In a school that only accepts one out of every 20 applicants, it takes a lot to stand out.
Ziad Ahmed found a way.
Ahmed, a self described activist, says he was stunned to get his admissions letter to Stanford University, especially after his seemingly throwaway answer to the essay question “What matters to you, and why?”
I submitted this answer in my @Stanford application, & yesterday, I was admitted…#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/R5YxM77bWL
— Ziad Ahmed (@ziadtheactivist) April 1, 2017
Ahmed tweeted his answer and the tweet has generated quite a response–3.5 K retweets, 7,000 likes and lots of media attention.
“I didn’t think I would get admitted to Stanford at all, but it’s quite refreshing to see that they view my unapologetic activism as an asset rather than a liability,” the Bangladeshi American and Muslim student told Mic.
In 2015, Ahmed was invited to the White House at a reception marking Ramadan.
The Mercury News contacted Stanford for comment.
“We do not discuss student applications.”
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