4.42 GPA, 1590 SAT Denied from 16 Colleges?! The Tale of Stanley Zhong

[@ummuser]

I went to a poor urban school, near a very high ranking university. Still, we punched above our weight class because our teachers gave a shit about us. The year before mine, 8 students from that graduating class got accepted to this prestigious university. The year I applied, none got in. Even the kids who also got into other prestigious schools like Princeton. They either decided they had enough kids from our city already, or that we are too much of a financial burden (we'd all need financial aid), or maybe both. Either way, doesn't matter, there's more colleges out there, and like you said, it's not where or what you know. It's who you know.

[@MarcNewhard]

The tech companies should start their own universities. Recruit students during senior year of high school. They could create a program where you slowly pay off the university debt with each paycheck after you graduate. Then after 5 years of employment with the same company, they wipe the debt clean. It might help level the playing field for college admissions along with the cost of a 4 year degree. At the end of the day, a college campus is still a business. The pandemic showed us what they truly value and education was not at the top of their list.

[@JohnSmith-xx9th]

Education was never at the top of the list. Why spend time and money if you can become stinking rich by so many other means? Having said that, yes your proposal is very good one. In fact, there are countries (not the US) where you can get industry sponsorships for college and then a guaranteed job at the sponsor company afterwards, equal to the number of years that you received the scholarship. And of course, you don’t have to pay back any loans unless you leave the company before the minimum required stay.

[@dorothyrobbins3797]

Absolutely Brilliant

[@exoticgamer5866]

While I like where you are going, this is realistically just job training/internships. Cause let’s be real no company is gonna wanna give a person a college degree just so they can go work for somebody else.

[@amaradominique]

Black students would automatically be disregarded because of the mentality in this country. Good idea, but as usual AA will be left behind.

[@craigmyers4269]

I like your ideas. Include Community Colleges (fully accredited of course) and have sweet-heart deals with the CC's. After two years you have a two-year degree and are out of debt. Two more years and you will be fully employed (and out of debt). The company wins and so do you!

[@Slack3rG3nius]

This is why the test blind policies of UCs are ridiculous. If they considered his 1590 SAT, guaranteed it would be obvious that he is well above average of UCB/UCLA.

[@NASALunarLight]

Except you could also argue that the SAT is NOT a valid way of determining a student. You could also argue it’s discrimination between the rich and the poor sometimes. In the end, it’s all just numbers. There’s more to the student than just some high numbers. But you do have a point, this is kind of ridiculous. P.S: Essays and extracurriculars carry more weight

[@cirquemagic]

Exactly! Test scores should be mandatory with the applicant having to explain if/why they tested low. Admissions can then make a decision with full transparency.

[@christinabSF]

agreed! it's true that one test can't tell all but then what should be used? ECs require lots of money, free time, and transportation many students don't have access to. testing could turn out to be the most affordable solution, tho certainly not perfect

[@blackflower6635]

@@NASALunarLightWhy SAT is not valid? You are a low scorer? SAT tests your knowledge in the areas of Algebra 1&2, geometry, reading comprehension and grammar rules. It is not some rocket science .

[@uglybirds6965]

@@blackflower6635I can totally get a high score but I zone tf out after every question

[@ianboard544]

Once you are above a certain GPA, other things become important - activities, interests, community service among others. Grades by themselves are necessary but not sufficient.

[@misterwhipple2870]

So that just proves that the universities are run by Communists. Grades are ALL that should matter. The rest is all political. Commie!

[@emiliomartineziii2980]

I graduated high school having passed 9 AP classes, all the hardest ones too (Calculus BC, Physics C, and so on). The only test I failed was chemistry. Even with all that I did not even bother applying to anywhere prestigious and just went to the cheapest accredited public university in my region. I am now 21 graduating from UTSA with a 4.0 GPA in electrical engineering and I have no regrets. At one of those Ivy League schools, I would probably only had a 3.16 GPA, would have taken longer to graduate, and would have 100k of medical school levels of debt. Like at UTSA, I only would pay 4k a semester so I graduated with money in the bank from working on the side, something that would of been impossible at an Ivy League school

[@mprkg]

UT San Antonio? Ya, good luck when you apply for jobs and other applicants have Ivy Leagues, Stanford, UCLA/UCB/UCSD, etc on their resumes.

