YDT Russian top scorer Ela Demirel aims for engineering

Ela Demirel, who became Turkey's top scorer in Russian in the YKS YDT session, also ranked in the top 12,000 in the numerical field. Growing up immersed in Russian thanks to her mother being a Tatar Turk, Demirel now wants to study engineering and contribute to projects that benefit her country.

Scraper SystemJuly 24, 2026, 09:04 AM

YDT Russian top scorer Ela Demirel aims for engineering

Ela Demirel, Turkey's top scorer in Russian in the Higher Education Institutions Exam (YKS) Foreign Language Test (YDT) session, also ranked in the top 12,000 in the numerical score type, achieving a double success.

Growing up immersed in Russian

Demirel stated that she was introduced to Russian in her childhood and grew up immersed in the language thanks to her mother being a Tatar Turk. She said she uses Russian frequently in her daily life and expanded her vocabulary by reading many books.

Regular study and sleep schedule

Emphasizing that she avoided excessive pressure during exam preparation, Demirel said, "I didn't study too much at first, I gradually increased it. I mostly studied regularly. Towards the last months, I increased my study hours, but I never changed it to the point of disrupting my sleep schedule."

She explained that she did not cut off from her social life and circle of friends, did not restrict her phone use, paid attention to her sleep schedule, and thanks to the exam-focused environment at her school, she regularly got together with friends to study.

A surprise top ranking

Demirel said that her family always supported her and never pressured her, which helped her not get too stressed during the exam. She said she learned about her top ranking from her friends: "My friends woke me up in the morning, asking, 'Ela, is this you?' I was very happy. The exam had gone well, of course, but I didn't expect to come first; it was a nice surprise."

Engineering ambitions

Noting that she also got a better result than expected in the numerical field, Demirel said, "I want to work in engineering; I've just started researching schools. I'm not yet sure which university I'll attend. With the education I receive, I want to take part in projects that will benefit my country and be a useful individual to society. That is my primary goal."

Demirel stated that after the High School Transition System (LGS) exam, she put Ahmet Keleşoğlu Science High School as her first choice, and she thanked her teachers and school administration, saying she spent four very peaceful and wonderful years there.

Offering advice to future exam candidates, Demirel said, "I think what's important is to study regularly every day and to have self-confidence. If candidates aim for the departments they want, I believe they will be more successful. Pressure causes stress, so it's necessary to provide comfort and freedom."

School's pride

Ahmet Keleşoğlu Science High School Vice Principal İbrahim Özbey expressed pride in the achievements, despite the school being an institution that has just produced its first graduates. Özbey said, "Our school was actually built with a private school concept and has all kinds of facilities. Rather than the typical science high school approach, we carry out all efforts for our students' academic and social development. We have clubs, social and sports activities for our students. Most importantly, we give our students responsibility and want them to become responsible individuals."

Noting that the school has 4 students in the top 1,000, 13 in the top 5,000, 18 in the top 10,000, 35 in the top 20,000, and 50 in the top 30,000, Özbey stressed that this picture is a great success for an institution producing its first graduates. Vice Principal Özbey added that their goal for next year is to produce Turkey's top scorers in four different fields.

YDT Russian top scorer Ela Demirel aims for engineering