PETALING JAYA: A 19-year-old who once started a fundraiser for the Turkiye earthquake, has been accepted into the prestigious Harvard College in Massachusetts.
Bryan Lim, a student from Kuala Lumpur, said he would be keen to tap the American education system to acquire technical skills and broaden his global understanding.
“As a child, I thoroughly enjoyed solving puzzles and problems. Mathematics intrigued me, particularly its foundational aspects. I found joy in leveraging mathematical properties, especially within computer science,” he said.His passion, he said, was computer science. But his interests are indeed varied.
Last year, Lim founded a school fundraiser for the Turkiye earthquake relief, raising over RM15,000 in which the proceeds were handed over to Turkiye Ambassador Emir Salim Yüksel.
And he enjoys playing the piano and basketball, too.
As for his application to Harvard College, he described it as an ambitious endeavour worth attempting.
Bright future: Lim (left) has been accepted to Harvard along with (from second left) See, Vijeyasingam and Ngow.
“I was actually considering not applying, but my parents drove me to give it a shot. I’m really happy that I was able to secure a place with Harvard,” he said.
Lim is among four Malaysians who will be joining the Harvard College class of 2028.
The others are Elisa See from Johor along with Victor Ngow and Thamini Vijeyasingam, both from Selangor, who are among the international students selected from 94 countries to attend Harvard College.
The college received 54,008 applications, with a 3.59% admission rate. International students make up 15.4% out of the 1,937 students admitted.
Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.
Harvard alumni interviewer Wan Nadiah Wan Mohd Abdullah Yaakob, who is also the president of the Harvard Club of Malaysia, said the university prioritises students who demonstrate a deep commitment to their interests and have expanded their energy in creative ways to build something meaningful.
“They have the intellectual curiosity and inner motivation to become the catalysts for the people and organisations around them to do more and better.
“Every year, it has been our privilege to learn how these talented young Malaysians have contributed to those around them in big and small ways,” she added.
