Why was a brilliant kid rejected by the University of California?

Stanley Zhong, a gifted student from Palo Alto, California, faced rejection from all University of California campuses despite boasting a 4. 2 GPA and near-perfect SAT scores. His achievements include founding a software company while still in high school, and he has since taken a programming position at Google. Undeterred, Zhong has filed a federal lawsuit against the UC system, asserting that racial considerations influenced his admissions denials, which he believes violate the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act. His father, Nan Zhong, president of the group Students Who Oppose Racial Discrimination (SWORD), is also involved in the legal efforts, emphasizing the need for transparency in admissions practices.

The University of California's officials dismissed the lawsuit as "meritless," insisting they have adhered to race-neutral admissions policies since 1996. This situation underscores the ongoing debate regarding race in college admissions and its implications for Asian-American applicants. Zhong seeks to challenge what he views as discriminatory practices without seeking monetary compensation, focusing instead on reform. The case not only affects Zhong’s future but also raises significant concerns about equity in higher education access.