[@emiliomartineziii2980]

@@mprkg You really are funny LAMO. I got hired at SWRI as a student engineer 6 months ago and that was before I even graduated (I graduate in 2 days). I’m starting full time as an embedded systems engineer in like 4 days too, so it had literally no impact since I got my dream job secured before I even graduated 🤷‍♂️. Also there’s a few people from MIT and Harvard working in the research facility as well as from UTSA and Texas A&M, so it doesn’t really seem to matter from my experience 🤷‍♂️. I feel that the only people who truly should go to Ivy League at a young age are not even geniuses, but prodigy’s, since only a prodigy has what it takes to start up en entrepreneurial venture after graduating to pay off the 200k medical school level debt within a reasonable time

[@கோபிசுதாகர்]

Engineering companies really don't care that much what college you went to.. I go to Georgia Tech and I have no regrets not going to some Ivy League and paying 65k+ for the same engineering degree. @@mprkg

[@கோபிசுதாகர்]

Congrats on graduating and good luck at your new role, fellow engineer!@@emiliomartineziii2980

[@hangjiang8771]

@@mprkg bro employers doesnt really care that much about what school u come from

[@mariejane1567]

He applied to 18 colleges...... OK 3000 more to go....... what happens when you apply to a job and there's more competition??

[@AjitMD]

Any average level university has the resources for a smart motivated student to learn Computer Science specialities. Plus there are lot of online resources. Get all the certifications needed. Important to graduate with no debt. There is a whole work besides Computer Science… Engineering, Accounting/Tax, Construction, Healthcare, Insurance, etc. Can even work for yourself.

[@erictoulon5946]

I knew two young men who were good friends and wanted to go to the same college. One only studied and got a higher than 4.0 GPA. The other one had about a 3.5 GPA but heavily participated in sports and other extracurricular activities. The one with the 3.5 GPA was not only accepted in all of the schools but was offered scholarships. The other was not accepted to as many and was also told he should take some time off to mature. When you get to college you encounter a lot of distractions and people who are used to distractions will have a better chance of excelling. Colleges also want people who can multitask many of them become influential and strong supporters of the alumni association. Students who don’t get into their dream college should look at community colleges in the area of the college they want to go to. Many community colleges are feeders for college’s who usually lose a percentage of their freshman and sophomore students and use the students from the junior college to replenish their student body. I know kids from Hawaii who went to community colleges next to their college of choice to get residency and credits at a more affordable price. They eventually got into the school of choice.

[@exhaustguy]

We are fortunate in Iowa to have access to two nationally regarded universities without the level of competition you see in the UC systems (or even the flagship state schools like Wisconsin and Illinois). Getting into a flagship state school in a desirable major is a firmer path to success for those students who aren't high flyers (like the one being studied here). Neither of my daughters would have been able to get anything close to a 1590 on the SAT, but both were able to graduate college in two years in desirable majors (Nursing and Engineering). Instead of doing the stressful hamster wheel of AP and Honors classes, they took community college classes instead in 11th and 12th grade. This approach greatly reduced the cost of their education (which I fully funded for both my daughters even though we are a one income household and I am a mid-level engineer).

[@shawncarter5619]

The UC system is a JOKE and produces sub-par graduates at all levels. It panders to Race rather than qualification. The programs are out dated and do not serve the needs of industry.

[@henryknetsar3677]

4.42 GPA and 1590 SAT? Dude, you don't NEED college. Teach yourself, start a business and hire those 'diversity' college kids to wash your car.

[@buzzardwhiskey]

For crying out loud, it's not rocket science. His grades weren't good enough, and his patents aren't wealthy enough. The whole idea that a bright middle-class kid could get into UC-anything (or anywhere other than The Unversity of Phoenix) worked for about 60 years. That's a good run, but it's done.

[@venturabay]

You can get into a good UC by just Acing out a junior college...I just got A's at Ventura College and got into UCSB as a transfer student...good luck to all

[@alecepting1371]

I agree. The reason this works so well is that by the time you transfer to UCSB, so many have dropped out there are open slots that need to be filled. An added advantage is you save a lot of money this way. Transfer in the the best-kept secret out there.

[@DavidLee-co6gp]

It is also easier to get the required freshman and sophomore classes in a CC than at a UC.@@alecepting1371

[@DavidM2002]

Not everything in life is answered by a number. There are often any number of other factors, perhaps more subjective, that are part of the key to open the door. I had a guy working in my firm who had a B. Comm. and an MBA and was completely hopeless in the environment for which he was trained. These things don't show up in test scores.

[@ThinquePrep]

Absolutely. This is absolutely true for smaller private schools. When you look at large-scale admissions, though, they tend to focus on quantifiable evidence first before they focus on soft skills.

[@JohnSmith-xx9th]

Good point. They have to start with the quantifiable variables first. Easier to justify a decision. Less contentious.

