You Never Really Know — The Wild Ride of College Admissions

When it comes to college admissions, one thing is certain: there are no guarantees. You can be an exceptional student, check all the right boxes, and still end up with a string of rejections that leaves you wondering what just happened.

Take the recent story of Stanley Zhong, a Bay Area teen whose résumé reads like a dream. A 4.42 GPA from Gunn High School (one of the most competitive in California), a 1590 SAT score, founder of a tech startup, tutor for low-income students, and ultimately hired by Google right out of high school. This is the kind of applicant you’d think colleges would fall over themselves to admit.

But that’s not what happened.

Zhong was rejected by 16 out of 18 colleges he applied to, including MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Caltech, and more. Even five of the University of California campuses passed on him. Despite all his accomplishments, his applications didn’t land where he expected.

This story has taken a new turn with a lawsuit filed by Zhong and his father, alleging racial discrimination by the UC system. But regardless of the legal angle, this example underscores a bigger truth: you can’t always predict how admissions committees will respond to your application.

Why? Because admissions decisions are influenced by a whole mix of factors: institutional priorities, holistic review policies, demographic balancing, extracurricular narratives, recommendation letters, and sometimes, plain randomness. Even students with top scores and standout stories don’t get in everywhere. And that’s not a reflection of their worth or potential.

What can we take from Stanley’s story?

1. Do your best — but don’t hinge your worth on outcomes you can’t control. You can crush the SATs, build an amazing portfolio, and still face rejections. It doesn’t mean you failed. It means the process is flawed, complex, and imperfect.

2. Have a range of options — including some surprises. Stanley got into two schools and got a job at Google. His story isn’t one of failure; it’s one of unexpected pivots and new opportunities.

3. You are more than where you get in. College is one pathway, not the only one. Stanley’s experience shows that success isn’t only defined by which schools say “yes.”

So if you’re a student (or the parent of one), remember: rejections aren’t always about you. Keep your head up, explore your options, and know that your future isn’t defined by a college’s decision — it’s defined by what you do next.