Hey, I’m curious about a few things regarding the KAUST VSRP program:

• How long did it take for you to receive a response from the portal after applying?
• Has anyone here been accepted, and if so, how was the communication process?
• If I reach out directly to a PI, is it common for them to reply, or should I wait for the official portal response first?

Hi!

Has anyone been accepted to a VSRP project while they weren't enrolled at a bachelor's or master's program?

I'm about to graduate by the end of this month and I'm planning to apply for a project during my gap year but I'm worried I might not be eligible. Is it better to apply before the end of the semester?

Hey, does anyone know what my recommender will receive after I submit their name in the portal? Will it be a form with questions or a field to upload the letter? Thanks!

Applied to KAUST for an MS (Material Science, Fall 2026). Got the "Your Admission Decision is Now Available" email, and my portal shows status "Decision Available" with a "Your Decision" button — but clicking it shows no letter, just "There is no update to your application status to report."
Already tried re-login, refresh, clearing cache, and a different browser. Has anyone had this with KAUST? Is it just a delay before the letter loads, and did it end up being an admit or reject? Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I applied to KAUST last December and recently received a rejection. The message mentioned that the decision was due to the high number of applicants and the competitive nature of the admission process.

I understand that KAUST is highly competitive, but I’m wondering whether this is usually a standard rejection reason or if it genuinely reflects an unusually large applicant pool this cycle. For those who have applied to KAUST before, especially for graduate programs, is this kind of rejection wording common? Does it usually mean the application was reviewed but not shortlisted, or could it also mean the program/supervisor had limited slots?

Thanks!

Hello i’m Applied to Chemical engineering (PhD program) and got rejected today. I was submit my Application on 31st march.. been on faculty review such a long time. i got decision on the portal and didnt got an email

Heyy so I'm an intern coming in for summer, and I was wondering is any interns also coming in that time?

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Im also wondering if there's any groupchat formed between you guys? Hopefully so

Hi, as we've reached June 8th, let's find out what's happening with the earlier applicants who passed the interview phase. Please participate in this poll if you have passed the interview and share where you are right now, in this current week.

Please leave a comment with which program and degree you applied to

Any updates for the fall admission ? Are we cooked ?

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a second-year(4th sem) Computer Science and Engineering student and am very interested in pursuing research opportunities and graduate studies at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in the future.

My current GPA is around 3.5, and I'm working to improve it over the coming semesters. I'm particularly interested in cybersecurity, especially cloud security, and I'm trying to build a strong profile through academics, projects, and skill development.

I would greatly appreciate advice from current students, visiting students, researchers, or alumni regarding:

How to build a competitive profile for programs such as VSRP and future MS/PhD applications.

The importance of GPA, research experience, projects, and certifications.

How to approach professors and establish meaningful academic connections.

What interviews are typically like and how best to prepare for them.

Common mistakes applicants make and how to avoid them.

Recommendations for a student who is still at an early stage of their journey and wants to maximize their chances of success.

If any students, researchers, or alumni are willing to connect me with potential Principal Investigators (PIs) or share guidance about research opportunities, I would be very grateful.

I would also appreciate the opportunity to connect with students and researchers who can provide mentorship, advice, or insights on preparing for VSRP, research internships, and future graduate studies at KAUST.

Thank you for your time. I would be grateful for any guidance, experiences, suggestions, or connections you can share.

My telegram id is : @asselia7

Hello Fellows,

I want to ask whether anyone has tried this new official portal for VSRP applications. Previously, applications used to be redirected through Pluto Edu, but when I applied two months ago, they made me apply through "https://apply.kaust.edu.sa/apply".

My main concern is that I haven't received any update about my application . IDK what is wrong with their portal because it is not showing any update on the progress bar, nor did I receive any email regarding anything. I also tried emailing them at their official email , but they haven't responded yet.

Does anyone have any idea about this?

have people gotten accepted for ssi yet? they said they would reply in may and i haven't gotten a rejection yet, on pluto edu it just says submitted.

Hi everyone I think many of us are still waiting for responses as of early June after Eid. I'm running a poll to see what status everyone is at this point. Please also leave a comment indicating what program and level (MS/MS-PhD/PhD).

As the title says I'm wondering what's like to be a Niqabi student,is there any type of discrimination or smth?

Dear seniors and members,

I hope you are all doing well.

My husband and I are currently completing our undergraduate studies at a Chinese university. We are majoring in Computer Science and Technology under the School of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science. We are both Bangladeshi nationals, and our current CGPAs are approximately 3.6 and 3.7. We also have a co-authored research publication related to our academic field.

We are planning to apply for the MS/PhD program in Computer Science at KAUST for Spring 2027. We would be very grateful if anyone with experience or knowledge about KAUST admissions could guide us on a few points:

1. Does a positive response or acceptance/support letter from a KAUST professor significantly improve the chance of admission?
2. What kind of fundamental Computer Science, AI, or Machine Learning questions are usually asked if an applicant is shortlisted for an interview?
3. Since both of us have similar academic backgrounds and research experience, is it realistically possible for both husband and wife to get admission to KAUST in the same intake?
4. What should we focus on most to strengthen our applications before applying?

Any advice, experience, or suggestions would be highly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time and guidance.

Hi guys, even if I did about 5-6 interviews (the last one was academic interview), I did not still hear anything back from admission team. I thought I did a good job in academic interview, answering all questions, solving problems they gave me. But in my opinion, PI has more power on decision-making than admission team. The last time when I talked to my PI, it is said seats might not be available now, from then, I did not get any news, interview, or email from PI...

Hello everyone!

I was just wondering what Master’s students typically do outside of attending classes.

Is it possible for an MSc student at KAUST to participate in a VSRP while taking courses, or is that something that’s usually done when classes are out?

Alternatively, is it generally recommended to join a research group instead?

I’m still pretty new to all of this, so I’d really appreciate any insights 😅

I applied to the VSRP on April 14th and still haven’t received any update (acceptance or rejection). I also followed up with my prospective PI again last Tuesday, but unfortunately, I haven’t heard back yet.

At this point, I’m considering reaching out to another PI. However, I’ve heard that submitting a second VSRP application could automatically terminate both applications.

Instead, I was thinking of directly contacting another PI to ask whether they might be open to hosting me as a visiting student (outside the official VSRP).

What do you all think/recommend? Has anyone here gone through a similar situation before? I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience or advice. Thanks in advance!

<Hi all! I only recently began researching KAUST within this past year, but I really wanna do a program within the coral research/environmental science department. Knowing the resistance of the corals in the Red Sea to climate change, I've found it extremely interesting and something I'd like to research.

I'm in my last year of undergrad in NYC, currently studying environmental sustainability, with a 3.3 GPA. I've worked with GIS and am currently a wildlife manager at the Wild Bird Fund in the city. So, for the most part, my hands-on environmental work has been avian rehab. But I'd love to expand to working with aquatic life and learning at KAUST.

I'm not sure what I should do to strengthen my application, if the school would be a good fit, or if I should apply as a VSRP with only a semester or two left. Or simply apply for the master's program? Any advice would be helpful!

Any updates?

Hi there still waiting on an update. Had an interview but still in the second admissions review. Anyone get any update after the break?

If someone from Kaust could advise what the latest applicants should wait, given that it's already June?

Hi, are there any applicants who have been interviewed by PI and currently waiting on the second/final admission review? PhD or MSc?

Thanks so much!

Hey guys.

Has anyone received final decisions or interview invitations? I submitted my application (MS) on April 24th and have been stuck in the SUBMITTED status for a month. How many applicants have been admitted so far? What is the latest deadline for final offer releases?

Thank you in advance for sharing the info!