Biostatistics student defies the odds to secure Harvard dream

26 Jul 2024

In the summer of 2022, when Zilong Wang began telling people about his aspiration to study in Harvard University’s world-leading Biostatistics programme, the overwhelming response he received was: “That’s impossible”.

Wang, then a Year Three undergraduate at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, had average marks over 85% and was buoyed by the fact Harvard had admitted XJTLU graduates in the past. Yet, his academic performance in his first two years had been less than ideal, which could weaken his application.

To pursue his dream, Wang embarked on a journey taking him from research labs in China to universities on the East and West coasts of the United States, facing fierce competition at every step.

Reaching out for research

Wang, who hails from Zhumadian in China’s central Henan province, concedes that he only started thinking seriously about his future in his second year at university, which is when he became interested in biostatistics, a popular career path for graduates from the School of Mathematics and Physics.

Shortly after, he contacted Dr Tenglong Li, a specialist in biostatistics who teaches at the XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy and landed a place in his research team. The team used official Covid-19 data released by the US to study the marginal and population effects of Covid-19 vaccines on reducing mortality rates, with the findings published in the international journal Vaccines.

Wang says the experience strengthened his determination to pursue his interest in using mathematics to solve real-world problems. However, people still warned him that Harvard was beyond his reach. Anxious but undeterred, he began seeking opportunities to bolster his resume.

Dr Tenglong Li (right) and Dr Xiaojun Zhu (left) provided Wang with extensive guidance and support

In October 2022, Wang read online about exchange opportunities for Chinese students at the University of California, Berkeley, and managed to apply just a week before the deadline. After receiving an offer, he decided to take a year off to study in the university’s Statistics programme, which ranks second in the US.

“I had only one aim at Berkeley: to demonstrate my academic strength. This was the only area where I felt I hadn’t fully proven myself,” Wang says. “First, I wanted to achieve high grades, and second, to secure a strong recommendation letter.”

Never give up

Once in California, Wang began formulating a course selection strategy. In his three years at XJTLU, he had scored A’s in nearly every maths course, but he received a B in Introduction to Probability Theory. To rectify this, he planned to enrol in Advanced Probability as well as Advanced Statistics, a prerequisite for the Biostatistics programme at Harvard.

However, the university does not allow students to take these two courses at the same time, leaving Wang in a dilemma. He had already enrolled in Advanced Probability in the first week.

As professors at Berkeley have considerable autonomy, Wang plucked up the courage to approach the course instructor directly to ask whether they could make an exception. As it happened, the courses were taught by the same professor, and they were willing to make a deal: In two days, there would be a quiz; if Wang passed with flying colours, he would be allowed to enrol in Advanced Statistics. After studying late into the night, Wang scored 28 out of 30, earning his place.

The many assignments, quizzes, and exams at Berkeley meant Wang had little time for leisure. To relax, he would savour the California sunshine on the vast lawn.

“We had quizzes almost every week, which provided constant feedback and created leeway for ironing out mistakes. It’s a mode that suits me well,” he says. “The professors covered a lot in class, with intense teaching and many profound derivations, which is exactly what I like.”

In the midterms, Wang scored 40 out of 50 in Advanced Probability and 54 out of 55 in Advanced Statistics, the highest scores for both courses. Encouraged, he approached the professor to ask about a recommendation letter.

Again, they struck a deal: Wang needed to score a minimum of one A and one A+ in his finals to secure a recommendation letter. “I basically had to be either in the top three out of more than 300 students or the best from over 100,” Wang says. “I just thought it was unrealistic. This was Berkeley after all – it has so many top students.”

However, his confidence was bolstered when he scored a perfect 50 in his midterm for Mathematical Analysis, another course he’d enrolled in. “I made up my mind then not to give up. I was convinced that I was just as capable as my classmates. … So, I decided to go all out for that top 1%.”

When the final grades were announced, Wang had achieved straight A’s for the semester, with a GPA of 4.0. He earned A+ grades in both Advanced Probability and Advanced Statistics, prompting an email from his professor that read, “You’ve made a lasting impression, not only for passing the courses but ranking first.” True to his word, the professor wrote Wang a recommendation letter to support his master’s applications.

Highly recommended

After returning to China, Wang felt he needed further overseas research experience, so he began emailing professors at the top biostatistics programmes across the US in the hopes of landing a summer research project.

He recalls that, during the subsequent interviews, his research work at XJTLU proved invaluable. “The professors at the US universities primarily asked about my research background. The rigorous training I received while working with Dr Li undoubtedly enhanced my competitiveness.”

Wang received offers from three summer programmes, and he ultimately chose to work with a renowned professor in statistical genetics at Boston University to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of diabetes. The research team used causal inference methods like genetic colocalisation and mediation analysis to pinpoint genes potentially linked to diabetes. “It was a challenging process, but achieving tangible results gave me a profound sense of accomplishment,” he says.

Five months later, Wang presented his research to an audience of PhD students, while his professor was so impressed he told Wang he’d written a “very positive” recommendation letter.

Wang went on to secure admission to the Biostatistics programme at Harvard and received a scholarship, making him the third maths student from XJTLU to earn a place on the programme, following Hao Xue in 2019 and Mengyao Zheng in 2021.

“Without the positive reputation already established by XJTLU graduates, gaining admission would have been challenging for me considering the many applicants with excellent academic and research backgrounds,” he says.

Wang’s future goal is to pursue a PhD in biostatistics at Berkeley. “I want to become the first XJTLU graduate admitted to that programme, helping to further enhance the reputation of my alma mater. I hope to pave the way for future outstanding students from XJTLU, just like others have paved the way for me.”

By Bo Kou and Qinru Liu
Edited by staff editor and Patricia Pieterse
Photos by Zuofu Wang
Translated by Xueqi Wang

26 Jul 2024


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