Filipino student graduates with perfect GPA at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A Filipino student graduated with a perfect grade point average (GPA) from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States.

- JONATHAN HICAP

Farrell Eldrian Wu, 20, a straight “A” student throughout, got a perfect GPA of 5.0, MIT’s highest grade.

Wu graduated at MIT on June 4 (June 5 in the Philippines) with two degrees: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering, and Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics, with a minor in Economics. MIT does not award class ranks or Latin honors like summa cum laude.

He was one of the 1,027 undergraduate and 2,277 graduate students who received their diplomas during MIT’s online commencement ceremony. Civil rights lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson delivered the commencement address.

Wu started at MIT in 2017 when he was 17 and experienced living alone, away from his family in the Philippines. “It’s been an exhilarating four years here, and I’m simply feeling very thankful for everyone who supported me, both back in the Philippines and at MIT. I’m very glad to have had such a fulfilling experience that enabled me to explore widely and find myself, towards figuring out how I could best use my talents and skills to be of service,” he told Manila Bulletin.

Journey at MIT

Before he started his journey at MIT, Wu finished elementary and high school in the Philippines and represented the country in many international math contests.

He and another Filipino student hold the distinction of being the first to win gold medals for the Philippines at the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in 2016.

Wu said he applied for admission to several universities in the country and abroad, and he chose MIT.