Teen Genius Rejected by 16 Colleges, Hired by Google, Sues Top Universities for Racial Bias

Stanley Zhong, a 19-year-old prodigy from Palo Alto, is making waves after being rejected by 16 colleges, only to land an enviable job at Google and now suing several top universities for alleged racial discrimination.

Zhong, a self-taught programmer, had a resume that would make most college admissions officers drool: recruited by Google at 13, founder of a free e-signing startup featured by Amazon Web Services, finalist in coding competitions, 4.42 weighted GPA, and a 1590 SAT score — that’s the 99th percentile, folks. Yet, five University of California campuses either rejected or waitlisted him. The University of Washington, University of Michigan, and Cornell University also passed on his application.

His civil rights complaints, filed with the support of his father, Nan Zhong, allege that these schools' admissions processes systematically disadvantage Asian-American applicants. They argue this violates the Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and California’s own anti-discrimination laws. According to their complaint, even professional admissions counselors admitted they couldn’t find a legitimate reason for Stanley’s rejection. Apparently, being a coding whiz and a top student just doesn’t cut it in today’s admissions climate if you check the wrong demographic box.

The family didn’t just stew over the rejections; they spent over a year seeking answers, reaching out to lawmakers, Governor Gavin Newsom, and the U.S. Department of Education — only to be stonewalled at every turn. As Nan Zhong put it, politicians seemed too nervous to touch this hot potato, so the family resorted to a lawsuit, aiming for a fair shot for future Asian-American students.

Worth noting, their complaints argue that, despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling banning race-based admissions, universities are still finding ways to prioritize certain racial groups. The University of California, for example, is alleged to pursue Hispanic-Serving Institution status, which requires at least 25% Hispanic enrollment, sometimes with the help of federal grants.

Now, the Zhongs are ready to take their battle to the Supreme Court if needed, with the Department of Education also named in their lawsuit for allegedly failing to investigate UC’s practices.

The University of California responded by saying they’ll vigorously defend their admissions process, calling the case "meritless" and insisting race has not been a factor since 1996. The University of Washington echoed confidence in their process. Cornell, Michigan, and Governor Newsom’s office, meanwhile, kept their lips sealed.

As for Stanley, after all the drama, he landed acceptances from the University of Maryland and UT-Austin, but ultimately chose to join Google as a software development engineer. Honestly, some rejections turn out to be the best thing that ever happened — especially when your fallback is working at one of the world’s biggest tech companies.