[@glasshalffull2930]

Quite a few of my son’s friends decided to go to small commuter colleges and take care of all the basic course for two years and then apply to a more prestigious university such as UCLA and Berkeley. The kids did well and are doing well now that they have transferred. Not for everyone, but an option. I spoke with several admissions people from different UC schools and they emphasized the perspective that “What can your child bring to our university!” Every kid applying has a 4.35 GPA and almost perfect test scores (Though they allegedly don’t consider them) and so what is special about your kid that would make the university want them as a member of their community. As crazy as it might sound, one school was thrilled to tell us they had accepted a kid that was a beekeeper and another school had accepted a kid that was a blacksmith. After great grades, what will set your kid apart? Is he part of an inner city outreach program. Does she tutor underprivileged kids. Do they do volunteer work at the local hospital or senior center. Did they organize a community cleanup of their favorite park.

[@exhaustguy]

Or how about work at a fast food restaurant to support their family while in high school.

[@glasshalffull2930]

@@exhaustguy Absolutely! Any special circumstances that the kid had to overcome to succeed can sway the admissions process.

[@manderina1212]

what can a teen bring to our university as a student? Every teen can bring something valuable to the school/classroom. The matter is what the school values, a question that can have all random answers.

[@smb123211]

While the reasoning sounds valid, this system of subjective, random admission "rules" (many due solely to pressure) along with the hyper-politicalization of academia is increasingly turning Americans against the best educational system in the world. We have by far more foreign students than any nation and indeed, our scientific advance depends on these students. But it's obvious colleges are losing favor with citizens. A degree does not carry the gravitas it once did and is looked upon negatively in some quarters. It is absurd to pay $60,000 - $100,000/year to learn the same things one could get in a technical school. I love history, lit. and art but a computer geek does not need to take these not to mention the phony race/gender/political classes. I went to a prestigious college, did well and had a great career but the college was only a stepping stone. "Oh, you graduated from .....!"

[@kvom01]

I graduated in 1966 before AP with 1590 on the SAT and straight As from a private school. I applied to the top 10 engineering schools and was accepted by all of them. Went to Cal Tech to discover that 1) I was below average for my freshman class, and 2) I really didn't want to be a chemical engineer. I transferred to an in-state school, and although there was no computer science majors back then I worked my way through as a programmer while getting an ME degree. No regrets. After that first job college didn't matter at all.

[@brucerosner3547]

College admission is a joke. There is no objective criteria to select entrants from the pool of clearly qualified applicants. So rather than a highly subjective selection process, entrants should be chosen by lottery from the qualified candidates.

[@loukramer152]

The 800 pound gorilla gets completely ignored - good job!

[@peacehappyb237]

So it appears that the applicant's parent's occupation and high school play a HUGE role in getting in despite having good stats.

[@emiliomartineziii2980]

Well yeah, it would be easy to get his stats with a dad like that, so that’s why most schools were not super impressed XD

[@peacehappyb237]

@@emiliomartineziii2980 Yup. That is sooo interesting!

[@rboddington]

Let that be a lesson to him, next time do better in gym and drama.

[@michaelterry1000]

I barely graduated from HS and got my college degree from a state school. I know very little about how this GPA/SAT/PSAT game is played. Now for my naive comments. All of this is supposed to be about education, NOT competition. The SAT score is only supposed to be an indication of whether the student will be able to pass the courses and graduate from the school. Finally, If you are 17 and have $250,000 to go to a prestige college let me suggest instead that you take that $250,000 and invest it in an Equity ETF or Index fund. Then enroll at your local community college and learn how to become a plumber or an electrician. When you are ready to retire, in your 60’s that $250,000 will have doubled 7 times (Over 10% annualized for 50 + years) = $32 Million. Seriously, see if a Harvard grad can beat that.

[@arguescreamholler]

That's the issue. Ivy league schools didn't accept him. *He didn't try other schools till later!* DOES HE THINK THE EDUCATION WILL BE DIFFERENT, Other Than The Instructors Spin On Things? 2+2 taught in any school would still be four. *The same applies for professions learned in universities!*

[@texassabre7214]

Meh, I don’t see many plumbers with 32M.

[@michaelterry1000]

@@texassabre7214 What you definitely are seeing, and will continue to see more and more of, are plumbers that are in far better financial condition than their peers that went to college and are struggling to pay off school loans. Of course you don’t see $32 millionaire plumbers. If someone actually chose the course I suggested they would probably cash out at $10 million, quit their job and find an island to live on.

[@monke6774]

Bro got absolutely obliterated and destroyed 💀

[@jeopardy60611]

The best way to get into a top-tier college is to attend a lower-tier school for two years and get straight A's, then you can get accepted to a top-tier school as a transfer student. That's what I did. I got into DePaul University as a freshman, then I transferred to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a Junior.

