UGS Application Form 2026

Dear applicant,

Welcome to the Ukraine Global Scholars application. Despite the war, we are committed to continuing our mission to provide the best education opportunities to Ukrainian youth with the aim of making Ukraine a prosperous country. With that in mind, the UGS program conditions have changed, with the changes underlined. Please review the guidance below carefully.

EuroTrack Pilot

This year, we are launching the EuroTrack Pilot as part of our strategic effort to expand UGS presence within the European Union and include more undergraduate schools in our network. This pilot is specifically designed for students who speak European Union languages other than English. We aim to select a cohort of 15 students and will holistically review each application. Successful applicants who join us for the 2026-2027 season will receive our full cycle of support and participate in a tailored bootcamp program. If you are interested, please apply using this form.

Logistics:

1. Make sure to review the Admissions page on our website to ensure you understand the eligibility requirements and the structure of the admissions process.

2. You will need more than one day to prepare all required documents and essays. Please do not wait until the last minute and plan ahead. Allocate at least a couple of days or a week to write your application. Now that many parts of Ukraine experience problems with Wi-Fi connection, it is essential to be prepared and submit early. The application deadline is 23:59 February 28, 2026, Kyiv time.

3. You can save and return to your application anytime, but you WILL NOT be able to change your application after hitting the "SUBMIT" button.

Truthfulness and accuracy:

1. Answer our questions honestly. We receive hundreds of applications each year and can assure you that we can sense copy/paste answers from a mile away. The only way to stand out is to be YOU and write all the answers manually by yourself. We are not OK with you using ChatGPT or similar AI tools to create essays and answers. Those tools do not deliver the highly personalized stories and individual reflections we are looking for. We can spot this quickly by using tools that identify artificially generated text and by relying on our decades-long experience. If we notice that you have copied your essays or any other part of your application from someone else or the Internet, including an LLM, we will never consider your application again.

2. Providing untrue or inaccurate information at any stage of the process could jeopardize your status as a UGS finalist and will result in your suspension from the program.

Current age and enrollment:

1. There are fewer openings for the boarding school track, approximately 15 spots, leading to increased competition for students currently in the 8th, 9th, or 10th grade who wish to join the boarding school before applying to colleges with us. Nonetheless, we strongly encourage you to apply to UGS. Applying to UGS can serve as valuable practice for future applications to the world’s top schools or colleges, should you decide to do so independently.

2. We realize that many students have left Ukraine amid the invasion. If you study at a high school abroad and want to attend school or college through UGS, you are welcome to apply. However, we will prioritize students who are physically located in Ukraine.

Application advice:

1. Although all parts of the application are important, essays are our favorite part. This is the place to express something unique about yourself that other application parts cannot illustrate. Please spend a lot of time preparing your essays and use spell check to eliminate obvious mistakes.

2. Use close to the maximum number of allowed characters for the required essays and short answers. If we provide you with 3,000 characters, we would like to see a complete and well-structured response.

3. If you have any unusual circumstances you want us to know about, please describe them in the last section of the application, titled "Optional Explanation." Don't be shy or afraid. We are very understanding, and our goal is to help you. Having all the necessary context is crucial to a fair admission process.

4. When listing your academic and extracurricular competitions, please DO NOT include school-level awards. For big cities, start with the district (rayon) level; for smaller towns, start with the city level.

Future considerations:

1. Be advised that if you are chosen as a UGS finalist, you commit to participating in SAT/Duolingo English Test online classes in June/July and the 10-day UGS boot camp in Ukraine in July/August 2026.

2. For the 2026 admissions, the updated return policy requires an immediate return to Ukraine after graduation for at least five years, with a $25,000 compensation to Ukraine Global Scholars applied to those who choose not to return. Finalists may utilize OPT (Optional Practical Training) in the US or an equivalent in another country for up to two years after graduating from the university; however, failure to return after this period will result in an increased compensation of $50,000. Additionally, pursuing a two-year postgraduate degree in engineering or STEM is permitted, but finalists who do not return immediately after completing their master’s program will also be required to pay $50,000 in compensation to Ukraine Global Scholars.

3. By submitting this application, you certify that you comply with all applicable laws of Ukraine and relevant international laws and sanctions regulations, including those administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). You confirm that you are not a sanctioned individual or entity, and that you do not reside or operate in any jurisdiction or territory subject to such sanctions.

Other notes:

1. Please note that UGS supports applicants from modest backgrounds only, typically with a gross annual income of less than $35K. If your family income is significantly above this level, we will not be able to offer you a place, but you can consider our partner organization ASSIST. Also, do not forget about alternative educational opportunities. Consider applying to our partner organizations, like Ukrainian Leadership Academy and Svitlo School, and keep working on improving your English with ENGin.

