From Blue-Collar to Ivy League
A New Jersey high school senior exceeded all expectations — including his own — by gaining acceptance into seven Ivy League schools.
Angel Ortiz, a student at Arts High School in Newark, was stunned when he received offers from top-tier universities like Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, as well as the University of Pennsylvania and Dartmouth College.
“I’m still processing it,” Ortiz, 17, shared with ABC7. “When the notifications came in, I spent two hours pacing around the kitchen in disbelief, while my mom sat there in shock.”
“I knew I had a shot at getting into one Ivy, but I never imagined I’d get into every one I applied to,” the accomplished teen reflected.
Angel Ortiz, a senior at Arts High School in Newark, has been accepted to seven Ivy League schools.
Ortiz, who plans to major in political science, is known among his classmates as the smartest person in the room, according to his teacher, Sean Kenny.
“If I ask a question and the whole class is stumped, they just point to Angel and say, ‘He knows the answer,’” Kenny shared with the outlet.
“He’s always at the top of his game, consistently exceptional.”
Arts High School is a public magnet school located in Newark, New Jersey.
The Garden State teenager unexpectedly credited some of his academic success to spending time with friends, saying they provide “extra motivation” to stay on top of his schoolwork.
However, the bulk of Ortiz’s strong work ethic comes from his mother, who moved to the United States 23 years ago, and his father, who owns a pizzeria.
“I always tell them, the way I work hard for you guys, that’s how you should work,” said his proud father, Mariano Ortiz. “This is for your future, for you.”
“As a first-generation Latino son of immigrants, I know that opportunities like college are much harder to access for people like us,” the younger Ortiz reflected.
“I hope that throughout my college years and in my future career, I can be the best representation of my community and loved ones.”
Ortiz credits his strong work ethic to his parents, both of whom emigrated to the U.S.
Ortiz plans to visit the prestigious universities before making his final decision, which must be made by his 18th birthday on April 30th, according to the outlet.
The civic-minded student aims to pursue a career in law after studying political science.
The prestigious institutions that have welcomed the Newark newcomer are known for their incredibly selective acceptance rates — Harvard 3.6%; Yale 3.7%; Columbia 3.85%; Princeton 4.62%; Brown 5.16%; UPenn 5.38%; and Dartmouth 5.41%, according to Ivy Coach.
The only Ivy Ortiz did not apply to, Cornell University, has an acceptance rate of 9.73%, according to the data.