[@chaseg8888]

that looks good, My son had 1580 SAT and 17 APS with all 5s now he is rejected from all of Top tier collages(waitlisted from UCLA). He did get into UT austin, do you think he can go there and transfer to top rated college later ? I had no clue it was possible.

[@jeopardy60611]

@@chaseg8888 I started out at DePaul University in Chicago and had a 3.45 GPA after two years of undergrad. I was accepted as a transfer student to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign which is a highly selective state school.

[@chaseg8888]

@@jeopardy60611 Thanks, now i know it is possible.

[@DailyAbu]

Hello! I am an international student from Uzbekistan. In our education system, there are 11 grades. Unfortunately, my GPA in the 9th grade was not good due to some reasons. However, I am satisfied with my GPA in the 10th grade. If I submit both years' GPA scores, will my 9th-grade GPA decrease my chances of being accepted to a university?

[@ThinquePrep]

Universities look for something called upward trend. So keep working hard!

[@racool911]

I was the exact same way. Great Test scores and grades are the bare minimum for the good schools

[@DavidLee-co6gp]

Not true. Only true for Asian students.

[@MrBjorn6]

@@DavidLee-co6gp Weak argument, he didn't get into Caltech or UCLA which are majority Asian? So what's your problem now🤔

[@vilebeggar622]

If anything since they are already majority asian, it makes it even more competitive for asians to get in@@MrBjorn6

[@cesariglesias297]

So you think Asian rich and well contacted families don't exist?

[@zengjanezhu]

​@@ponyboy2417well, I guess you do not know the current US college application process.SAT, ACT and APs are not required for most college admission, in fact, many schools banned them, meaning if you submitted your scores, the admission officers would not see them anyway. So without any standard tests, how do you measure students? CA bans affirmative actions by law, but all UC schools practice it heavily because the schools do not want standard test scores, and they will admit certain percentage students by schools, and they give special considerations for students who attended their programs which are only open to blacks etc. As far as I see it, the striking down of affirmative action only allows the schools who do not want to do it can legally not do it any more. Otherwise, it is useless. Just like the employment law, which forbid companies from hiring people based on race and gender, yet so many companies openly demand black and Hispanics, and women only.

[@korswe]

He should have applied to schools like Harvey Mudd College with his specialization in CS.

[@mastpg]

GPAs above 4.0 or 100% or any bar set as being...well, 100% are the DUMBEST concept in the history of academia. Highest ever GPA at my high school was 4.0. 5 guys had gotten it. Records only went out to two decimal places. GPAs were converted from a 100% scale used in individual classes. Extra credit was only ever used to offset incorrect answers elsewhere in the tests.

[@MrBjorn6]

He got rejected from University of California University which aren't using affirmative action. Caltech and Berkeley and UCLA are mostly Asian, so what was his problem?

[@SO-jp6gh]

Watch the video. His GPA wasn't that great compared to other Asians. His SAT score is not that unusual for an Asian student. It's fairly common for Asian students to score nearly perfect on their SATs, especially because, for the average Asian, the Math is very easy on the SAT.

[@bosorot]

Mathematics (IMO) ,Physics (IPhO), Chemistry (IChO) ,Informatics (IOI), Biology (IBO) ,Philosophy (IPO) ,Geography (iGeo), Astronomy (IAO), Linguistics (IOL), Junior Science (IJSO), Earth Science (IESO), Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) . Get a medal in any of them , you are guaranteed to get into any school. SAT 1550+ and GPA 4.40 + are just minimal requirements for Ivy League.

[@roginutah]

Having so many variables to admission allows colleges to hide their reasons for acceptance. Few, if any, will provide a concrete pathway for admission. Some of the points are valid (grade inflation is a thing), but your admission seems to be highly subjective and the 'factors' are mostly there for excuses.

[@geemcgraff8281]

See that the universe telling the young man he is smart enough to create his own path. You do not fight against the system, you create your own. Asian should create thier own elite colleges.

[@rattus1285]

School prestige value is especially low in CS too. In tech going to college is a checkbox.

[@tonytrott6318]

Dont waste time znd money on us colleges go study overseas

[@JuanSanchez-tu3dc]

Education system's equivalent of the wealth tax.

[@JStephs1950]

I graduated from an Ivy League school 50 years ago. There's no way I would get in to my school now. But then, I met someone while there who'd graduated 50 years before I arrived. He said that he'd been planning on going to Yale, but on the train there, his good friend traveling to my school talked him into going to my school. Instead of going to New Haven CT, he joined his friend and disembarked at my/our school, and just enrolled there, no application, no admissions committee, no resumes, no letters of recommendation, nothing. He just showed up. Things have certainly changed.

