4 Malaysians Accepted Into Harvard College With The Highest Acceptance Rate In Years
They will be joining the Class of 2028.
By Sadho Ram — 08 Apr 2024, 11:42 AM
This year, four Malaysian students are beaming with pride after receiving acceptance to Harvard College, the undergraduate school of the private Ivy League Harvard University, for the Class of 2028
The four students, Thamini Vijeyasingam and Victor Ngow from Selangor, Bryan Lim from Kuala Lumpur, and Elisa See from Johor, were identified in a statement released by the Harvard Club of Malaysia.
Thamini completed her secondary school studies at ELC International School in Sungai Buloh, while Victor — a PETRONAS scholar — completed his SPM at SMK Damansara Utama, Selangor.
Bryan completed his IGCSEs at Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur, while Elisa completed her secondary school studies at Marlborough College Malaysia in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.
The four are among the 1,937 students accepted from a total of 54,008 applications, with an acceptance rate of 3.59%, the highest in the last four years, reported The Harvard Crimson.
They are also among the 15.4% of international students selected from across 94 countries.
The four students have diverse interests
Thamini, a former intern at FMT, plans to study Economics and Philosophy, Victor intends to major in Environmental Science and Public Policy or Environmental Engineering, Bryan plans to major in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, and Elisa is looking to major in Government (Political Science) and Economics or Computer Science.
According to Harvard Alumni interviewer Nick Khaw, the pool of candidates he and fellow Alumni interviewer Nadiah Wan interviewed this year was outstanding and represents the very best of Malaysia.
"They are all exceptional individuals and are on a terrific trajectory to make a difference in the world," Nick said while highlighting Bryan, who built an app that could predict landslides.
Meanwhile, Nadiah, who is the president of the club, said that the common factor among these four outstanding young men and women is a sense of drive and resourcefulness towards purposeful pursuits.
For example, Thamini independently secured internships that honed her business and communication skills, while Elisa actively pursued internships related to her passion for politics and social issues. Both are well-rounded individuals with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to make an impact.
According to Nadiah, Victor, a tinkerer who invented a microbiofuel cell, has also been heavily involved in Project ID, an NGO that provides educational opportunities for underprivileged students.
(From top left to bottom right) Thamini Vijeyasingam, Bryan Lim, Victor Ngow, and Elisa See.
Image via @lapetitemaligne (X)Both Nadiah and Nick hope that these students' stories will further inspire and motivate others from all over Malaysia to apply to Harvard
"We believe that the opportunities that come from a liberal arts education with world-class faculty and resources should be accessible to anyone regardless of income and socio-economic background.
"As interviewers, we are also privileged to meet these young, talented students. They have so much energy, passion, and creativity, and are unafraid of engaging with large, complex problems that interest them. The way they see the world reminds us that there is always something even one person can do to change things for the better," said Nadiah.
