From Istanbul to UC Berkeley

I am Guzide Duru Sacinti, a senior in Saint Joseph Private French High School in Istanbul. Throughout secondary school, I self studied for AP exams and SAT Subject Tests, which were outside our curriculum. Recently, this has helped me gain admission to University of California, Berkeley, College of Letters & Science.

I am very excited about pursuing my studies there, whilst being nourished by the Silicon Valley Culture. However, my parents have faced grave financial hardship during COVID-19, given that my father works in the film industry. Contrary to most professions, many artists were out of work since theatres and cinemas have been shut down right from the beginning of the pandemic

In addition, as a public university, UC Berkeley does not award any financial aid to non-athlete international students, and requires an extra tuition fee of about $26,000. Your donation could help me defy geographic determinism, and have an equal chance of receiving education from this institution.

As for my other expenses, I was lucky enough to receive $25,000 , plane tickets, and a monthly/bimonthly allowance. I am also expecting a family contribution of about $7,000-10,000. In addition, a foundation might provide me with a personal loan of up to $10,000 , but it is uncertain.

There is also a possibility of not being able to obtain a visa for the first semester, which can significantly reduce the costs affiliated with housing. Co-ops are a much cheaper option, yet I'm way down the waitlist.

I cannot afford to entertain a vast array of possibilities when it comes to my education. Thus, I started a this campaign. Any kind of help, including but not limited to referring me to someone who would like to provide financial support to this cause, is very much appreciated.