Grades aren’t the be-all and end-all
Top-tier universities seek out students with the most potential to succeed, and take each applicant’s personal context into consideration.
Most top-tier US universities follow a liberal arts curriculum, where students receive a holistic education spanning different fields of knowledge. Most do not require students to choose a major until their second year, allowing them to explore possible career paths first.
Universities evaluate what an applicant could achieve, in the context of the opportunities they actually had.
Colleges build well-rounded cohorts, so a unique background is an advantage rather than an obstacle.
Applicants are assessed through essays, recommendation letters, portfolios, and grades together.
TSN’s 2024 prospectus identified Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale, and Amherst as need-blind examples. Applicants should verify each university’s current policy.
How the Scholars’ Pipeline works
A public application, review and interview process followed by a nine-month programme for selected scholars.
- 01STEP 01
Application and eligibility
Students apply through the public Scholars’ Pipeline application. TSN reviews each applicant against the published eligibility criteria below.
- From public school, low-income, or first-generation backgrounds
- Enrolling in Grade 13, or awaiting UGC admission results
- Remarkable academic achievement with consistent in-class performance throughout secondary school
- A high level of leadership and an excellent extracurricular record, with adequate soft skills and personal qualities
- Demonstrated commitment towards the Scholars’ Pipeline process
- A desire to give back and make a positive difference to the Sri Lankan community
- 02STEP 02
Application review and interview round
Applicants complete the Scholars’ Pipeline application. Submissions are carefully reviewed against the stated criteria and successful applicants are shortlisted, then invited to an interview through which the 5–10 strongest applicants are selected.
- 03STEP 03
Pipeline programme
A nine-month programme nurtures scholars through the US admissions process with individualized guidance, curated strategies, and personalized research for each scholar.
- SAT training: content coverage, practice sessions, mock tests, registration assistance
- Essay advising: creating a narrative, covering writing strategies, proofreading
- Guest speaker series: career guidance, personal journeys, post-graduation, acclimation to different cultures
- Other guidance: application strategy, college lists, gap-year opportunities, financial aid walkthroughs
A network that returns what it received
Every scholar admitted becomes part of the structure that supports the next cohort.
Applies
A striver submits the public Scholars’ Pipeline application and is assessed against the published eligibility criteria.
Supported
Nine months of SAT training, essay advising, and personalized guidance, free of charge.
Admitted
The scholar earns a place, and the financial aid that makes attending possible.
Gives back
They return as a mentor, speaker, and advocate, widening the path for the cohort behind them.
Admissions across the world, strivers from across Sri Lanka
Every university a Scholars’ Pipeline participant has been admitted to, and every district they came from.
- Amherst CollegeUnited States
- Berea CollegeUnited States
- Bowdoin CollegeUnited States
- CaltechUnited States
- Carleton CollegeUnited States
- Cornell UniversityUnited States
- Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityHong Kong
- Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyGermany
- Mercer UniversityUnited States
- MITUnited States
- Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore
- Northwestern UniversityUnited States
- Oxford UniversityUnited Kingdom
- Princeton UniversityUnited States
- The University of Hong KongHong Kong
- Vanderbilt UniversityUnited States
- Washington and Lee UniversityUnited States
- Williams CollegeUnited States