At just 13 years old, Stanley Zhong caught the attention of a Google recruiter. In 2019, the tech giant reached out to the self-taught programmer, expressing interest in discussing software engineering career opportunities, according to a lawsuit recently filed in Sacramento federal court. However, after Zhong disclosed his age, Google opted to keep his resume on file for future consideration. Fast forward five years, and Zhong, now 19, was officially hired by Google in the fall of 2023, securing a Ph.D.-level position fresh out of high school. Despite his remarkable achievements, his college admissions journey was far from smooth.

Rejected by 16 out of the 18 universities he applied to—including five University of California schools—Zhong and his father, Nan Zhong, have now taken legal action against the UC system. They allege that the university discriminates against highly qualified Asian-American applicants, a claim they are pursuing without legal representation after multiple firms declined their case.

“What we’re trying to get out of this is fair treatment for future Asian applicants going forward, including my other kids and my future grandkids,” Nan Zhong told KGO-TV, the first outlet to report on the lawsuit. The legal complaint, spanning nearly 300 pages, was largely crafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools, including ChatGPT and Gemini, according to Nan Zhong. He also revealed that additional lawsuits against other universities are in the works.

What was University of California’s response to the lawsuit?

A University of California spokesperson told The Sacramento Bee that the institution had not yet been served with the lawsuit as of Feb. 20. However, they stated that if and when it is received, the university intends to “vigorously defend” its admissions policies, calling the allegations “meritless.” The spokesperson emphasized that California law has prohibited race-based admissions since 1996 and maintained that the UC system has consistently adhered to this mandate.

While the university does collect racial and ethnic data during the application process, officials clarified that this information is used solely for statistical purposes and does not influence admissions decisions. “We stand by our admission policies and our record of expanding access for all qualified students,” the spokesperson stated.