Phung Quang Thang, a 12th-grader at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted in Ho Chi Minh City, learned of his acceptance in late March.
Stanford sits in the heart of Silicon Valley and ranks among the most selective universities in the U.S., admitting under 4% of applicants in each of the past three years. The class it enrolled in 2024 set a school record, at 3.6%.
It placed third in the 2026 QS World University Rankings and second for computer science, behind only the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Phung Quang Thang, a high school student in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo courtesy of Thang
Thang's route to one of the world's most competitive programs started with a childhood fascination with keyboards. He would dismantle them to see how they worked, then rearrange and decorate the parts, a habit that earned him the nickname "avid keyboard modifier" among classmates.
