Stanley Zhong, an 18-year-old graduate from Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Northern California, with impressive academic credentials, was rejected by 16 out of 18 colleges he applied to, including top institutions such as Stanford and MIT. Despite having a 3.97 unweighted and 4.42 weighted GPA, as well as scoring 1590 out of 1600 on the SATs, his college applications resulted in disappointment.
However, his story took a surprising turn when he was hired by Google as a full-time software engineer, beginning his new job shortly after the college rejections. His improbable journey from college rejections to a job with one of the world’s leading tech companies has drawn attention, including a mention during a House Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing discussing affirmative action in college admissions.
While Zhong acknowledges the competitiveness of elite college admissions, his story has sparked a conversation about making the admissions process more transparent and accessible for high-achieving students who face rejection. Currently, he is enjoying his role as a Google software engineer and has put his plans for college enrollment on hold, as he continues to make strides in his career at Google.
