I got into TKS - The Knowledge Society. For those who don't know, it's one of the most prestigious global innovator programs for gifted children, designed to nurture young minds in emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology. The program connects students with industry mentors, provides access to cutting-edge research opportunities, and has produced alumni who have gone on to work at companies like Google, Tesla, and SpaceX, or start their own successful ventures.
The acceptance rates are quite low - 10 to 15%. So your average student will certainly not get in. Not only did I get into TKS, but I also secured the maximum financial aid scholarship available.
I applied to TKS in May while vacationing at my grandparents' house in Kolkata. I completed my written application on May 6th. When it came to the video application process, I recorded my submission on the terrace of my grandparents' building for some privacy - a fitting metaphor for having to reach new heights despite constraints.
It was May 13th when, with a rather hopeful spirit, I opened my email to discover I had been accepted! I was ecstatic, yet the financial reality quickly set in. Fortunately, I had submitted my financial aid application on May 8th, right after completing my video submission.
I received an initial financial aid offer of $3,250 USD on May 14th. Not satisfied with this amount, I immediately requested additional aid that same day and was granted $3,750 USD in financial assistance.
Jen Adams from TKS called me regarding this matter and informed me that I needed to submit a scholarship application for even more aid. On May 15th, after staying up all night researching and crafting my scholarship essay, I submitted my application. The next day, May 16th, they accepted my scholarship request, maintaining my $3,750 USD financial aid package.
For my TKS scholarship application, I tackled Microsoft's challenge on energy-efficient data centers by developing an innovative integrated magnetocaloric cooling and thermomagnetic energy recovery system. My research proposed replacing conventional cooling methods with a solid-state solution that simultaneously cuts energy consumption by up to 50% and converts waste heat into usable electricity. I designed a detailed prototype using magnetocaloric materials and thermomagnetic generation, carefully outlining its architecture, from magnetic field optimization to heat exchange integration. My solution could help data centers achieve near-unity PUE while eliminating environmentally harmful refrigerants.
However, despite all the financial aid and scholarships, the program still wasn't free. The total cost remained around $2,140 USD - a significant amount for my family.
During my final call with TKS on May 16th, they informed me that while I would be placed on a special waiting list for additional aid, my seat could be given to someone else at any time if I couldn't commit to payment.
What I feared most - account deletion and all my work going down the drain - became a looming threat when TKS began sending notices about deleting my account. I received emails stating my account would be deleted within 48 hours, then 24 hours. Just as this storm was intensifying, I received a final email confirming I had received the maximum financial aid possible - they couldn't offer me any more.
I knew it was the end. I couldn't afford to pay for it without substantial family support, and I was correct - there was no way to save my seat at TKS.
Ultimately, my spot in TKS slipped away—not due to merit or lack of aid, but because my family was unwilling to support my participation. Cultural expectations, financial misconceptions, and fear of me pursuing education abroad led to them restricting activities that would strengthen my future applications.
Instead of allowing these limits to define me, I reframed them as an innovation challenge in themselves: How can I build a global-caliber education and network without traditional access points?
Since then, I’ve begun self-assembling the resources TKS would have given me—reaching out to scientists online, joining open research communities, and independently pursuing technical projects. This approach has taught me that access is important, but agency is even more powerful. When you can’t walk through the door, you build your own.
This experience sharpened my awareness of educational inequality—how opportunity is often gated not just by money, but by geography, cultural norms, and systemic barriers. I’ve committed to ensuring my future success isn’t just personal—it will be a platform to fund and mentor students who face similar constraints.
One day, I hope to tell students in my position: You don’t have to wait for permission to innovate. The path may be unconventional, but that’s where the most original thinking is forged.
My parents’ resistance to me studying abroad isn’t about academics — it’s rooted in fear. They worry that if I leave, I’ll settle there permanently, leaving them alone in old age. They’re concerned I might date or marry outside their preferred caste, religion, or culture, disrupting the marriage plans they have for me. They fear I’d lose touch with Indian traditions, language, and lifestyle, or grow too independent, creating emotional distance.
In their eyes, IIT, NIT, NID, IIM carry more prestige in India than Harvard or Yale. They believe an Ivy League degree might not get me a job here, and that living alone overseas at my age is unsafe. Visa and job uncertainties after graduation add to their unease. To them, studying abroad is less an opportunity and more the first step toward me not coming back.
They're taking every possible step to ensure I can't pursue international education. This includes stopping me from participating in after-school activities, sports, clubs, Model UN, hackathons, coding competitions, student council - basically anything that would strengthen my profile for future applications.
Unfortunately, when I apply for undergrad in 2028, almost all Ivies will require standardized testing like the SAT or ACT. While the test itself isn't the issue, it requires being taken at a physical testing center, and in classic helicopter parent fashion, they'll simply refuse to take me there.
Yes, there is still hope for my future. I could pursue my Master's or PhD abroad, and by then, many of the barriers I face now would likely be gone. The cultural expectations around marriage, family proximity, and parental control typically diminish as one gets older and more established professionally. Additionally, graduate programs often offer better funding opportunities, and parents are generally more supportive of advanced degrees, especially when they see concrete career benefits.
I still give myself credit for getting into TKS in the first place. I recognize that not everyone gets accepted, and even fewer are able to secure such substantial financial aid. I believe it was my merit and hard work that helped me reduce the program fee from approximately $5,890 USD to just $574 USD (including deposit and monthly payments) - a reduction of over 90%.
Even though this represents a missed opportunity, I have decided to forge my own path. Yes, I may not have access to the resources I would have had in TKS - the network, connections, mentors, and structured guidance. But I am ready to try building these myself. There's actually more joy and satisfaction when you accomplish something through your own efforts rather than when it's handed to you on a silver platter.
Have you ever felt like the world is perhaps too capitalistic? Where the circumstances of your birth and your family's financial situation determine your starting point in life, creating an uneven playing field from day one?
This experience has helped me realize that the saying "Education is the great equalizer" is fundamentally false. Even today, inequality thrives in the education sector. What I see is that education has become one of the most profitable businesses. Private schools, elite programs like TKS, specialized coaching institutes, and international education consultancies all contribute to this reality.
I often observe that capitalism has transformed education into a money-making machine. It's not entirely the fault of these institutions either - the lack of substantial philanthropic funding has made it incredibly difficult for educational programs to operate without charging significant fees.
Despite my disappointment, I am genuinely thankful to those who still believe in philanthropic causes. The financial aid offered by TKS wouldn't be possible without donors and supporters who believe in making education more accessible.
As my work gains recognition and I build influence in my field, I plan on starting crowdfunding campaigns to support other students facing similar barriers. If you believe in my mission and want to support scientific education and innovation, you can contribute to my cause at https://tuhinsarkar.in/donate. Currently, I'm only accepting donations from India via UPI, but I plan to expand internationally soon to help more students overcome financial barriers to quality education.
This setback has only strengthened my resolve to succeed and eventually create opportunities for others who face similar systemic barriers to educational excellence.
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