How should I select my 12 university preferences in the application?
General information, not legal advice. For high-stakes decisions, confirm with the official institution in the next-step below, or consult a qualified Turkish lawyer.
Pending expert review. This fact is sourced but has not yet been reviewed by an independent legal expert. Treat as a starting point.
Source age note. This fact draws on founder videos dating back to February 2022. YTB updates its rules each application cycle. Cross-check the live announcement on turkiyeburslari.gov.tr before acting on specific numbers (dates, stipends, cut-offs).
The TBBS portal lets you select up to 12 university and programme choices. Your first choice is the one you most want; the selection committee tries to place you in your top choices, but if you tick the box agreeing to alternative placements, they can put you anywhere they consider a fit.
A working 12-choice strategy balances prestige with realism across three tiers:
- Top tier (choices 1–3). Highly ranked universities — Koç, Boğaziçi, METU, Bilkent. Extremely competitive, often require SAT or TOEFL.
- Mid tier (choices 4–8). Strong state universities in major cities — Ankara University, Hacettepe, Ege, Gazi.
- Safe tier (choices 9–12). Developing universities in smaller Anatolian cities. Lower competition, higher acceptance odds.
Watch-outs
- Missing prerequisites waste a choice. Selecting Boğaziçi when you only have a national high-school diploma — without the SAT and TOEFL that Boğaziçi strictly requires — means that slot does nothing for you. Verify programme requirements before adding the university.
- City bias lowers your chances. Picking 12 universities all in Istanbul stacks your application against the most competitive supply. Spread your choices across regions; the safe tier exists for a reason.
- The "agree to alternative placements" tick-box can save you from a no-offer outcome, but it also means you might be placed in a city or programme you didn't pick. Decide whether that's better or worse for you than no scholarship at all, then tick or untick accordingly.
Next step
Use the official YTB Scholarship Search tool to verify the special conditions (SAT, IELTS, YDS) of every university you plan to list. Don't add a university if you don't meet its specific criteria — the slot is more valuable than a long-shot bet.
All sources (4)
- Zikr Founder (Baozar Zakariyyah) — YouTube: "Explaining How to WIN Turkiye Burslari & My new DORM Tour" ↗
- Zikr Founder (Baozar Zakariyyah) — YouTube: "How to Prepare for Turkiye Burslari Fully Funded Scholarship" ↗
- Zikr Founder (Baozar Zakariyyah) — YouTube: "How to win a fully funded scholarship - 5 Strategies" ↗
- YTB (Türkiye Bursları) — Application portal guidelines ↗
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