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Asya Ocak, a 12th-grade student at Ozel Cakabey Schools in Izmir, has received admission offers from 13 universities across the United States, Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom — following her selection as one of the world's top 100 students in the 2024 Rise Global program.
The universities extend from the University of California, Berkeley, Cornell University, Columbia University, New York University, the University of California, in the U.S.; the University of Toronto in Canada, Bocconi University in Italy, and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, the University of Manchester, and the University of Bristol in the U.K.
Ocak is set to attend her chosen institution on a full scholarship, with tuition, accommodation, and living costs covered through her Rise Global grant.
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Before her university admissions, Ocak had already drawn attention for two health-technology projects. She developed software designed to enable radiation-free ultrasound devices to detect breast cancer and separately built a system for the early identification of stress fractures.
Her fracture-detection project, titled "Fracture Detection (FD)", identifies stress fractures before they fully form, with a reported 92% accuracy rate, and sends alerts to physicians.
Ocak says she is leaning toward the University of Pennsylvania, where she has been admitted to one of the world's most selective dual-degree programs combining business and engineering, which accepts an average of 55 students annually from thousands of global applicants.
"In my work, I have always focused on developing projects that benefit humanity," she said.
"To do that, I also need to be an entrepreneur, someone who builds bridges between technology and the people who need it. I believe the business and engineering program at the University of Pennsylvania will support me in that."
Ocak added that Columbia University's engineering school has selected her as one of 20 undergraduate students worldwide to receive a $10,000 research grant.
She noted that the deadline to finalize her university choice is in early May.
The Rise Challenge is an annual program supported by Schmidt Futures, founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and the Rhodes Trust at the University of Oxford.
Open to students ages 15-17, the program selects 100 participants each year from around the world based on community-focused projects and academic promise.
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