 1-1 feedback on
application essays
▪ Numerous iterations to
improve essay quality
both in terms of structure
and content
Test prepTest prep
▪ UGS team
– provides test prep
resources
– Covers test fees in
November/ December
▪ Keep track of the
students’ progress and
ensure a positive
trajectory in practice test
scores
MentoringMentoring
▪ Each scholar gets
assigned a mentor to
address student-specific
development needs
▪ Additional coaching and
easy access to
experienced advisors to
increase admission
chances
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4. UGS involvement continues post-admission, as grads are expected to contribute back to the program, ensuring sustainability in the long term
▪ Act as UGS ambassadors in home towns
across Ukraine
▪ Increased awareness and applicant pool
in top-performing high school
▪ Participate in selection/coaching process
as volunteers
▪ Consistent supply of experienced/trained
advisors to keep costs in check against
raising number of applicants
Coaching
Support
UGS community contribution
Forms of contributions Advantages
▪ Contribute to UGS financially post-
education
▪ Endowment to ensure stability in the
long-term
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Contents
▪ Problem UGS aims to solve
▪ UGS team and services
▪ UGS progress to date
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With 0 ad spend, UGS is steadily gaining subscribers/viewers through its web and social media pages
0
3,000
5,000
1,000
Cumulative # of website visits
Cumulative # of page likes
Cumulative # of page likes
UkraineGlobalScholars.orgUkraineGlobalScholars.org
VK.com /ukraineglobalscholars
VK.com /ukraineglobalscholars
Facebook.com/ukraineglobalscholars
Facebook.com/ukraineglobalscholars
▪ Since launching in May 2015, UGS steadily drove the number of subscribers to its social media pages
▪ This growth was 100% organic/word of mouth with 0 ad spend
▪ Strong potential to increase presence through an ad campaign
▪ Since launching in May 2015, UGS steadily drove the number of subscribers to its social media pages
▪ This growth was 100% organic/word of mouth with 0 ad spend
▪ Strong potential to increase presence through an ad campaign
1400+1400+
920+920+
8000+8000+
May Aug Nov Jan 2016
xx Total # of likes as
of Jan 2016
1,000
1,500
500
500
1,000
100
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In the summer of 2015, UGS selected its first class of finalists, coordinating the process online and at 0 cost
Online App
Interviews UGS team conducted interviews and evaluated feedback on individual applicants using free platforms and services
Online SAT/TOEFL
tests
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Between Aug and Dec 2015, we selected and mentored 13 remarkably talented finalists, who will receive admission decisions by April 2016
Zakarpattia
Ivano-Frank.
LvivTern. Khmeln.
Chernivtsi
Vinnytsia
Kiev (city)
Kiev
Cherkasy
Kirov.
Kherson
MykolaivOdessa
Crimea
Zaporizhia
Luhansk
Donetsk
Dnipropet-rovsk
Poltava Kharkiv
Sumy
Chernihiv
Zhytomyr
RivneVolyn
Denys, 18,
international Model
UN and public
speaking awards,
National English
Olympiad award
Nastya, 17,
numerous
international
scholarships,
admitted to a US
college
Yura, 17,
numerous MAN,
oblast, national
awards in Math,
Physics, Chemistry
& History
Ira, 17, national
awards in Law and
Debate, multiple
oblast rewards in
Geography,
History, Law and
English
Sergey, 18,
numerous awards in
Model UN, founder
of several ventures,
academic awards in
Biology, English &
Chemistry
Alex, 17, winner of
regional MAN
competition,
participant of
international
Physics contests
Yulia, 17, perfect
GPA of 12.0,
numerous MAN,
oblast, national
awards in Biology,
Chemistry and
Ecology
Salome, 16, awards
in international
singing competitions,
awards in regional
Ukrainian, English
and Geography
Olympiads
Sasha, 16, an
aspiring NASA
engineer who built
his own telescope,
multiple awards in
MAN
Vlad, 18, a toy
inventor turned
entrepreneur and
leading a startup in
the UK, World Ballet
Dancing Champion
Yulia, 17,
exchange program
scholarship winner,
multiple leadership
awards from US
High School
Liza, 15, thirty-two
awards in
city/oblast
Olympiads in Math,
Biology, Law,
English and other
subjects
Mykola, 17,
numerous MAN, city,
oblast awards in
Physics, Astronomy
& Computer Science
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UGS made huge progress since our first camp in Aug of 2015. We got incorporated in the US and in Ukraine and are rapidly building our brand
Milestones accomplished by August 2015:
Milestones accomplished by January 2016:
Target milestones to be accomplished by August 2016:
▪ Put together the Board of
Directors and a team of ~10
volunteers
▪ Launched marketing
campaigns on Facebook and
other social media platforms
▪ Received 150 application by
July 1
▪ Selected 13 finalists
▪ Conducted the first camp and
mentored the finalists between
August and December
▪ Got incorporated both in the
US and in Ukraine
▪ Updated the website and
developed the online
application module
▪ Improved our business model
and are set to launch a 6-week
test prep boot camp in June in
addition to a 2-week college
advising camp
▪ Expanded the team of our
advisors and mentors from 10
to ~20 people
▪ Organized a conference in
Ukraine attended by 200
students (received 650+
RSVPs within 48 hours)
▪ Appeared on radio and were
interviewed by top Ukrainian
education portals and news
outlets
▪ Launched a networking
campaign: met with top
Ukrainian influencers, young
leaders to promote UGS
▪ Presented UGS at the US
Department of State
▪ Gain media presence on top 3
news channels in Ukraine
▪ Build an interactive video blog
on Facebook and other social
media platforms
▪ Develop an online course to
be available to the public and
conduct a series of webinars
for those not selected as UGS
finalists
▪ Raise USD 50-75 thousand to
cover test prep bootcamp and
camp expenses
▪ Receive 1000+ applications
▪ Conduct the bootcamp and the
camp per the new business
model