Long Island Student Accepted to All 8 Ivy League Schools

A 17-year-old Long Island student with dreams of studying neurosurgery has a difficult decision to make.

Harold Ekeh, of Elmont, has been accepted to 13 of the most prestigious colleges in the country, including all eight Ivy League schools.

“ Absolutely shocked. It was as though I was hit repeatedly. I was stunned,” Ekeh said of the remarkable feat, according to WCBS.

From the moment and his family moved to America from Nigeria eight years ago, Ekah has garnered impressive achievements. He has conducted scientific research, started a college preparation program, served as editor-in-chief of his student newspaper and as vice president of Model UN, according to the report.

Ekeh was also a semifinalist in the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search for his project, “The role of PARP-1 in MeHg-induced dopaminergic dysfunction and mitochondrial DNA depletion,” in the category of medicine and health, according to Newsday.

Ultimately, Ekeh would like to attend a school that would open doors for a career in neurosurgery.

“Kids would say, ‘I want to be a firefighter or a police officer or a superhero.’ I would say I want to explore the human body, what makes us who we are,” he said, according to WCBS. “I would like to be a neurosurgeon when I grow up.”

While it isn’t surprising he that he was accepted to the most prestigious schools in the country with a 2270 on his SATs and 100.51 GPA, it was never the most important thing for Ekah, according to Newsday.

“ I knew I wanted to go to a really good school that would allow me to get into a great medical school,” he said, according to ABC News.

Ekeh’s parents, Roseline and Paul, couldn’t be prouder of their son.

“I am overwhelmed. To say that I am proud is not enough, it is awesome,” Paul said, according to WCBS.

Ekeh must make his big decision by May 1. He says he is leaning toward Yale, where he would join fellow Long Island whiz kid Kwasi Enin. Now a freshman at Yale, Enin, of Shirley, was also accepted to all eight Ivy League schools.

Photo via WCBS

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