A decade after making history as a teenager by gaining acceptance into all eight Ivy League schools, Kwasi Ennin has opened up about his journey in an exclusive interview with Sandra Babu-Boateng on the Make Your Mark podcast on PanaGenius TV.
Born to Ghanaian immigrants, Ennin took a bold step by applying to all eight Ivy League institutions, hoping to increase his chances of admission. To his surprise, he received acceptance letters from Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and the University of Pennsylvania. He was also admitted to SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Geneseo, Stony Brook University, and Duke.
When asked if he ever anticipated fame from his applications, Ennin admitted he had no such expectations.
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“I had a really simple plan. The goal was to go to medical school someday. Before that, I wanted to attend the best undergraduate college to help me achieve that goal. I knew Ivy League schools had strong reputations, so I applied thinking if I got into one, that would be great,” he shared.
Reflecting on his father’s reaction to the admissions, Ennin recalled how his dad’s first question was about financial aid. He ultimately chose Yale University, where he studied Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB).
Ennin revealed that a high school counselor played a major role in amplifying his story by reaching out to the media. The attention was meant to highlight the achievements of William Floyd High School, which at the time had one of the highest suspension rates. Despite the publicity, he said he never felt pressured by the media spotlight.
His story, however, inspired many. During his college years, students who are becoming PhDs and lawyers told him they applied to Ivy League schools after realizing it was possible because of his journey.
His passion for medicine was deeply personal—he was inspired by his father’s successful tumor surgery and a trip to Ghana, where he witnessed firsthand the struggles of those lacking access to healthcare. Now, Ennin is determined to build hospitals in underserved areas of Ghana.
Currently, Ennin is a fifth-year medical student at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, set to graduate in five weeks as an MD/MBA student. In two months, he will begin his Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery residency at Columbia and Cornell.
Beyond medicine, Kwasi Ennin is also passionate about music. He shared more about this interest in his Make Your Mark podcast interview—watch the full conversation to learn more.
