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Fort Bend ISD (April 10, 2025) – Fort Bend ISD student Thinh Pham, a senior at George Bush High School, has accomplished the rare feat of getting accepted by all eight of the nation’s Ivy League schools, but he has announced he will not attend any of them -instead he will go to MIT. 

He will receive a “full ride” scholarship. It was a deciding factor. 

“The reason I chose MIT was the financial situation, and the field I plan to go into is computer science and engineering and MIT is ranked very high in the country for that,” Thinh said. 

He added he also likes the fact MIT has a “very quirky community” that is “full of problem solvers and collaborators.”

Thinh was accepted to several other prestigious universities as well, racking up scholarship offers that total $2.8 million.

“Bronco nation is so proud of you, and we cannot wait to see all that you will continue to do in this world,” Bush High School College and Career Readiness Advisor Tiffani Haynes said choking back tears during Thinh’s “reveal” celebration at the school.

Principal Mario MacDonald said,” this young man really shows what we’re about here at George Bush High School.”
Thinh’s parents sat beside him during his announcement. 

“We are so excited and proud of my son,” Thinh’s father Thuan Pham said. His mother Thu Tran said the excitement began when he received his first Ivy League acceptance letter which came from Yale. 

It is extremely rare to be accepted to all of the Ivy League schools. Annually, only a handful of high school students in the entire nation achieve such a lofty goal.  

“Not only is he a remarkably bright child but he is also a kid who goes out and looks for opportunities to learn and to stretch himself much farther than most high school kids do, and for that he is super deserving,” Biology teacher Rebecca Darling said.

She also said Thinh is witty, modest and confident. 
School counselor Carrie Sims recalled being new at the high school and having Thinh as one of her first students. 

“He essentially interviewed me,” she said. “It was clear he was nothing short of amazing. I knew then that he was unique.”
Thinh’s younger sister Thy may challenge his record. She will be a freshman at Bush High School next year and she calmly replied, “yes,” when asked if she too will be accepted to every Ivy League school one day. 

Contrary to popular belief, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is not one of the nation’s Ivy League schools, despite its prestigious academic standing. 

The league’s history is rooted in an athletic conference that originated in the northeast United States. The eight Ivy League schools are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania and Yale University.