Male student admitted to 5 prestigious American universities revealed that his mother wakes up at 4:30 every morning to cook

USA - Without any admissions counselor or test prep, Salman Chowdhury was accepted into 10 top universities in the US, including Harvard. His success started with small habits that his parents nurtured every day.

Salman Chowdhury, a recent graduate of the Passaic County Technical Institute STEM Academy (PCTI) in Wayne, New Jersey, was accepted to 10 of the top 25 universities in the United States, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania. Of those, he chose to attend Harvard University this fall, where he plans to major in applied mathematics.

In addition to Harvard, Chowdhury was awarded a full ride from Washington University in St. Louis as a Langsdorf Scholar, along with a direct invitation from the Dean of the School of Engineering. Columbia University also named him a Likely Scholar through its CP Davis Scholar program.

Salman Chowdhury was described by his high school teachers as an outstanding achiever and always very humble. Photo: CNBC

Chowdhury was born in Dubai in 2006. His family, originally from Bangladesh, moved to New Jersey in 2009 after winning a global immigrant visa lottery. During his early years in the United States, his father traveled frequently between Dubai and the United States to run the family business. His mother worked at a dollar store and a school cafeteria. Chowdhury's father is currently a substitute teacher in the Paterson School District, and his mother is a teaching assistant at Martin Luther King School, Paterson.

Chowdhury attended Paterson’s Talent Academy, where he was given a personalized learning path starting in eighth grade. He said he completed geometry before moving on to algebra, precalculus, and partial calculus. When he entered high school, he was the only freshman in his class to be placed in advanced algebra 2 and trigonometry.

In 2019, Chowdhury was one of 16 students in the entire state of New Jersey to earn a perfect score on the standardized test (NJSLA). According to Northjersey , this was the first time in the district that a student had a perfect score in both math and language arts in the same year.

Salman Chowdhury and his mother. Photo: Northjersey

In an article published on CNBC on July 31, Chowdhury shared that his success did not come from using expensive college counseling services, but from the habits and foundations his parents established early on. Specifically, he said there are three things parents focus on when raising their children:

1. Always prioritize sleep, nutrition and health

Many studies have shown that getting enough sleep and eating healthy have a direct impact on academic performance. My parents completely believe in that.

To get me an extra hour of sleep every morning, my dad would wake up early to drive me to school before he went to work. My mom even got up at 4:30 to prepare a nutritious breakfast - usually eggs, protein, and garlic toast.

My parents also arranged my work so that when I finished school, someone was always at home. That made me always feel cared for and secure in studying.

2. Encourage your child to seek and explore opportunities

In Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers, the author emphasizes that success comes not only from talent or hard work, but also from the ability to find opportunities to develop personal interests. My parents completely agree with that.

My early years in high school were all about academics. But my parents encouraged me to join clubs—and to stop if I didn’t like them. As the child of immigrants, my parents never had the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. It reminded me of the privilege I had in a generation before me.

As a result, I gradually became one of the most active students in school. I participated in Robotics, the Future Business Leaders (FBLA) club, and SkillsUSA. I also worked on real-world engineering projects such as optimizing mathematical models for school initiatives.

The accomplishment I am most proud of is leading the NASA HUNCH team to design a rover for the harsh terrain of the Moon. We were even invited to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to present it live to NASA engineers and astronauts.

My parents always taught me that talent can be developed, but it takes opportunity to develop it.

Salman Chowdhury was once named "athlete of the month" at Passaic County Technical School. Photo: Pcti

3. Raise me with clear morals and goals in life

My parents - immigrants without a formal American education - always taught me that success is not just about grades but also about character.

I grew up with values rooted in my faith that promoted curiosity about the world, honesty, gratitude, and perseverance. My faith also taught us to admire and appreciate the beauty of the world - which is what first sparked my love of science .

Those values influenced the way I approached learning and the way I treated my teachers and peers. When I asked for letters of recommendation for colleges, my high school teachers talked not just about my academic achievements but about who I was as a person—and that came from the way my parents raised me.

For me, the most important thing is to give back. To my parents, to my community, and to all those who have helped me along this journey. I believe that is the most honest way for me to make the most of my opportunity at Harvard.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nam-sinh-do-5-dai-hoc-danh-gia-my-tiet-lo-me-sang-nao-cung-day-tu-4-30-nau-an-2428184.html