[@jh2519]

He’s Asian, so that gpa = 2.0 If he were another POC, he could have gotten a 3.0 but would be looked at as a 10.0 on a 4.0 scale.

[@sydneyhart]

This is the educational version of “The Hunger Games!”

[@thezyreick4289]

yea, they got rejected because obviously the 4.42 gpa is made up and fake. The highest is 4.0 So clearly they lied on their application. In the rare case they didnt and for some reason they do have that gpa legitimately, the institutions that rejected them most likely cap gpa at 4, so to them anything higher would not be possible and would be a lie, so even if they did tell the truth about gpa, the institutions would still see it as a lie.

[@ArunAbrahamKY]

Good thing thing they NEVER consider RACE.

[@andyiswonderful]

I wonder how US colleges will change their admission procedures as less college age students are produced.

[@mprkg]

Less college age students produced? What?? You know the UCs have 15 times the High School applications, and JC transfer applications than they did in 1980. California has 60 million and counting due to wife open borders and DACA!!

[@JohnSmith-xx9th]

Well, if it’s STEM degrees they have no shortage of Indian and Chinese applicants. Look at American colleges…research labs hardly have any homegrown Americans in them

[@mprkg]

The UCs dropped the SAT and ACT in 2021 because it's racist!!! So he couldn't have put 1590 on his application..

[@mark5846]

This students ultimate revenge is to continue to excel in his studies. When he is in the workplace he will easily outperform the students that were admitted to college for reasons other than academic standards. They will work for him someday. A degree from a prestigious means less today than just a few years ago because of the inclusion of standards other than academic excellence.

[@thx1136]

It's easy enough to reach out to Stanley's father and find out the answers to all your unseemly speculation, and everyone's victim-blaming. Even do a little more research and review some of the articles on the topic, you would learn for example, that is father was completely hands-off with Stanley's high school interest, and college application. Perhaps that is a cautionary tale but anyway, Stanley is now an L4 engineer at Google, hired at the PhD level, with a quarter million a year package, making more money than most UC professors and nearly of all of y'all reading this, put that in your pipe and smoke it. Oh and incidentally, Google had been trying to hire him for years, because he won coding contests, not because his dad works there mmmmkay?

[@zamar2158]

Stanley was likely a victim of affirmative action bs. The usual tripe, nothing new to see here. Google will pull the same shite when Stanley has a manager who is the product of affirmative action.

[@CounselorJay]

Great analysis! Really enjoyed the data. Really wish I could get a peek into his essays.

[@BRunner12]

University acceptance has not been merit based in a long time

[@anonreviews572]

This is an excellent video with really good analysis. The grade inflation at this Bay Area school is absolutely bonkers. I do a little college counseling related work in midwest so I have some thoughts on admissions for UW Madison. A few things ... one - the AO at UW is certainly targeting to keep CS interested students at a certain level for incoming freshman. The days of pretending all L&S students there are looked at the same in admissions are probably numbered.. Two - acceptance rate they publish are totally irrelavent if you are OOS or applying to one of their popular programs/majors. I live in a neighboring state, and many urban and suburban students here talk about UW with very high regard and acceptance rates are low at Minneapolis and Chicago area schools. Three - CA is a top 5 state for applications to UW Madison. They require a "Why UW" essay and I think that really matters in this particular admissions office. They have no shortage of applications from high stat CS interested students from the CA and the bay area. The kid that wrote the essay about very SPECIFIC things they imagine doing on this particular campus might win over the kid who applied to too many schools, wrote a very generic essay that could apply to any number of schools. Because that kid isn't likely to attend anyway. And were they wrong? This kid turned down UT Austin and UMD, both fantastic competitive OOS options. No way Stanley would have stepped foot on a campus as "lowly" as UW Madison. Seems like he didn't make the best list for himself. I do feel badly for CA students in this regard. Admissions for public schools in CA is bonkers. Though he certainly could have had an affordable in state option if he didn't. For sure it pays to have a dad going to bat for you. But that's how real life works. Connections matter. But for a student applying from the Bay Area to this particular list of pretty REACHY schools, this doesn't seem like an unlikely result. A friend's kid is dropping 80-90k a year for an east coast private because of bay area admissions and making a not great list. I assume this student would and could be full pay everywhere. But middle and upper middle class families need the ability to compare financial offers. The ED process definitely benefits the most wealthy.

[@ThinquePrep]

That’s interesting insight on Madison! I know other states have a very strong limit on Out-of-state applicants and have publicly stated so. I haven’t heard much from Madison.

[@jastinoldman363]

GPA is a bit low for CA high school. It is really to get a better GPA. My take is that he concentrated too much on applying for colleges rather than being a "good" student consistently.

