California student rejected by 16 of 18 colleges despite 1590 SAT gets court’s approval to pursue bias claims

In a significant legal development, a federal court has ruled in favor of a California father and his son, Stanley Zhong, in their lawsuit against several prominent universities for alleged biased admissions practices. The case gained national attention after Stanley, a top high school graduate, was rejected by 16 out of 18 colleges despite possessing an impressive academic record, including a 1590 SAT score, a 4.42 GPA, and ranking in the top 9% of his class.

He eventually received an offer from Google, a company that had recruited him at a young age, as he did not receive acceptance to the universities he applied to.

Stanley's father, Nan Zhong, filed lawsuits against the University of Washington, the University of California system, the University of Michigan, and Cornell University, alleging that these institutions engaged in racially discriminatory admissions practices that disadvantaged highly qualified Asian-American applicants. US District Judge James L. Robart partially granted the university defendants' motion to dismiss but allowed Stanley's Title VI claims against the University of Washington to proceed.

This ruling opens the door for the case to enter the discovery phase, which could involve accessing internal university records, communication, and admissions data to further investigate the allegations of discriminatory practices.

Nan Zhong emphasizes that the lawsuit is not only about his son's experience but also about addressing a potential broader issue affecting Asian-American students. He expressed his desire to ensure that his future grandchildren would not face the same challenges as his son. The University of Washington welcomed the court's decision to dismiss many of the claims, stating that admission to its Allen School is highly competitive and that they prioritize Washington residents for enrollment.

However, the university did not concede the allegations of discriminatory admissions practices. The Zhong family hopes that the latest ruling will enable them to obtain further insights into the evaluation process of college applications.