A teen genius with a 4.4 GPA and 1590 SAT Score—who was hired straight out of high school by Google for a Ph.D level Software Engineer position—was rejected by 16 out of 18 colleges including 5 UC Schools: Berkeley, Davis, UCLA, UCSD and UCSB.
Now he’s suing for racial… pic.twitter.com/y4FkxYsdNs
— The Persian Jewess (@persianjewess) February 23, 2025
Stanley Zhong, an 18-year-old with a 4.4 GPA and a near-perfect SAT score of 1590, has found himself at the center of a heated debate over college admissions. Despite his impressive academic achievements, Zhong was rejected by 16 out of the 18 colleges he applied to, including five University of California (UC) schools: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara.
Zhong’s story took an unexpected turn when he was hired by Google for a Ph.D.-level Software Engineer position straight out of high school. Now, he and his father, Nan Zhong, are suing the University of California for racial discrimination, alleging that highly qualified Asian-American candidates like Stanley are being unfairly rejected.
Stanley’s journey began at the age of 13 when a Google recruiter reached out to him, expressing interest in discussing software engineering career opportunities. Despite his young age, Stanley was already a self-taught programmer and eager to explore the opportunity. However, due to his age, Google decided to keep his resume for future consideration.
Fast forward to 2023, and Google hired Stanley full-time as a recent high school graduate. His rejection from 16 colleges, including the prestigious UC schools, has raised questions about the fairness of the college admissions process. The lawsuit, filed in Sacramento federal court, claims that the University of California engages in racial discrimination against Asian-American applicants.
The lawsuit, supported by the organization Students Who Oppose Racial Discrimination (SWORD), aims to ensure fair treatment for future Asian applicants. Nan Zhong, Stanley’s father, emphasized the importance of this case for future generations, including his other children and future grandchildren.
Sources:
https://www.yahoo.com/news/bay-area-teen-rejected-16-003953253.html
https://archive.is/Ibl7L#selection-1259.0-1267.146
https://www.webpronews.com/palo-alto-teens-google-hire-sparks-discrimination-lawsuit-against-uc/