[@itwasntme947]

glad i was too dumb to apply to 18 colleges.

[@gdotone1]

4.42/5.0 = 88.4 % a B in grade. but yet they made 1590/1600 = 99.3 % on S.A.T. hey something doesn't seem quite right. hm? are theses kids getting the test from somewhere? if they had a 4.8, 4.9, 5.0 less of a question I would have. did someone else take the test for them hm? kind of middle B too. hm.

[@addejong7249]

Its not only about your mathematical stats!! Same as a job application, you might be a straight A student but dont get the job. Other factors also are taken into consideration.

[@gregggoodnight9889]

I bet Elizabeth Warren could have helped him spice up his resume.

[@cxa011500]

I think one thing people need to consider is that perhaps with those grades, college would have been a waste of time anyway. Is the point of college to increase people’s ability to succeed or rubber stamp the achievement of people who are already successful?

[@drticktock4011]

Check out the 80s movie Soul Man

[@DevylsAdvocut]

Mom, dad…. I’m black

[@NondescriptMammal]

Has GPA been changed? 4.0 used to be the maximum you could have

[@jadedbrad]

The question about a guy like this, after college, is whether he will be making $100,000 or 200,000 a year. Keep your eyes on the people who earn $30,000 a year or less.

[@marv-nt9166]

What many fail to realize is that institutions are looking for a certain mosaic when they create a freshman class. They are looking for something different each year, so when a snapshot is taken the aggregate student population is different. While many assume that grades and test scores are enough, but those are metrics to get you considered. They then look at you longitudinally and take in other factors. For example, many of the top-tier institutions have up to 30% of their student population identified as Asian, but only 6% of the American population is Asian. Therefore there is an overrepresentation of Asians. With other people of color, the populations mirror the national statistics. For example, African Americans account for 13% of the population, therefore the student population would be up to 13%. And many of those accepted are international “Blacks” vs. American Blacks. Now what happens with the selection process is not only are you competing against all applicants for admission but you are also competing against those who have the same ethnic identity as the individual applicant: in other words, he is also competing against other Asians. So against other Asians, he may not rank as high. There were probably other Asians who had a higher GPA, had a higher standardized test score, and took more AP courses. As discussed in this piece he created a start-up in Silicon Valley, but this feat was diminished because his father worked for Google. It would have a greater value if he created the same start-up and didn't work for Google and if he didn't live in Silicon Valley. A White student from rural South Dakota has a greater chance getting accepted to an institution than an African American from Bel Air, CA. Unfortunately, college admissions is a numbers game filled with percentages and logistic regression models . There are percentages for athletes, legacy admissions, students with disabilities, etc. And those schools pride themselves on how they select students. Those outside of academia will never know, so it's best to apply any and everywhere if you can afford it.

[@zamar2158]

Yes college mistakenly used for race percentages rather than learning. There is no need for places of learning to reflect the race of the population.

[@JBoy340a]

How times have changed. CS was easy to get into back in 80s. No one wanted to work with computers and mathematics was not cool. Computers were a support tool for real engineers.

[@pwu8194]

Asians, especially Chinese, need to change their names to something like Tyrone Smith or Jamar Johnson if they want to get into elite schools.

[@JohnSmith-xx9th]

What a nonsensical remark. Surely you must be joking? 😂

[@lovephotography1966]

Great breakdown. However, why continue to blame black people?

[@dwang552]

Asian students get discriminated by universities, because there are too many Asian students with high grades.

[@christinabSF]

well said and very useful information for parents sweating the UC insanity

[@JohnSmith-ho3cu]

You show GPA admissions ranges for the Universities, but the Universities need to release the breakdown of GPA admissions for ethnicity, gender, etc. so students can see what they're really competing for. If Stanley was black or Native American (instead of Asian) with the same scores and from the same high school, would he also have been denied from 16 out of 18 schools? I don't know, but I kind of doubt it.

[@ThinquePrep]

Unfortunately that information isn’t publicly available. Also the schools that we do have the public information available don’t consider race in admissions.

[@zamar2158]

​@@ThinquePrep every school in the us has dei departments and if they did not consider the race and ethnicity would lose their funding or worse... stanley is east asian. Blacks, latinos and indigenous would have required a far less GPA. Race is the elephant in the room. East Asians and south asians get discriminated out of top tier colleges due to dei. Hence many grads from the ivies these days are the least smartest in the room.

[@chrischika7026]

they dont and if you think otherwise you need proof actual proof you just come of as bitter and racist @@zamar2158

[@ktsai2003]

Top 16 colleges may be. 4.45 is good but really not that high.

