Harvard-bound

Every year only two people from Malaysia are accepted into the prestigious Harvard University on average. And usually those who are accepted came from the well-known super expensive private school named "International School of Kuala Lumpur". 

However this is not the case for this year. Surprisingly the only two students who are accepted into Harvard University this year came from ordinary schools. Successful applicants Soon Yin Wei and Sharon Ting Hui Li were both from Chinese vernacular schools in Kedah and Malacca respectively.

The university usually looks for that extraordinary element in an applicant which is usually reflected in the individual's essays that are submitted together with the application, says Malaysian-American Commission (MACEE) on Educational Exchange executive director Dr James Coffman.

He says that Harvard may probably accept only 15 out of 30,000 applications, all of whom are from academically brilliant students.

Sharon says she wrote about 'beaded slippers', a handicraft popular amongst the Peranakan community in Malacca and linked that to her Malaysian culture.

"It's just like Malaysia - we are all so different but together, we make up what our country is today."

Soon says he wrote about durians, which he eagerly looked forward to during the fruiting season.

Both he and Sharon will be pursuing a degree in Economics when they start in September this year.