Angel Ortiz, a senior at Arts High School in Newark, is already a big deal. This year, he got seven Ivy League acceptance letters!!! The list includes Princeton University, Brown University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. This extraordinary honor testifies to his scholarly brilliance as well as his commitment.
Angel Ortiz submitted early action to Princeton University and told the admissions office about his desire to major in political science. He hopes to study American politics or foreign policy in college. An incredible accomplishment considering Ortiz is just 17 years old, but he has shown his intellectual excellence already by taking seven Advanced Placement (AP) classes. These are difficult courses such as AP United States Government and Politics and AP English Literature and Composition.
His national birthday celebration on April 30 is one of a kind. By the end of that day, he’d hoped, he’d have his pick narrowed down, if not decided, among the universities to which he applied.
I plan to cast my final vote on April 30, in no small part because that happens to be my birthday. So I just need that little luck on top,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz’s accomplishments earned him high praise from other educators and school officials in his educational community, including Ortiz’s own students. Sean Kenny, Ortiz’s teacher, commended him for being a “top-notch” student. Regina Sharpe, principal of Arts High School, spoke about Ortiz’s creative spirit and commitment to letting students shine.
“Angel truly represents the spirit of Arts High School — he’s creative, driven and filled with purpose,” said Sharpe.
Superintendent Roger León congratulated Ortiz for her admission to 5 Ivy League schools. He framed this win as an extraordinary victory for Ortiz and the Newark community.
Getting accepted to all seven Ivy League schools is a victory that is uniquely Angel’s. It is an incredibly powerful symbol of what’s possible for young people in Newark. “His story inspires us all. We are extremely excited and proud of Angel. Their incredible academic success story reflects the success of our schools, the hard work of our teachers, the commitment of our parents, and the grit of our kids.
Ortiz’s message to other students is to follow your passion.
“Stop trying to get excited about things just because they look cool to other people or other places,” is how he put it. If there is anything that I could hope for, that any high school student could take from me, it’s to, like I said, just be yourself. Don’t be like me. I’m a different person. Stay true to yourself and the rest will follow.
Looking forward, Ortiz still has big dreams—hopes of one day entering a career in law or government. He believes that attending an Ivy League institution will provide him with valuable connections and opportunities to learn from esteemed professors.
Almost all of the Ivy League and other elite universities have extensive programming to introduce students to professional networks to which their parents may belong. I was eager to study under world-class faculty and eventually take my place among their illustrious alumni like Pixar’s Ed Catmull, Apple’s Jonny Ive, or Adobe’s Shantanu Narayen.
