Ifeoma White-Thorpe, Nigerian-American teenager among the few kids across the USA who got admitted to ALL 8 Ivy League colleges in 2017 [CBS picture]
“I got into Harvard Early Action, so I was like I’ll just go there. And then I got into all the others and now I don’t know where I want to go.” –
[Ifeoma’s dilemma reflects the usual problem faced by the few like her who, each year, have to make the pleasurably- difficult discussion which of the best schools to choose. – TOLA]
This year, only three students across the United States scored that highly-desired but rarely-achieved distinction: admission into all eight Ivy League schools.
For a very elite few, making decisions as to which colleges to attend is a very tough, albeit a pleasant process, especially when such decisions concern which of the eight most desirable colleges – Ivy League, a connotation of the academic excellence and elitism in reference to –
Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, and Yale University –
needs to be made.
To score admission to a single one of these institutions which rank at the top of the educational heap in the United States is a great achievement because they are among the world’s top universities, and when a kid gets multiple admission to some or all of these eight Ivy League institutions, then he/she gets noticed in the USA.
Since the birth of this blog in 2011, four Nigerian-American kids have now been reported to achieve that feat to join a rarefied group. (The third – last year – and the fourth, this year) are new on the list. There could possibly be more.
Now, it’s that time of the year again when teenagers all over the United States are making life-changing decisions about their futures as they get ready for May and June graduation dates from high schools: deciding which colleges to attend.
For most, it’s always an easy decision once the college path is chosen rather than entering the work force or the trades and once, the sky-high college tuition charged by universities these days can be accessed either through parents who have saved towards them, or the kids have made decision on how to access increasingly-narrow tuition grants and/or aids – or through work study.
Saheela Ibraheem as a 15-year old who got admitted to 13 colleges, including 6 Ivy League; she attended Harvard [Google images]
As a 19 year-old Harvard senior at The White House: “one of the 50 smartest teenagers in the world”
15-year old Saheela Ibraheem, of Edison, was accepted to MIT, the University of Chicago and twelve others and while MIT University of Chicago do not belong in the Athletics-named “Ivy League”, they both are world-acclaimed college royalties; that was in 2011. Saheela, who speaks Spanish, Latin, Arabic and, of course, English, chose Harvard, ditching Princeton close to home in her native New Jersey and Columbia in nearby New York City. As a senior at Harvard, she was named as one of the 50 smartest teenagers in the world, a feat that earned her a meeting to The White House to meet President Obama.
Two years ago, 17-year old Harold Ekeh, whose family migrated from Nigeria eight years earlier – when he was already nine, got admitted into ALL eight Ivy League colleges. The Long Island, New York native who crossed a single state border to attend Yale, had intimidating credentials before attending a first day at college: had written an e-book: Hacking College Admission which is available on amazon.com. Harold was editor of his student paper and CEO of a Model UN, Chipotle, a fast-food chain, celebrated him with a burrito bowl!
With mom, Roseline Ekeh. Harold attends Yale after turning down 7 Ivy League colleges as well as 5 prestigious institutions, incl. Johns Hopkins, NYU & MIT
And here’s the news of the 2017 Class of students who got admitted into all Ivy League schools, courtesy fortune.com:
It’s been a big week in academic news: A total of three high school students now say they’ve been accepted to all eight Ivy League universities.
CNN reports that Martin Altenburgof Fargo, North Dakota became the second student this week to be accepted into all of the top-tier schools, while Idaho’s KTVB reports that Ivan Vazquez, from Boise, is now the third.
Ifeoma White-Thorpe, from New Jersey, said she received word earlier this week that she had also earned the distinction.
Like many who rise to this level, Ifeoma has already piled up many achievements: she’s student government president, has shown great promise as a talented poet and writer. She recently won first place the National Liberty Museum’s Selma Speech & Essay Contest with her essay submission that won her a $5,000.00 prize. She gave an acceptance speech, Education is essential for change, and I aspire to be that change which shows a very focused student.
AND ONE I MISSED LAST YEAR which event – Harold Ekeh in 2015 – made it three in three succeeding years for Nigerian immigrant parents in the States
Augusta shows her Crimson color! [Google Images]
Elmont Memorial High School valedictorian Augusta Uwamanzu-Nna who has won acceptance to all 12 schools she applied for including eight Ivy League universities. The High School Senior was also the first in her school’s history to be a 2016 Intel Science Talent Search national finalist.(Photo Credit: New York Times)
In addition to the feat, Augusta also got admitted to Johns Hopkins University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, all highly-acclaimed colleges.
RELATED
https://emotanafricana.com/2011/05/06/15-year-old-nigerian-girl-picks-harvard-among-many-choices/
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017. 6:30 a.m. [GMT]
emotanafricana.com 
April 7, 2017
Diaspora