Erskine student set to attend Imperial College London
Erskine senior Tomas Salcak plans to pursue a Master of Science in Finance this fall at Imperial College London, recently ranked as the #1 graduate business school in Europe and the #2 business school in the world.
A native of České Budějovice, Czech Republic, Tomas has earned his degree at Erskine in just three years, triple majoring in accounting, business administration, and digital marketing. He is also a member of the Erskine golf team.
“I think if you want to get into these schools and have a good career, you have to work hard on your own,” Tomas says.
He prepared extensively for the GMAT Focus, a variation of the broader GMAT exam, with an emphasis on reasoning and critical thinking. Tomas dedicated two hours a day for several months to studying for the exam alone. This was in addition to his primary studies, working in the financial aid office, and tutoring in Academic Services.
After spending several months studying, he was able to score in the top 1,000 test-takers in the world in the GMAT Focus, with over 100,000 typically taking the test each year, according to Tomas. In late 2025, he was admitted to Imperial College London.
At times, Tomas has taken a step back from golf and used the additional time to his advantage, working as a Supplemental Instructor (SI) for an international relations course and as a math and accounting tutor.
Director of Academic Services Beverly Keelin has experienced firsthand the extra effort that Tomas has put into his academics, as well as in helping his fellow students. Keelin recalls a time when Tomas was tutoring in S.T.E.M. RECON and unexpectedly “faced the challenge of helping a student in physics,” a subject he had not taken.
“S.T.E.M. RECON is advertised as a math and science tutoring center,” Keelin explains. “Typically, we schedule one strong math and one strong science tutor.”
Though less familiar with the subject, Tomas “‘plugged through it’ to make sure [the student] understood the assignment and was successful,” Keelin says. “One can appreciate a tutor who ‘tackles’ a challenge instead of offering excuses.”
Tomas’s roommate and fellow golfer (who also plays soccer) Thom van der Sluijs also graduates in May following three years of schooling. He has the same trio of majors and will be attending graduate school at Boston University this fall. The two have pushed each other academically throughout their time in Due West.
Tomas says he has enjoyed watching his friends and fellow student-athletes compete on the college’s many teams.
“That’s the great thing when you’re at a school like this—you know the people on other teams. It’s not just watching.”
At Imperial, Tomas may resume playing golf, but has his sights set on playing for the ice hockey team, a sport that he loved while growing up in the Czech Republic.
As to his memories of Erskine as he approaches graduation, “Definitely the people here are what makes this place itself,” Tomas says.
Shown at top: Imperial College London
