As one of the top three universities in the world, it’s no surprise that Stanford University in California, USA has a notoriously low acceptance rate.
According to its student-run paper The Stanford Daily, the acceptance rate for the university’s undergraduate Class of 2026 was at a record low of 3.68%.
However, Singapore-based Chinese-American host Allan Wu recently announced that his daughter Sage, 18, managed to beat the odds and will be attending the prestigious institution soon.
Source: @wulander on Instagram
“Thank you for bringing me so much joy and purpose,” the proud father wrote. “I hope one day you can be as proud of me as I am of you.”
On 30 Apr, Allan took to Instagram to congratulate Sage on deciding to go to Stanford University.
The teen is his eldest child with former actress Wong Li Lin, whom he divorced in 2013. The separated couple also have a 17-year-old son together.
Source: @wulander on Instagram
He posted a bunch of #throwback photos of the teenager, who was active in sports like running and basketball.
“I can say it has been such a joy to watch you grow up and take on any challenge thrown your way athletically, artistically, and academically,” he gushed.
“I know it hasn’t been easy, but you’ve proven your mettle each and every time.”
Source: @wulander on Instagram
In an interview with 8days.sg, Allan shared that Sage’s first choice was actually Princeton — which ranked seventh in this year’s Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
She was even offered a place there. However, she eventually settled on Stanford after checking out the open house and meeting relatives who are studying there as well.
Source: @wulander on Instagram
Allan added that he and Sage will celebrate her impressive achievement when she returns to Singapore from Europe next month.
The father-and-daughter duo might also go on a trip before classes start in September.
As for what Sage wants to major in, Allan admitted that she’s “still undecided”.
That said, her interests lie in economics, electrical engineering, and politics. More specifically, she wants to do something related to conservation and sustainability so she can help the environment.
In the meantime, Allan is just excited at the thought of travelling over with Sage to help her get settled in.
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
Besides getting to reunite with his family in Los Angeles, where he was born, the UC Berkeley alum is also looking forward to seeing his old classmates.
At the same time, he’s also preparing himself to miss Sage “a lot more than she will miss” him.
Thankfully, technology has made it easier for loved ones to stay in touch. What’s more, he’ll know Sage will be well taken care of as he has many friends in the area.
Needless to say, university fees won’t be cheap — S$120,000 to S$130,000 a year, to be exact, as per Allan’s estimation.
While Sage is applying for scholarships and financial aid to help with the hefty costs, her dad had already been “saving up for a long time” to pay for his kids’ education.
“As a parent, our greatest investment is our children,” he told 8days.sg.
We want them happy and if they’ve shown the desire to work towards getting into these very best unis, then why not help them?
Source: @wulander on Instagram
Allan added that the experience makes the eye-watering rates worthwhile.
While he clarified that there’s “nothing wrong” with the schools in Singapore, Australia, or England, “everyone has their own preferences”.
He just happens to be “totally biased” towards colleges in the States.
“It’s not just the school, but the people you meet, the sports, the fraternities,” he mused. “My happiest years and some of my best friends were the people I met in college.”
His younger son Jonas, on the other hand, is currently doing an International Baccalaureate (IB) programme and considering universities in the United Kingdom instead.
“His sister has set a very high bar but he’s self-motivated and disciplined and I’m really proud of him too,” Allan said, adding that the boy wants to be a doctor.
Sage has undoubtedly worked very hard to be able to get into her dream schools and deserves huge congratulations on such a stunning accomplishment.
Hopefully, she’ll have no trouble adapting to university life and will continue to excel in her studies at Stanford.
And as for anyone else applying for universities, we wish you all the best as well.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @wulander on Instagram.
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