Jamshidbek’s Vanderbilt Acceptance Story Jamshidbek’s college journey began with an unexpected move from
Namangan to Tashkent, where a spontaneous decision to take a private school entrance exam led to a full scholarship at Millat Umidi School, a place integral to his academic progress and personal development.
There, he joined the “Bookology” club run by his SAT English teacher, Sirojiddin Boboqulov, whose mentorship sparked his interest in debating. His SAT Math teacher, Hasanxo’ja Muhammadsodiq, helped him build a strong foundation in Math. At school, Jamshidbek improved his IELTS score from 7.5 to 8.0 and raised his SAT from 1370 to 1480. Surrounded by driven classmates and inspiring teachers, he began seriously thinking about studying abroad.
At Millat Umidi, Jamshidbek began thinking seriously about applying abroad. He discovered Freshman Academy after seeing the stories of Murad and Rustam, two students who had been accepted to Yale. Curious about what made Freshman different, he started following the organization and eventually joined the Admissions Program in 2023.
“After I scored a Band 8 in IELTS in Grade 11, I was rewarded $1000 by Millat Umidi School’s Principal Umidjon Ishmuhammedov,” said Jamshidbek. “That money never even hit my account. I knew I wanted to spend it on taking a course at Freshman, and I transferred it directly!”
While the Admission Program gave him foundational guidance and one-on-one mentorship, Jamshidbek reflects that, at the time, he was still in the process of figuring out his journey. “I was writing essays, preparing for admissions, but I didn’t really know who I was or what I was passionate about,” he says.
During mentorship sessions, especially with Valera, he received what he jokingly calls “harsh but necessary reality checks,” which were balanced by Dr. Lyusyena’s kindness and encouragement. Despite the structure and support, his applications that year were unsuccessful, getting rejections from every university he applied to. For many, that might have been the end of the road. But for Jamshidbek, it became a turning point. Emboldened by his father’s encouragement to not give up on his dreams, he decided to take a second gap year, hoping to gain what had been missing.
The answer came unexpectedly, sparked by a moment of curiosity about his three-year-old niece, who could already speak three languages. “I was amazed and a little jealous. How could she learn so effortlessly what takes most adults years and years?” That simple observation ignited a deeper interest in neuroscience. He wanted to understand how the brain works, how language acquisition happens, and why children seem to have such a natural capacity to learn.
With this new sense of direction, Jamshidbek threw himself into neuroscience. He began reading widely and translating and writing articles in Uzbek to help popularize the subject in his community. For the first time, his extracurriculars were truly a reflection of his curiosity and commitment to the field. He didn’t seek out a new mentor this time, because he finally felt clear about his path. “I knew what I wanted, and I knew what I needed to do.”
When application season came around again, Jamshidbek applied to Vanderbilt University in the Early Decision round. He wrote all his essays in just two weeks, but they were sharp, authentic, and aligned with his passion. He was confident that this time, things would be different. In the winter of his second gap year, Jamshidbek opened his acceptance letter: he had received a full-ride scholarship to Vanderbilt University Class of 2029.
Today, Jamshidbek is focused on the future. He plans to pursue a PhD, build a career in research and academia, and continue contributing to the growth of scientific understanding in Uzbekistan. His story is a reminder that we must not give up at the first roadblock and look deeper within ourselves, searching for newfound self-understanding and realization of our potential.
Millat Umidi School and Freshman Academy are proud to be the starting points of Jamshidbek’s inspiring journey! We wish him luck in whatever pursuit he undertakes.
Namangan to Tashkent, where a spontaneous decision to take a private school entrance exam led to a full scholarship at Millat Umidi School, a place integral to his academic progress and personal development.
There, he joined the “Bookology” club run by his SAT English teacher, Sirojiddin Boboqulov, whose mentorship sparked his interest in debating. His SAT Math teacher, Hasanxo’ja Muhammadsodiq, helped him build a strong foundation in Math. At school, Jamshidbek improved his IELTS score from 7.5 to 8.0 and raised his SAT from 1370 to 1480. Surrounded by driven classmates and inspiring teachers, he began seriously thinking about studying abroad.
At Millat Umidi, Jamshidbek began thinking seriously about applying abroad. He discovered Freshman Academy after seeing the stories of Murad and Rustam, two students who had been accepted to Yale. Curious about what made Freshman different, he started following the organization and eventually joined the Admissions Program in 2023.
“After I scored a Band 8 in IELTS in Grade 11, I was rewarded $1000 by Millat Umidi School’s Principal Umidjon Ishmuhammedov,” said Jamshidbek. “That money never even hit my account. I knew I wanted to spend it on taking a course at Freshman, and I transferred it directly!”
While the Admission Program gave him foundational guidance and one-on-one mentorship, Jamshidbek reflects that, at the time, he was still in the process of figuring out his journey. “I was writing essays, preparing for admissions, but I didn’t really know who I was or what I was passionate about,” he says.
During mentorship sessions, especially with Valera, he received what he jokingly calls “harsh but necessary reality checks,” which were balanced by Dr. Lyusyena’s kindness and encouragement. Despite the structure and support, his applications that year were unsuccessful, getting rejections from every university he applied to. For many, that might have been the end of the road. But for Jamshidbek, it became a turning point. Emboldened by his father’s encouragement to not give up on his dreams, he decided to take a second gap year, hoping to gain what had been missing.
The answer came unexpectedly, sparked by a moment of curiosity about his three-year-old niece, who could already speak three languages. “I was amazed and a little jealous. How could she learn so effortlessly what takes most adults years and years?” That simple observation ignited a deeper interest in neuroscience. He wanted to understand how the brain works, how language acquisition happens, and why children seem to have such a natural capacity to learn.
With this new sense of direction, Jamshidbek threw himself into neuroscience. He began reading widely and translating and writing articles in Uzbek to help popularize the subject in his community. For the first time, his extracurriculars were truly a reflection of his curiosity and commitment to the field. He didn’t seek out a new mentor this time, because he finally felt clear about his path. “I knew what I wanted, and I knew what I needed to do.”
When application season came around again, Jamshidbek applied to Vanderbilt University in the Early Decision round. He wrote all his essays in just two weeks, but they were sharp, authentic, and aligned with his passion. He was confident that this time, things would be different. In the winter of his second gap year, Jamshidbek opened his acceptance letter: he had received a full-ride scholarship to Vanderbilt University Class of 2029.
Today, Jamshidbek is focused on the future. He plans to pursue a PhD, build a career in research and academia, and continue contributing to the growth of scientific understanding in Uzbekistan. His story is a reminder that we must not give up at the first roadblock and look deeper within ourselves, searching for newfound self-understanding and realization of our potential.
Millat Umidi School and Freshman Academy are proud to be the starting points of Jamshidbek’s inspiring journey! We wish him luck in whatever pursuit he undertakes.