Mihai Radu Popescu graduated in 2013 from National College "Mircea cel Batran" with average 9.99 and obtained a total average of 9.55 at baccalaureate. He represented Romania and Constanta at the Olympics of mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics. In 2011, he was awarded with Likeyon distinction being appointed the Romanian student with the highest performance in that year.
The young boy applied to several universities, at pure physics, biology and computer science, but he will study at Columbia University, Engineering specialization.
Why did you choose a foreign educational institution?
Initially, I was not sure whether to go abroad or to stay in Romania. When I learnd more about foreign institutions it has become clear that there is a significant difference between Romanian and foreign universities: foreighn universities are research institutions too, meaning that that students can get involved, from the first year high level research with renowned professors. This is the main reason why I decided to continue studying abroad.
What do you think this experience will mean for you?
First of all, I think this will be a new experience - in terms of education, and especially in terms of extracurricular activities (universities in the United States place a high value on a student's life outside the classroom). Many of the clubs I can participate (sports, volunteering, recreational) are officially authorized by Columbia University and receive financial support from the university - another major difference from Romanian universities. The experience abroad will be a combination of classroom and extracurricular activities
