Vietnamese-American student stuns nation: Gets into all 8 Ivy Leagues, turns them all down!

Thinh Pham, a high school senior from Texas, was accepted into all eight Ivy League universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Cornell, but chose to turn them all down.


Thinh Pham, a senior at the George Bush High School in Texas, the U.S., in a screenshot photo.

Instead, the George Bush High School student decided to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), drawn by a full scholarship worth $2.8 million, ABC 123 reported.

MIT is currently ranked the best university in the world according to QS World University Rankings 2025.

After careful consideration of financial factors, Thinh plans to pursue studies in Computer Science and Engineering at MIT.

"I want to attribute my success not only to myself but to other people around me," he said.

His parents, Thuan Pham and Thu Tran, expressed immense pride in their son's achievement.

Teachers at George Bush High School noted Thinh's standout curiosity as a defining trait.

"He comes by the ideas easily, but he always asks more questions, asks more questions, asks more questions," teacher Rebecca Darling said, KHOU 11 reported.

"MIT has a very quirky community that I love," Thinh said, explaining his decision. "It's full of problem solvers, collaborators, and people eager to work together to tackle tomorrow's challenges."

VietBF@ Sưu tập