[@waynesimpson4081]

I have to appreciate the subtext that he "deserved" or was "denied" a rightful spot at Berkeley or UCLA, (I'm guessing the argument is because he was Asian-American?) and that he would have to "settle" for a UCSD, UCSC or God-forbid, a Cal State! (Which, personally, I'd put UCI, Cal Poly SLO and even SDSU on par with UTAustin, but whatever.) So an elite private school not offering admission (Brown, Harvard) was understandable and excuse-able, but not Cal or UCLA?

[@ThinquePrep]

Was that the subtext? If so, that was not intended. The intended subtext (or more explicit messaging) is that the media inflated this kids chances with its limited reporting on his academics.

[@waynesimpson4081]

Sorry, yes, the "subtext" is not your part, but the media's, or those following the popular critique. You did a great job at pointing out the difficulties of the application process. I was the one who wasn't clear.@@ThinquePrep

[@zamar2158]

Either way this kid would be an asset to any university.

[@thx1136]

The UC has a program called ELC (eligibility in the local context). It was designed in anticipation of prop 209, as a proxy to continue the UC's program of social engineering through affirmative action. At a top high school like Gunn, per your analysis, it's quite possible Stanley did not quite make the top 10% of his local school. His place was taken by a kid with 1000 SAT from the inner city. It's a zero sum game. Stanford recently apologized to the Jews for using quotas. When will the UC apologize to Asians?

[@arguescreamholler]

So what? I was denied too! *They Select Whoever THEY Want!* You didn't get the memo.

[@Bikat2013]

Thank you for this! Great insight How is rigor score determine for UC and his rigor score of 18, why was it multiplied by 2? Is rigor the number of semesters of AP/IB/transferable college courses for grades 10-11 or 10,11,12th? I thought UC does not calculate 12th grade into GPA. Thanks!

[@ThinquePrep]

UCs calculate a rigor score using 9-12 UC-approved APs and honors. They count the number of semesters for whatever reason. They don't calculate the weighted classes into the GPA, which is why I had to recalculate the GPA in the video.

[@homejournalist]

Just a note: UMD (University of Maryland @ College Park) does consider your desired major for what they call limited enrollment programs (those programs where they have a set amount of space available). So you can apply for those LEPs ( Engineering, Business, Nursing, Computer Science, plus about 7 others), get rejected for your chosen program, and STILL gain admission as "General Studies" if you have an otherwise good to great application. You then can apply to your chosen program after your first semester.

[@petenrita]

Get rid of SAT, replace with AP, GSCE, and A levels. Then you will see the rot of affirmative action.

[@UnconventionalReasoning]

Things like poor grades or test scores can result in a rejection. The thing which are most likely to result in an acceptance is to be interesting, through the essays and recommendations. The colleges want students who will contribute to the campus, both academically and non-academically.

[@lin018]

Doesn't need to work and keep studying. Of course. SAT should socre should be adjusted based on parents income.

[@JuanSanchez-tu3dc]

This kid will be a tech billionaire and hire only grads from UT Austin.

[@Drganguli]

It is onerous for Asians to get into many universities

[@JohnSmith-xx9th]

Asian Tax

[@geniferteal4178]

Sounds like those colleges already met their Asian quota.

[@VincentLauria6]

You didn’t calculate which class was a B… nor which semester is was received

[@YoungPhysicistsClub1729]

If blud applied to singapore or australia, he was finna get in for sure tho

[@hangjiang8771]

also because of grade inflations, ithink college put less emphasis on gpa and test

[@georgesealy4706]

All you have to do is to give the schools a pile of money. Then bingo! You get in.

[@bwalker4194]

I’m really, really glad I don’t have a child looking to go to college soon.

[@OmedyStories]

Hey , I just watched your video and I must say that it was really informative and well-made. I was wondering if I could help you edit your highly engaging thumbnails which will help your video to reach to a wider audience .

[@johnbatson8779]

where you graduate from has zero input to your personal outcomes

[@kevinqu640]

brother should apply to USYD where we have 1100 kids in the intro to programming class

[@TG-wm5rr]

DEI.

[@JuanSanchez-tu3dc]

Yeah, but what was his blood glucose reading?

[@corfreaky]

Where did that kid end up? Going to college then I don't see it?

[@beekerfishmania]

This whole thing is just crazy.

[@MinecraftMonkey23]

bro he probably just had crappy essays

[@ThinquePrep]

bro, UCs care about grades a ton too. The 4.42 GPA was mid. Essays can't make up for a mid GPA.

[@blackflower6635]

Agreed. Students with only 1250 and 1310 can write good essays. Students with 1590 are dumb people, they cannot write good essays . We Americans are strange creatures.

