Five Best Friends From Polytechnic High School Accepted to MIT

“Normally after high school, that’s where friendships split. But at least our little crew is going to stay together,” one student said.

They are five friends, five students at Polytechnic High School and, as of last week, five new MIT admits.

The Los Angeles Unified School District announced Friday that five students from Polytechnic High School’s Math/Science Magnet had been admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"To be honest with you, I cried," student GiMin Choi said. "The fact that all of us got it in, it’s just more happiness to share"

Ari Bennett, principal of Polytechnic High School, said he is "in awe of our MIT 5." 

"Each one represents the caliber and high standards of our Math/Science Magnet at Poly. Congratulations to these wizards of technology who will change the world one atom at a time," Bennett said.

Those so-called wizards of technology are Raymundo Cano, Andrew Koh, Kevin Escobar Rodriguez, GiMin Choi and William Lopez-Cordero.

"Its just surreal," Rodriguez said.

The five students shared their excitement with NBC4 Tuesday.

"I have to admit, even to this day I still open my decision page and read the whole letter, it seems so unreal," Cano said.

It addition to MIT, all five students were accepted to other top universities. Cano was also accepted Harvard - a university just down the street from MIT.

MIT, considered the nation’s premier program for science and technology, will allow the students to explore their passions.

Choi wants to study either environmental engineering or computer science. Koh is also interested in computer science, but added that he is also interested in biology applications as well. Cano may join his friends in the computer science field, but is also considering a mathematics major.

Lopez-Cordero wants to work at NASA. Rodriguez wants to eventually work in robotics.

Regardless of their field of study, the friends are just happy they’re making the transition to college together.

“Normally after high school, that’s where friendships split. But at least our little crew is going to stay together,” Rodriguez said.

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