Even though he graduated with an impressive 4.42 GPA and a near perfect SAT score of 1590, Bay Area high school graduate Stanley Zhong was surprisingly rejected by the 16 colleges he applied to.
He considered applying to a second round of schools but also thought perhaps his skills could attract a company who would want to use his computer skills. Google, hired Stanley as a software engineer. So instead of paying tution Stanley will be earning $187,000 per year to start. .
Zhong’s story has sparked discussions on the college admissions process. Allen Koh, CEO of Cardinal Education, wasn’t surprised at Zhong’s rejection, noting that the teen’s focus on computer science might have hurt his chances. “They want to see that you are well-rounded,” Koh says, “That you have other pursuits."
Both are now calling for transparency in the college admissions process, but Koh is quick to point out that people shouldn’t discount going the community college route. “You can be a very competitive engineer by going to a community college and then transferring to a [state university]," says Koh.