[@Bigdoglentil]

@@ThinquePrepdifferent schools have different waited systems since it’s not standardized, like at my school you can get 6.0 gpa. His school may have had a lower weighted system.

[@oligokid]

you are over analyzing this. Every top university has a racial quota, I learned about this 20 years ago. He wouldve got in if he was Black even with a lesser score.

[@ThinquePrep]

UCs have not participated in affirmative action since the 90s

[@caniceonuoha]

Well, it is not because of affirmative action. Maybe it was never because of affirmative action

[@DavidLee-co6gp]

If the SAT is racist, or favor wealthy kids, then grades are too. Same with the MCAT for med school and LSAT for law school, or the Board exams for doctors or the bar exam for lawyers. Get rid of all of them. Everyone gets a free pass.

[@TzrcWolf_]

Hi, not sure anything on this topic, but I don’t see how the SAT or ACT can be considered racism. Yes they definitely favor wealthy kids as programs are expensive and retesting is also expensive, but I don’t think race plays a factor at all in the scoring process.

[@ThinquePrep]

The SAT is a measuring stick that reveals inequities within our society if we disaggregate for race or socioeconomic status. A tool that measures disparities shouldn’t be considered racist. It’d be like calling a scale fatphobic for measuring people’s weight.

[@zamar2158]

Mother nature created racial inequities, not some government administrator. All our ancestors saw pebbles rolling. Some did not have the brain capacity to figure out a wheel. That's going to be reflected in the ability to think critically, plan strategically, control impulses, have a clear focus, have a method etc. Some may be able to do that with muscular tasks, it's a bit more difficult for brain tasks. This is merely acknowledging reality and facts as they are, not racism or any other ism , the current mind virus attacking the usa and lowering its standards. This kid with the 4.42 GPA will do well no matter, as he has the brain power, and the social capital of his east asian culture - hard work, perseverance and a supportive family.

[@yogi4319]

I’m an old guy in my 60’s. My first high school was in the Bronx in NYC where 85% of students could be classified as minorities. In that school, anyone who attends classes and doesn’t fight with the teacher got A's. Then I transferred to a school in the Long Island suburb. There, I had to work “hard” to earn an A grade. Now I see my kids and grandkids spend no more than half an hour on average to do their homework, yet they get straight A’s. I know that grade inflation is real. Why then, do colleges abandon tests like SAT - the only means to calibrate the wildly varying academic standards? In the case of Stanley, I will say what you avoided to say in your video - discrimination against Asian students by the woke culture-driven admissions system. I know that’s also real.

[@JohnSmith-xx9th]

Yes, sir. You are absolutely correct. It’s called “Asian tax”.

[@mariejane1567]

Those scores are inflated too. They all have test prep and spend thousands to do it. If everyone is so smart why do you have to study for SATs?

[@georgesheffield1580]

So , ????

[@Bobbychildree]

The colleges don’t have any professors smart enough to teach beyond high school level . He should just start his own company now.

[@fernandoamy8278]

He should have said he was half Native American. He would have been snatched up so fast he'd break the sound barrier.

[@evalxx]

hello! great video, awesome analysis! im just curious, when you say 9 “weighted classes” 10,11,12, are you interpreting this to mean that he took 6 ap/ib/honors classes 10/11 that he could get extra points for?

[@ThinquePrep]

Correct! 10-12

[@Telemed911]

I used to be on the admissions boards of 2 different medical schools. I was a high school dropout and gained admission into Yale College. It is not the grades and scores that matter most, it is an assessment of your ability to perform - in many cases, the more unique the better. I authored my first peer-reviewed publication when I was 13, and started my own high school at age 14 using volunteers as teachers - most had doctoral degrees. A sole focus on grades and test scores is absurd - anyone can do that, few can stand out in a compelling manner to university admission boards.

[@pargolf3158]

1590 on the SAT? What happened to the other 10?

[@waterbug1135]

Saves you $100k for a worthless degree. Send those colleges a thank you note.

[@brianmccormick8328]

How do GPAs get past 4.0 when an A is 4 and an F is 0?

[@clairdelunefan]

Some high schools now have classes that are worth 5 points. It's stupid, imo. That didn't exist when I was a kid.

[@prattay632]

this is exactly why I worry about my future every day. this is due to how messed up our education system is. like if you agree.

[@ThinquePrep]

Why are you worried about your future? You’ll be fine as long as you approach it with some understanding and try not to buy into the media hype.

[@offtohike]

Do not let some schools determine your destiny! Be confident in who you are and what you are capable of. Education is a life long process, not just a few years. My son is going to college in two years, and I have no pressure where he will be. Because I know he will do well anywhere he goes.