2. You cannot apply to UGS if you are a Competitive College Club (CCC) Cohort 2025 finalist. As the purpose of CCC is similar to that of UGS, which is to provide help during the application process, you cannot participate in both organizations.

3. If you have been a participant in the social project "Iron Squad" ("Zalizna Zmina"), please mention your participation in the question regarding your Extracurricular Achievements.

4. We partner with dedicated organizations that provide support to children and families who have experienced the loss of a parent due to the war, specifically the Children of Heroes and Soborna Ukraine foundations. If you require such support, please do not hesitate to reach out to them directly for assistance, and you can find more information on their respective websites.

5. If you are registered as an Internally Displaced Person, you are required to submit supporting documentation. Please upload a clear, scanned copy or photo of an official document that confirms your IDP status (such as an IDP certificate or a relevant government-issued document) as part of your application materials.

6. UGS regularly holds online info sessions with our finalists and students. Make sure to register to get invited to upcoming events!

7. If you have any questions about this application, please email info@ugs.foundation or send a direct message to our Instagram or Facebook.

Good luck! We look forward to receiving your application!

The application deadline is 23:59 February 28, 2026, Kyiv Time.

Slava Ukraini!

Ukraine Global Scholars Team

Name*

First nameLast name

Pronouns*

He/himShe/herThey/themOther

Email*

Confirmation EmailEnter your email twice

Phone number*

Include the country code (e. g. +380)

Link to your Instagram account*

Please share a link to your Instagram account. If you are not on Instagram, please share your FB or other social media profile

Date of birth*

Age as of right now*

City/town/village where you live now*

Oblast'/state/etc where you live now*

Country where you live now*

City/town/village where you lived before Feb 24, 2022*

Oblast'/state/etc where you lived before Feb 24, 2022*

Country where you lived before Feb 24, 2022*

Are you a citizen of Ukraine?*

YesNo

Do you have the status of an Internally Displaced Person (IDP)*

YesNo

If you answered yes to the previous question, please upload a clear scanned copy or photo of the document that confirms your IDP status (such as an IDP certificate or a relevant government-issued document)

Do you have other citizenships besides Ukraine? If yes, please list them*

Do you have a residence permit from any country outside Ukraine (for example, under the EU Temporary Protection Directive)? If yes, please specify the country and the type of permit*

What countries have you visited in the past 4 years and what was the reason for traveling in each case?*

Please list the countries you have visited in the last 3 years, the reasons for the visit, and the duration of stay in each country. Example: Poland 7 days (National Olympiad), Turkey 10 days (family vacation)

Are you enrolled in a school in Ukraine? If yes, provide school name and city

Example: School #50, Kharkiv

If you are enrolled in a school in Ukraine, specify the primary format your school operates in*

Are you enrolled in a school outside Ukraine? If yes, specify school name and location (city/town, land/county, country)

Example: St. George's, Munich, Germany

If you are enrolled in a school outside Ukraine, specify the primary format your school operates in*

Grade*

If you have graduated from high school, are you taking a gap year?

If you are a FLEX alum, indicate the year when you came/are coming back to Ukraine*

What is your parent(s)' or legal guardian(s)' occupation? *

Indicate the company and title for your parents/guardians (i.e. Accountant at Silpo)

Please provide the current place of residence (including town/city, region/state, and country) for your parent(s) or legal guardian(s).*

Approximate gross annual household income (in USD) *

Please provide an estimate of how much gross (before tax) annual income your family earned in 2024

Do you have any siblings? If yes, please indicate how many, and their age*

Do any of your siblings study, have studied, or are living abroad? If yes, specify

How did you find out about our program?*

Are you a finalist/member of any of these programs/communities?*

If someone referred you to our program, list their name here

Have you previously applied to our program?*

In addition to the schools and colleges where UGS students typically apply, which of the following would you be interested in applying to?(Select all that apply.)*

U.S. military boarding schoolsU.S. military universitiesMilitary boarding schools outside the United StatesMilitary universities outside the United StatesBoarding schools in the United KingdomBoarding schools in ChinaNone of the above

Do you have any access requirements and/or special needs you would like us to be aware of?

Grades - past three years*

Please upload your final grades for the past 3 years. You may upload pictures. There is no need for translation. Years to include: semester grades for 2025-2026 (if available), final grades for 2024-2025, 2023-2024, and 2022-2023 school years. If you don't have all grades available at hand, you will be able to submit missing grades by email. If you do not have access to the grades at all - please create your own table that will most realistically reflect your grades.

