10/06/2025
Arda Özdemir, a senior student in the Department of Electronics Engineering at Sabancı University’s Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, was accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) PhD program. Özdemir told GazeteSU about his MIT journey.
1. Can you tell us about your MIT application and acceptance process? What were the factors in your choice of MIT and studying abroad? Do you have any advice for Sabancı students who want to follow the same path?
As in most universities, when evaluating PhD applications at MIT, the first step is to look at the transcript and language score. Although the expectations of the committee vary depending on the school, a high GPA and a good language score are generally expected. Once these basic conditions are met, the real determining factors are your CV, statement of purpose, and references. The statement of purpose in particular is the most critical part of the application, where you explain the process that brought you to this point. The most important point for me was to show that my academic journey was shaped by conscious choices and that every step was connected to my academic goals. The statement of purpose is not just a summary of your academic background, but a story that shows how all the decisions you make add up. Therefore, every detail you mention should tell you how you arrived at your current research focus. I am graduating from Sabancı University’s Electronics Engineering program this semester. Especially the circuit courses I took since my sophomore year have led me to the field of microelectronic circuits and systems. In the summer of my junior year, I gained my first research experience on RF integrated circuits with my internship project at IHP Microelectronics in Germany. Currently, while the production of the chip I designed there continues, I am also working on automotive radar systems with Prof. Dr. Yaşar Gürbüz at Sabancı University Microelectronics Research Group (SUMER) as part of my graduation project. Actually, all these research experiences have led me to specialize in RF integrated circuit design.
The literature in this field is actually shaped around certain figures and research groups. For this reason, I directed my applications especially to universities with strong microelectronics research groups, such as MIT. During the application period, I examined in detail the studies published in recent years by the groups I applied to at MIT and clearly stated how my research focus matched theirs. There was no separate interview process in my application. At most universities, if your application catches the attention of a professor, you will have a one-on-one interview, but at MIT, this process is usually managed by a committee. In both cases, it is very important to be able to clearly express your contribution to the academic work you have done. After all, everyone has a different story. The important thing is to be able to tell your own story in the best way possible and to show why it led you to that program.
2. What experiences did you gain during your education at Sabancı University? How do you think these experiences have contributed to your current and future life?
My education at Sabancı University not only gave me technical knowledge, but also showed me how to apply this knowledge in the context of both academic research and industry projects, and how to relate it to different areas. The courses in microelectronic circuits and systems in particular played a major role in directing my interest in this field. The circuit theory and laboratory courses I took in my sophomore year introduced me to current circuit design problems, while also providing me with practical experience in prototyping and measurement processes. I have been an assistant in these courses for three semesters. Helping students, preparing materials for laboratory applications, and realizing that I grasp a topic more deeply while explaining it made this process very valuable for me. My interest in this field became even clearer with the analog and digital integrated circuit design courses I took in my junior year. In addition, I reinforced my basic knowledge of production technologies with semiconductor physics and microelectronic fabrication courses. My interest in RF and microwave design began with the introductory RF courses I took, and I realized that the technical challenges and research opportunities in this field were much deeper than I thought. This whole process not only taught me theoretical knowledge, but also showed me how valuable it is to be actively involved in the research process. I found my summer internship through university connections, and with my graduation project, I gained my first academic experience at the system level. When I look at all of this, my education at Sabancı taught me how to transform knowledge into a product.
3. How did you decide to study Electronics Engineering in the first place? What led you to choose Sabancı University?
I already knew that I wanted to study electronics before I started Sabancı University. Actually, my interest in electronics comes from my childhood. While disassembling old devices and looking at the invisible world inside them with admiration, this admiration eventually turned into curiosity and then passion. Especially the STEM education I received at Antalya Bahçeşehir Science and Technology High School during my high school years really led me to this field. Of course, my experience in electronics started with small Arduino projects like everyone else, and it was reinforced over time with competition teams such as First Lego League and Destination Imagination. At first, while I was playing with microcontroller cards, I was more interested in embedded systems. On the other hand, I gained my first academic publication experience in the 11th grade with a neuropsychology study we conducted on the effect of anxiety on mathematical thinking in adolescents. Here, we showed university exam-style math questions to subjects with high and low anxiety levels, while measuring their brain activations with functional MRI scans. While analyzing and interpreting this data in MATLAB, the signal processing and neuroscience aspects also started to interest me. Thanks to the freedom to choose a program at Sabancı, the courses I took from different departments showed me that the intersections of electronics with other fields were not limited to what I knew. In my sophomore year, I took an introductory materials course for some general knowledge, and when the semiconductor field caught my attention, I suddenly found myself as a microelectronic circuit designer. Even if you feel very close to a department when you enter Sabancı, it is important to be open to exploring different fields. University is not only an opportunity to choose a profession, but also to understand who you are and what you are passionate about.
