Ekeh moved to New York from Nigeria at 8, writing his college admissions essays for Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania on his difficult experience adjusting to life in America. "We had a fairly comfortable life in Nigeria, but they told me we moved to America for the opportunities like the educational opportunities," Ekeh said.
17-year-old Harold Ekeh wants to someday be a neurosurgeon, hopeful that his work one day will help eradicate Alzheimer's disease.
Though the goal seems a lofty one for a high school senior, Ekeh's dream is in closer reach this week, after it was reported that the Nigerian teenager was accepted into all 8 of the United States' most prestigious universities, the Ivy League.
Ekeh moved to New York from Nigeria at 8, writing his college admissions essays for Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and the University of Pennsylvania on his difficult experience adjusting to life in America. "We had a fairly comfortable life in Nigeria, but they told me we moved to America for the opportunities like the educational opportunities," Ekeh said.
Ekeh's essay was not the only standout in his application. On top of his 2270 score on the SAT, he directs a church youth choir, founded a college mentoring program at his school, and has a 100.5 percent grade point average. Ekeh was also a semifinalist in the national Intel Science
Talent Search in 2015, earning the award for research on how the supplement DHA can slow the development of Alzheimer's disease, a disease his grandmother was diagnosed with when he was only 11.
"When other kids would say, 'I want to be a superhero or police officer,' I would say, 'I want to know what is on the inside of us,'" Ekeh told CNN Money.
Ekeh credits his parents for motivating him to pursue such a high level of success in his academics.
In addition to his Ivy League acceptances, Ekeh also was admitted to MIT, NYU, Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins University and Stony Brook University.
"I'm very humbled by this," the 17-year-old told CNN Money. "It's not just for me, but for my school and community. We can accomplish great things here."
He is expected to attend Yale University in the fall.