Academic achievements - past 3 years. *

Please list your most significant academic achievements over the past 3 years in chronological order, starting with the most recent. Each achievement should be written on a separate line. Please state the following: place won, type of competition, school year, and stage (district for big cities, city, oblast, national). For example: 1. 2nd place, Olympiad in Biology, 2024-2025, Oblast'2. 1st place, P. Yatsik Competition, 2023-2024, district. DO NOT list school-level awards; start with city or district level. DO NOT include such competitions as Kangaroo, Levenia etc. Please include the links to the result pages where possible.

Extracurricular achievements - past 3 years*

Please list your extracurricular achievements over the past 3 years in chronological order, starting with the most recent. Each achievement should be written on a separate line. Extracurricular achievements include music, dance, art, and the like competitions, as well as social activism, volunteering, and leadership experience. If you have been the participant of Iron Squad ("Zalizna Zmina") please include it with mentioning the dates. For competitions, please DO NOT include school-level ones; start with city or district level. You may still include school-level activism, leadership, and volunteering awards/experience. Please note that we will ask for proof of the stated achievements at some point in the admissions process.

Do you practice competitive tennis? If yes, specify your level and the highest achievements*

Do you practice any other competitive sports? If yes, specify your level and the highest achievements*

Languages*

Please list the languages you know along with your proficiency level (e.g., Ukrainian – native, Russian – bilingual, English – fluent, German – intermediate, French – beginner).

NMT results

If you have ever taken NMT, please list your results

SAT / PSAT / ACT results

If you have ever taken SAT/ PSAT / ACT please list your results

English proficiency test results (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, etc)

If you have ever taken any of these tests or any other English proficiency test, please list the test name and your scores.

Additional education

Please specify any other education (outside of school) that you have pursued in the past. Examples include programming school, English school, study abroad, etc

Work Experience - past 3 years

If you have any work experience, please list it in this box. Please specify your position, employer, years/months of employment and hours per week spent at each job

Long essay 1. Not all impact is measured on a global scale. Describe a situation where you identified a specific need in your community and responded in a way that felt like it mattered. What was the outcome, and what did you learn about leadership, initiative, or working with others? (3000 characters or less)*

Please write a full, thoughtful and well-developed answer. Be as specific as possible.0/3000

Long essay 2. Being part of a diverse community often presents challenges and diverse viewpoints. Tell us about a time you encountered an opinion completely different from yours. How did you engage with the person, and how did the experience shape your understanding? (3000 characters or less).*

Please write a full, thoughtful and well-developed answer. Be as specific as possible.0/3000

Short essay. What’s a topic, question, or activity you find yourself returning to again and again, and why does it hold your attention? (1000 characters or less)*

0/1000

Short Answer 1. Beyond earning a degree, what is the most important transformation you hope to undergo through this educational experience? (300 characters or less) *

0/300

Short answer 2: Imagine yourself five years after completing this program. What problem will you be equipped to solve that you cannot tackle today? (300 characters or less)*

0/300

Very short answer 1: What emojis best represent your personality? (150 characters or less)*

0/150

Very short answer 2: If you had a superpower, what would it be? (150 characters or less)*

0/150

Very short answer 3: What is an ordinary object that holds extraordinary meaning for you? (150 characters or less)*

0/200

Very short answer 4: What is the most useful piece of feedback you have received? (150 characters or less)*

0/150

Very short answer 5: What is a new skill, experience, or adventure you’d like to explore that might surprise your friends and family? (150 characters or less)*

0/150

Gap year statement: If you are currently taking a gap year, please tell us what activities are keeping you busy (500 characters or less).

Please answer this question only if you are taking a gap year. 0/500

Self-introduction video. Please provide a link to a short video where you introduce yourself to the UGS community. Note, that the video should be under 1 minute and 30 seconds (optional but recommended).

You can upload the video to your private channel on YouTube and provide us with the link. Please make sure that anyone with the link can access the video. If we cannot access your video on the first attempt, we won't watch it. Use this opportunity to tell us about yourself, your core interests, and your motivation to be part of the UGS program.

If you have an art portfolio, recorded songs, or other media portfolio, you may provide a web link to it here (optional).

You can share your portfolio in any convenient format. Please make sure that anyone with the link can access it. If we cannot access your portfolio on the first attempt, we won't consider it. Please only include ONE link.

Optional Explanation: If you would like to tell us about any unusual circumstances that affect any part of your application, please explain them here.

By clicking the SUBMIT button and signing this form, I hereby declare that all statements contained in this application are true and correct. I understand that false or inaccurate information in the application will disqualify me from the application process. I confirm that I did not use AI tools to generate my answers.

I also understand that I may be asked to confirm the above information at any time and that failure to provide such confirmation will result in the termination of my participation in the program.

Please sign your application electronically*

UGS Application Form 2026

General information

Grades, activities, and achievements

Essays and answers