April 05, 2017
A New Jersey teenager who wrote "#BlackLivesMatter" 100 times on a college application to Stanford University has recently been accepted into the school.
Ziad Ahmed, a high school senior at Princeton Day School in Princeton, New Jersey, wrote the answer in response to a prompt that asked, "What matters to you, and why?"
"I was actually stunned when I opened the update and saw that I was admitted," Ahmed told Mic. "I didn't think I would get admitted to Stanford at all, but it's quite refreshing to see that they view my unapologetic activism as an asset rather than a liability."
I submitted this answer in my @Stanford application, & yesterday, I was admitted...#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/R5YxM77bWL
— Ziad Ahmed (@ziadtheactivist) April 1, 2017
In addition to his lengthy resume that touts examples of social activism and entrepreneurship, Ahmed also was an intern and volunteer for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. He was once invited by former President Barack Obama to the White House Iftar Dinner, an event that celebrates Ramadan.
The pictures just came in from when I had the chance to meet @HillaryClinton in Mclean, VA a few weeks back! pic.twitter.com/KLLGrey8EA
— Ziad Ahmed (@ziadtheactivist) May 1, 2016
Ahmed said that he felt as though he needed to make a statement in the prompt.
"As an ally of the black community though, it is my duty to speak up in regards to the injustice, and while this was not a form of 'activism' as it was simply an answer in a college application," he told the news website, "I wanted to make a statement."
So far, Ahmed has gotten a lot of positive feedback from those applauding his decision to use the opportunity to highlight the BLM movement, while others criticized his decision, saying he should have written "#AllLivesMatter" on the application or a longer essay.
I am honored by the recognition that I've received, but I'm also disappointed that our Black siblings often do not get the same recognition.
— Ziad Ahmed (@ziadtheactivist) April 4, 2017
Ahmed said that his response was one to many prompts on the application.
In addition to Stanford, Ahmed has also been accepted into Yale and Princeton.
