Yesterday (5th April), it was announced that 5 Malaysians were accepted by Harvard University. Getting into the prestigious university is no easy feat. It is considered record-breaking as previously, Harvard only admitted two to none from Malaysia.
However, as it turns out, that number isn’t totally accurate. It was recently revealed that one more Malaysian made it and is ready to stand on par with the other five.
Sarawak-born Alyssa Yap Xin Yi is the sixth Malaysian who will be joining the Harvard College Class of 2026. Unlike the other five, Alyssa’s Harvard interview was not conducted in Malaysia. She apparently had her interview done in Singapore.
The Sarawak native previously studied at SMK Green Road in Kuching. Alyssa later pursued an A-levels in Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC), Singapore. Currently, she’s doing an internship before heading off to her university life at Harvard.
Alumni interviewers were delighted that multiple states in Malaysia were being represented. Khazanah Nasional Bhd head of research Nick Khaw said this “(demonstrated) that outstanding young Malaysians are to be found all over Malaysia.”
Alyssa, like the others, demonstrated outstanding qualities, both academically and beyond. She noticeably dominated her category for the Wildlife Conservation-Swinburne Sarawak English Microfiction Challenge in 2017.
Congratulations to Alyssa Yap! We wish her all the best as she starts her Harvard University life with the other five.
Sources: China Press, Twitter, Says, Swiburne
