KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia made history when it recorded the admission of six local students to the world's prestigious, Harvard University for the class of 2026.
In a recent statement by the Harvard College Alumni Interviewers for Malaysia, it revealed that this is the highest number of students from Malaysia admitted in the same year to Harvard's undergraduate school throughout the country's history.
The Malaysian cohort of students who come from diverse backgrounds comprise Chooi Je Qin from Johor, Herman Leong Xin Yang and Ishant Shah from Penang, Carisma Michaela Wong from Sabah, Lee Ee Jenn from Kuala Lumpur, and Alyssa Yap Xin Yi from Sarawak.
The students plan to pursue their studies in a wide range of fields from Astrophysics, to Biochemistry, to Economics, to Environmental Science and Public Policy, Politics, Sociology, Neuroscience, and Linguistics.
According to the statement, the Malaysian students received offers of admission amidst stiff competition from a global applicant pool of 61,220 students.
It said the acceptance rate for the class of 2026 was the lowest rate in the school's 386-year history, at 3.19 per cent.
Alumni and interviewer Nadiah Wan (Harvard College Class of 2007) said until recently, Malaysia had at most two students admitted per year and sometimes even none.
"What is so remarkable is the variety of ways in which each of these six students showcased their outstanding qualities.
"For instance, Chooi is involved in a variety of Astrophysics and Astronomy Olympiads, coaching younger students along the way. Ishant is a national squash player who spends a lot of time on community service work.
"We found Leong to have a rich intellectual passion for the field of Biology and he is also a double bass player for the school orchestra and Chinese orchestra.
"Carisma started off with a passion in singing Kadazan karaoke songs which eventually led to her self-learning the language, translating traditional Kadazan songs & conducting research into Sabahan history, while also actively participating in international Model United Nations.
"Lee represented Malaysia in debate competitions while taking on leadership roles in the Malaysian Youth Delegation and at the Model United Nations. She is deeply passionate about climate action and while a student, led a fundraiser to raise food aid for nine charities."
In the statement on April 2, it was announced that five students were accepted into the college's Class of 2026. However, in an update on Twitter yesterday, Nadiah added that a sixth Malaysian, who was interviewed in Singapore, was accepted into the esteemed college too.
Looking at their backgrounds, Nadiah said it is clear that there is no one "typical Harvard student" though they all share a dedication to pursue excellence in their fields of interest.
Chooi completed his secondary school studies at SMK Sultan Ismail and is now at Kolej Tuanku Ja'afar pursuing A-Levels.
Leong completed his secondary school studies at SMJK Chung Ling Butterworth and is now studying for the A-Levels at KYUEM under the Public Services Department scholarship.
Ishant attended SMK Bukit Jambul and is now pursuing the Canadian International Matriculation Programme at Sunway College.
Carisma completed her secondary school studies at SM Stella Maris in Tanjung Aru and is now working on her A-Levels at KYUEM through the Yayasan Khazanah scholarship.
Lee is currently undertaking A-Levels at Garden International School received her Early Admissions offer from the College earlier this year.
Yap studied in SMK Green Road. She completed A-Levels in Anglo-Chinese Junior College in Singapore under an Asean Pre-U scholarship and is currently doing an internship before leaving for Harvard.
When announcing its admissions decision, Harvard said families making below USD75,000 (RM316,000) annually will not be charged tuition, an increase from the previous threshold for full financial aid of USD65,000.
"It has always been the mission of Harvard College to provide educational opportunities to the best and brightest students around the world from all backgrounds, regardless of their social or economic status.
"This singular focus on excellence is integral to Harvard's vision to serve as a haven for the world's most ambitious scholars and leaders.
"For families who earn between USD75,000 and USD150,000 (RM RM632,895) annually, the expected contribution for fees is between zero and ten per cent of their annual income.
"That makes Harvard amazingly affordable compared to many other higher education institutions, locally or internationally," Nadiah Wan said.
The Harvard College Alumni Interviewers for Malaysia said Malaysia has amazing talent to offer and since finances are not a barrier to attending Harvard College, more young Malaysians are encouraged to apply.
Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.