The competition is open to any applicants who have a high school diploma yet have not studied at university before. The first candidate to pass all the stages of the quest – which will include IT puzzles, code correction games, brain teasers, and more – will be able to pick any Bachelor’s program offered by ITMO, as long as they have the minimum USE (Unified State Exam) score. 

“Not all students excel at state exams but they may have other talents – and our quest is an excellent chance for such applicants to enroll into university. The project, which conveniently runs online, takes after our ITMO.STARS contest for out-of-the-box thinkers wishing to tackle challenges and create unorthodox projects,” explains Alexey Itin, the head of the Admission Office. 

ITMO.STARS is a competition for talented and motivated students with unique accomplishments. To take part in the contest, participants need to submit a letter of motivation, as well as their portfolio – which may include software code, a research paper, a tech device, or any other project. Authors of the best works are invited for an interview where they defend their ideas in front of a committee. If successful, they get to study and carry on with their projects at ITMO University. The one rule is that candidates must pass the minimal USE threshold. 

The quest’s winner will have the chance to enter the university through ITMO.STARS, just like 17-year-old Ilya Shapovalov did last year, when a puzzling science haiku appeared in the streets of St. Petersburg.

ITMO.NEWS editorial office