4. What do you think about our university's Electronics Program?
I can say that the Electronics Program at Sabancı University provides a very intensive and comprehensive education in general. Since most of the courses I took are project-based, it is actually a great advantage to be able to get into the practical aspect of things early. Of course, my own observations were more on the microelectronics side, so if I were to talk specifically about this field, I see that the university also produces very competitive work in terms of academic publications. One of the things that surprised me the most was that I had access to professional design tools such as ADS and Cadence while I was still at the undergraduate level. These programs used in chip design are generally taught in graduate programs in Europe. Even in the US, there are very few universities that provide such comprehensive microelectronics education at the undergraduate level. Starting from the third year, we use this software in almost all courses, such as analog, RF, digital, mixed-signal integrated circuit design. As you get deeper, you realize how critical it is to use these tools, because no matter which area of circuit design you work in, every project goes through similar stages, and certain software is used both in academia and in the industry. For example, I found my internship at IHP during the summer of my third year within the scope of the university’s contract program. Although I had not yet taken the RF integrated circuit design course, I was able to do my internship project in this field because I had mastered ADS and Cadence software, albeit in other contexts. In addition, the opportunity to produce our own Si-MOSFET chips in the Class-100 clean room at SUNUM was a privilege rarely offered to undergraduate students. This process allowed me to get to know semiconductor manufacturing technologies closely and gave me the opportunity to experience how microelectronic design meets manufacturing. All of these are just a few of the things that studying electronics at Sabancı University brought to me. As I said, the education at Sabancı not only provided me with theoretical background, but also gave me the opportunity to do real engineering projects during my undergraduate years.
5. What do you think of Sabancı University in terms of extracurricular activities, campus life, and opportunities offered to students?
Although classes, homework, and projects are intense at Sabancı, campus life actually provides an environment to provide balance. Since the campus is outside the city center, it is not possible to wander around the city whenever you want or try a new coffee shop every evening; however, you form much stronger friendships with the people you spend your whole day and night with. In this sense, the campus environment is quite comfortable and socially active. After a busy day, lying on the grass, walking by the lake, going to the gym or having a coffee with friends lightens the academic tempo a little. I think one of the biggest advantages here is the wide variety of club activities that appeal to different areas of interest on campus. You can develop yourself in many areas, from technical projects to different branches of art, from entrepreneurship to social responsibility projects. The fact that the faculty buildings and the library are open 24/7 and suitable for teamwork is also a big advantage in academic and social terms. In addition, the artistic and cultural events, theater plays, and concerts offered by the university add a different color to campus life. Of course, when all of these are just a few minutes away from each other, it becomes easier to balance social life with academic pace.
6. Are there any clubs or events that you participate in?
During my university life, in addition to my academic studies, taking part in different clubs and projects has been very developing for me both technically and socially. One of these was the electronics team captaincy I assumed in SURover, our university's planetary exploration vehicle team. Here, in addition to the coordination and project management of the electronics team, I worked on sensor systems, navigation control, microcontroller programming, power and battery management, communication protocols, and especially RF system design, which is also related to my area of expertise. We are currently developing our next-generation vehicle. While increasing our technical competencies, we also aim to produce innovative solutions for planetary exploration systems. This process not only improved my technical skills, but also taught me to adapt within a team, work with people from different disciplines to turn an idea into reality, and think in a solution-oriented way in the face of challenges.
In addition, I have been an active member of the acting club for three years. I was also the vice president for a while, and during this period I managed the design and implementation processes of the one-year basic acting training program we provide to newcomers. I also performed as an actor in various plays, undertook the costume and set design in the background, and worked in the direction room as a light and sound designer. Theater is not just a hobby for me; it is also a place that teaches me to work with the uncertainty of human nature, contrary to the strict rules of technology and engineering. When I performed on stage, I realized that I actually got to know myself better as I entered the world of a completely different character. Working on dramaturgy, analyzing a text, and adapting it to the stage gave me the ability to shape and express my thoughts better. Taking part in light and sound design allowed me to see that the stage tells a story not only with dialogues but also with atmosphere.
Just as it gives me satisfaction to watch the circuits come together to form a system in the Rover team, witnessing a play being transferred from the rehearsal process to the stage in the theater gives me the same excitement. One feeds analytical thinking, the other emotional depth; both make me who I am.
7. What do you want to do after your education? What are your goals? How will Sabancı University contribute to your goals?
I have not made a definite decision about what I will do after my doctorate. I currently have two different paths ahead of me, and both excite me equally. My PhD process will provide me with the freedom to conduct research and contribute to my academic knowledge if I advance in academia. On the other hand, if I want to enter business life in this field, I will have the opportunity to enter the sector as a competent engineer with the knowledge I have gained in academia. Even when I decide to advance in business life, one of my feet must always remain in academia due to the nature of microelectronics, so I will not completely give up the freedom in academia. I believe that the approach I have gained at Sabancı will put me in a strong position on both sides, whether I advance in academia or business life. For now, I am continuing to explore both of these paths. The experiences I will gain throughout my doctorate will help me see in which way I can make the biggest impact and achieve self-actualization.
