Muslim teenager gets Stanford University place after writing #BlackLivesMatter 100 times in essay

Ziad Ahmed's answer to an essay question about what matters to him was to write #BlackLivesMatter 100 times. PHOTO: @ZIADTHEACTIVIST/TWITTER

A Bangladeshi-American student has been admitted to Stanford University after writing #BlackLivesMatter 100 times in the essay section of his application.

Ziad Ahmed, 18, a senior at the Princeton Day School in New Jersey, said he was "stunned" that the prestigious Palo Alto university gave him a place after his stunt.

"I didn't think I would get admitted to Stanford at all, but it's quite refreshing to see that they view my unapologetic activism as an asset rather than a liability," he told US news website Mic.

"My unapologetic progressivism is a central part of my identity, and I wanted that to be represented adequately in my application."

Mr Ahmed proudly tweeted his answer to the question "What matters to you, and why?" and his acceptance letter for Stanford's Class of 2021.

His impressive CV probably helped as well.

According to the Washington Times, Mr Ahmed was recognised as a Muslim-American change-maker by former US President Barack Obama at the White House Iftar Dinner.

Mr Ahmed is a senior at Princeton Day School in New Jersey. PHOTO: @ZIADTHEACTIVIST/TWITTER

He also interned and worked for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign last year.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.