He's all-Ivy — accepted to all 8 Ivy League colleges - USA Today

The feat is extremely rare, say college counselors — few students even apply to all eight, because each seeks different qualities in their ... He'sall-Ivy—acceptedtoall8IvyLeaguecollegesGregToppoUSATODAYInthenextmonth,KwasiEninmustmakeatoughdecision:WhichoftheeightIvyLeagueuniversitiesshouldheattendthisfall?Afirst-generationAmericanfromShirley,N.Y.,the17-year-oldviolistandaspiringphysicianappliedtoalleight,fromBrowntoYale.Theresponsesbeganrollinginoverthepastfewmonths,andbylatelastweekwhenheopenedane-mailfromHarvard,hefoundhe'dbeenacceptedtoeveryone.SchooldistrictofficialsprovidedscannedcopiesofacceptancelettersfromalleightMonday.YaleconfirmedthatitwasholdingaspotforEnin.Thefeatisextremelyrare,saycollegecounselors—fewstudentsevenapplytoalleight,becauseeachseeksdifferentqualitiesintheirfreshmanclass.Almostnoneareinvitedtoattendthemall.TheIvyLeaguecollegesareamongthenation'smostelite."Myheartskippedabeatwhenhetoldmehewasapplyingtoalleight,"saysNancyWinkler,aguidancecounseloratWilliamFloydHighSchool,whereEninattendsclass.In29yearsasacounselor,shesays,she'sneverseenanythinglikethis."It'sabigdealwhenwehavestudentsapplytooneortwoIvies.Togetintooneortwoishuge.Itwasextraordinary."Formostoftheeightschools,acceptancecomesrarely,evenamongtheUSA'stopstudents.Atthetopend,CornellUniversityadmittedonly14%ofapplicants.Harvardacceptedjust5.9%.ButEninhas"alotofthingsinhisfavor,"sayscollegeadmissionsexpertKatherineCohen,CEOandfounderofIvyWise,aNewYork-basedconsultingfirm.Foronething,he'sayoungman."Collegesarelookingforgreatboys,"Cohensays.Applicationpoolsthesedaysskewheavilytowardgirls:TheU.S.DepartmentofEducationestimatesthatfemalescomprised57%ofcollegestudentsindegree-grantinginstitutionslastyear.Colleges—especiallyeliteones—arestrugglingtokeepmale/femaleratioseven,soadmittingacademicallygiftedyoungmenlikeEningivesthemanadvantage.HeranksNo.11inaclassof647atWilliamFloyd,alargepublicschoolonLongIsland'ssouthshore.Thatputshiminthetop2%ofhisclass.HisSATscore,at2,250outof2,400points,putshiminthe99thpercentileforAfrican-Americanstudents.Hewillalsohavetaken11AdvancedPlacementcoursesbythetimehegraduatesthisspring.He'samusicianwhosingsintheschool'sacapellagroupandvolunteersatStonyBrookUniversityHospital'sradiologydepartment.Eninplanstostudymedicine,asdidbothofhisparents.TheyimmigratedtoNewYorkfromGhanainthe1980sandstudiedatpubliccollegesnearby.Botharenurses.Beingafirst-generationAmericanfromGhanaalsohelpshimstandout,Cohensays.Eninsayshegottheideatoapplytoalleightin10thor11thgrade,discoveringthateachhas"theirownsenseofschoolspirit"andotherqualitiesheliked.HealsoappliedtothreeStateUniversityofNewYorkcampusesandDuke—andyes,theyhaveallacceptedhim.Inaphoneinterview,EninsaidPrincetonsofarhasofferedthemostgenerousaidpackage.ButhehasyettogetoffersfromColumbia,CornellorHarvard.Eitherway,he'llneedtoacceptaplaceintheclassof2018somewherebyMay1.Hewantstopursuebothmusicandmedicine.Cohensayshe's"sittinginaverygoodplacerightnow—Ithinkhecannegotiatetheverybestfinancialaidpackagehecanget"athistop-choiceschool."Almostanyofthemwoulddoanythingforthistypeofcandidate,"Cohensays.SheadvisesthatEnincallorwriteeachoftheeightandletthemknowthathe'sgotaslotineachother'sfreshmanclass.They'llcompetetogethimtoshowupinthefall.Oncehedecides,shesays,heshouldwriteletterstothesevenrunners-upsayinghe's"honoredtohavebeenadmitted."Afterall,he'sgottokeephisoptionsopenforgraduateschool.