The LGS result is used not only for placement at state high schools but also for admission and scholarships at private high schools. Many private high schools in Turkey offer admission and merit scholarships based on the student's national LGS percentile. Beyond the scholarship rate, what matters is how many places there are, what it covers and how it continues through high school. This guide explains what to look at when weighing an LGS scholarship.
The LGS and percentiles
The LGS (Liselere Geçiş Sistemi, the high school entrance system) is the national exam the Ministry of National Education (MEB) holds for grade 8 students. The result shows:
- the central exam score (MSP),
- the national percentile: where the student stands among all candidates,
- the provincial percentile: where the student stands within their province,
- correct and incorrect answers by subject.
The smaller the percentile, the better the result. A student in the top 1% band is among the highest-scoring 1 per cent of candidates. Private high schools usually set scholarships by national percentile.
How private high school admission works
Places at state high schools are allocated through preferences submitted on e-Okul after the LGS. Admission to private high schools is separate from that process and is done directly with the school, which uses the LGS result in its own admission and scholarship criteria.
So when LGS results come out, families considering private high schools:
- look at each school's minimum percentile and scholarship table for that year,
- apply early for scholarships with limited places,
- plan the timing of state school preferences and private school registration together.
Six things to check
1. What does the scholarship cover?
Scholarships usually apply to tuition fees only. Meals, books, stationery, uniforms and transport are paid separately. To estimate the total cost, see our guide to what private school fees include in Turkey.
2. Are places limited?
Some scholarships go to a limited number of students. Ask how places are filled (by registration order or by score) and how ties are broken.
3. Does it continue through high school?
At most schools, scholarships depend on the year-end grade average and conduct. Find out the average below which the scholarship is reduced or withdrawn.
4. Preparatory year and IB years
If the high school has an English preparatory year or the IB Diploma Programme, ask whether the scholarship also applies in those years.
5. Can it be combined with discounts?
Ask whether sibling, level-transition or advance payment discounts can be combined with a scholarship.
6. Are the conditions in writing?
Get the scholarship rate and continuation conditions in writing at registration.
LGS admission and scholarships at TED Üsküdar College
Under the Student Admission Procedure, TED Üsküdar College admits high school students as follows:
| Route | Condition |
|---|---|
| Through the LGS | The central exam (LGS) result and a Student Assessment by the Psychological Counselling and Guidance Unit |
| Through TOGS | The TED Schools Entrance Exam (TOGS) and the Student Assessment |
The school uses TOGS and the LGS together or separately ("and/or") for admission.
LGS Merit Scholarship: Under the school's Internal Regulation on Scholarships and Discounts:
- applicants receive a merit scholarship based on their LGS score and percentile,
- which score or percentile receives which rate, and the conditions, are set and announced by the Board of Directors each year after the LGS,
- a student who wins the LGS Merit Scholarship keeps it until they complete high school.
Under the regulation, merit scholarships continue provided the year-end weighted grade average is 85 or above, the student has not been referred to the disciplinary board and unexcused absence does not exceed 10 days. Ask for this year's rates and conditions in writing when registering.
The school's other scholarship and discount rules:
- TOGS merit scholarship: Students in the high school preparatory year and grade 9 can also take TOGS, held every January; the scholarship lasts until the end of the school level, and students can retake the exam the following year to increase it.
- Internal scholarship: At the end of each year, the top three students by ranking in the preparatory year and grades 9-11 receive 75%, 50% and 25%.
- Discounts: 5% for siblings and 10% for students whose mother or father graduated from a TED high school; early registration and advance payment discounts are announced each year with the fees.
- Scholarships and discounts apply to tuition fees only.
TED Üsküdar College's high school has a one-year English preparatory year (21 hours of English a week) and the IB Diploma Programme in grades 11 and 12. For more on the preparatory year, see our guide to high schools with an English preparatory year.
For details, see the Student Admission Procedure and Scholarships and Discounts pages, or call +90 216 424 44 44 for this year's scholarship table.