Nigerian-American Ashley Adirika Becomes One of the Few Prospective Students to Get Accepted Into All 8 Ivy League Universities
Ashley Adirika, a Nigerian-American, becomes one of the few prospective students to be accepted into all eight Ivy League universities: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale.
Adirika opened eight tabs on her computer on Ivy Day, the fateful spring day when the renowned institutions collectively publish their first-year admission decisions. One acceptance letter popped up, then there was another, and then there was another until she had them all: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale.
For the 17-year-old whose mother immigrated to the United States from Nigeria three decades ago, it was an exciting experience. Her family members gathered around her that day as she opened the acceptance letters, rejoicing with every click.
When asked what motivated her in applying to these schools, she replied; “I just decided to shoot my shot at all of them and see if it would land, and I had no idea that I would get accepted into all of them.”
“On Ivy Day, I remember crying a lot and just being extremely surprised. My siblings and I were so filled with joy, screaming and jumping around. It was insane,” she stated.
Adirika was also accepted to seven more prestigious universities, including Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Emory. Upon looking at the variety of programs offered at each school, she chose Harvard, where she will study government in the fall 2022 school year.
She explained that when she goes to Harvard University this fall, she plans to learn more about herself, her place in the world, and how to “maximize the influence” she has in strengthening communities.
Adirika says she was conflicted about choosing between Harvard and Yale but it all came down to her career aspirations. Her goal is to have a better understanding of how the government operates and how policies might help communities address economic inequality.
She said, “Prior to the college application process, Yale was actually my top choice. However, when I did more research for what I wanted to do particularly, which is policy and social policy studies, Harvard simply had a better curriculum.”
As a high school scholar, Adirika started a non-profit organization called “Our Story, Our Worth” to assist young women. This organization provides mentorship, confidence-building, and sisterhood to girls and young women of color. She hopes her organization will someday have a global impact and not just on the women in Miami.
More insights on Ashley Adirika acceptance into 8 Ivy League Universities…
According to Adirika, who was the student government president at Miami Beach Senior High School, her time on the speech and debate teams helped her gain the confidence to speak up and make her voice heard.
She said “I’m someone who loves to learn new things, and so debate gave me that opportunity. But more than anything, it just gave me the platform to talk about things that I believed in and talk about things that were important to me. And so that is something that I am just forever indebted to Carol City for introducing me to that platform.”
Bess Rodriguez, a seventh-grade English teacher at Carol City Middle School, testified that she encouraged Ashley to join the debate team despite the fact that she had never debated before. “Everybody knew Ashley because of how smart she was. She had test scores through the roof; she was involved in all different activities.”
Upon receiving acceptance into all eight Ivy League institutions, Adirika visited her former English language arts teacher to share the news. Rodriguez, elated by hearing her exceptional scholar had been accepted to such prestigious universities, said she was not surprised, as she expected greatness to come from her former student.
“It was really amazing news,” she explained. “As a teacher, you may be disappointed and fatigued at times. When a student like Ashley enters the picture, it makes everything worthwhile.”
Adirika expresses her gratitude to her mother and older sisters for motivating and pushing her to accomplish her life goals.
At her high school graduation, Ashley gave a speech before the students received their diplomas. She wore a sash that read “Black Girl Magic,” emphasizing the need for planning, timeliness, and finding light even in the darkest of times.
