US student Kwasi Enin is first to successfully apply for places ...

US student Kwasi Enin is first to successfully apply for places at all eight Ivy League universities · Son of immigrant nurses achieves clean ... Hehasanacademictestscorethatputshiminthetoponepercentofstudents,competesasashotputterforhisschoolathleticsteamandevenplaystheviolaintheorchestra,soitlikelycameaslittlesurprisetohisteachersandfamilythatKwasiEninwouldbeacceptedbyanIvyLeaguecollege.Whatmighthaveshockedthem,however,isthathegotintoalleight.Inararefeat,the17-year-oldstudentfromWilliamFloydHighSchool,astate-runschoolonLongIsland,inNewYorkstate,appliedtoandwasacceptedbyBrown,Columbia,Cornell,Dartmouth,Harvard,Princeton,YaleandtheUniversityofPennsylvania.“Byapplyingtoalleight,Ifigureditwouldbetterthechancesofgettingintoone,”hetoldtheNewYorkDailyNews.Enin’sparentsarebothnurseswhoemigratedfromGhanatoNewYorkinthe1980s.Theirsonalsohashissightssetonacareerinmedicine,sayingheaspirestobeacardiologistoraneurologist.Healreadyvolunteersintheradiologydepartmentatalocalhospital–whenheisn’tscoringtopmarksinexamsorsingingintheschool’sacapellagroup,thatis.Enin,whoisrankedatnumber11inhisyearof647studentsinWilliamFloyd’sschoolsdistrict,comesfromanacademicfamily:someofhisunclesandcousinswerealsoacceptedtomorethanoneIvyLeaguecollege.“I’vealwaysthoughttheywerefarbetterthanmeacademically,”hesaidinaninterviewwithLongIsland’sNewsday.TheIvyLeagueisagroupofeightprestigiousprivateuniversitiesintheNorth-eastoftheUS.Ittakesitscollectivenamefromacollegiateathleticconference–theleagueinwhichtheschools’sportsteamscompete–butthetermhascometorefersimplytotheschoolsthemselves,whichareconsideredamongthebestintheworld.TimesHigherEducationnamedsixofthemamongthetop20inits2013-2014worlduniversityrankings.TheyarealsosomeoftheoldestschoolsintheUS,andsevenoftheeightwerefoundedduringthecolonialperiod.Collectively,theeightcollegesacceptedlessthan9percentoftheirapplicantsthisyear.At5.9percent,Harvardhasthelowestacceptancerateofanycollegeinthecountry,acceptingjust2,023applicantsfrommorethan34,000in2014.Enin’sfeatisparticularlyrarebecauseeachoftheeightcollegesisthoughttoadmireslightlydifferentqualitiesinitsprospectivestudents.EninhadalreadybeenacceptedtoPrincetoninDecember,butheardfromeachoftheremainingsevenschoolslastThursday,27March,thedateonwhichmostsuchcollegesissuetheiroffers.ThelastoffercamefromHarvard,ataround5.30pm.“Ithastobetheonetorejectme,”Eninthought.“They’reHarvard.”Buthewaswrong.NancyWinkler,Enin’sguidancecounsellor,toldtheNewYorkDailyNews,“I’veneverseenanythinglikeitinmy15yearsasahigh-schoolcounsellor.He’sgoingtobealeaderinwhateverhechooses.”Likehisclassmates,Eninwillbeexpectedtomakehischoiceofcollegeby1May.Hewasalsoacceptedbyfourprestigious,non-IvyLeagueuniversities,butsaysheisleaningtowardsYale,whichisinNewHaven,Connecticut.“TheyseemtoembodyallthethingsIwantinacollege:thefamily,thewonderfuleducation,theamazingdiversestudentsandthefinancialaidaswell.”Yale’salumniincludeNobelLaureates,PulitzerprizewinnersandfourUSPresidents,includingbothGeorgeBushesandBillClinton,whometHillaryRodham(nowClinton)whentheywerestudentstogetheratYaleLawSchool.Registerforfreetocontinuereading RegistrationisafreeandeasywaytosupportourtrulyindependentjournalismByregistering,youwillalsoenjoylimitedaccesstoPremiumarticles,exclusivenewsletters,commenting,andvirtualeventswithourleadingjournalistsregisterEmailPleaseenteravalidemailPleaseenteravalidemailPasswordMustbeatleast6characters,includeanupperandlowercasecharacterandanumberMustbeatleast6characters,includeanupperandlowercasecharacterandanumberMustbeatleast6characters,includeanupperandlowercasecharacterandanumberFirstnamePleaseenteryourfirstnameSpecialcharactersaren’tallowedPleaseenteranamebetween1and40charactersLastnamePleaseenteryourlastnameSpecialcharactersaren’tallowedPleaseenteranamebetween1and40charactersSelectyouryearofbirth2004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977197619751974197319721971197019691968196719661965196419631962196119601959195819571956195519541953195219511950194919481947194619451944194319421941194019391938193719361935193419331932193119301929192819271926192519241923192219211920191919181917191619151914Youmustbeover18yearsoldtoregisterYoumustbeover18yearsoldtoregisterYearofbirthIwouldliketobeemailedaboutoffers,eventsandupdatesfromTheIndependent. Readour PrivacynoticeOpt-out-policyYoucanopt-outatanytimebysigningintoyouraccounttomanageyourpreferences.Eachemailhasalinktounsubscribe.{{#verifyErrors}}{{message}}{{/verifyErrors}}{{^verifyErrors}}{{message}}{{/verifyErrors}}CreatemyaccountByclicking‘Createmyaccount’youconfirmthatyourdatahasbeenenteredcorrectlyandyouhavereadandagreetoour Termsofuse, Cookiepolicy and Privacynotice.ThissiteisprotectedbyreCAPTCHAandtheGoogle Privacypolicy and Termsofservice apply.RegisterI'lltrylaterAlreadyhaveanaccount?signinByclicking‘Register’youconfirmthatyourdatahasbeenenteredcorrectlyandyouhavereadandagreetoour Termsofuse, Cookiepolicy and Privacynotice.ThissiteisprotectedbyreCAPTCHAandtheGoogle Privacypolicy and Termsofservice apply. 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