It’s been a claim Kemi Badenoch has repeated many times over the years – but experts in US education have cast serious doubt over her assertions. The Tory leader, who has always maintained that she was offered a place on the ‘pre-medicine’ course at Stanford, now finds herself under the grill.
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Was Kemi Badenoch offered a place at Stanford? Apparently not…
In previous interviews, Badenoch made reference to her years as a student, saying that she was invited on a partial scholarship basis to further her education at the prestigious California university – despite only being 16 at the time. However, several people in the know are skeptical.
And comments shared with The Guardian from Stanford’s Chief of Admissions Jon Reider – who would have worked there when the leader of the opposition had allegedly received this offer – strongly affirmed that there were several holes in Badenoch’s much-regaled story.
The original article also consulted at least half-a-dozen university experts stateside, ranging from admission coaches and vice-provosts on the Ivy League circuit. All of those figures did not believe an offer would have been made under the circumstances mentioned.
‘This did not happen’ – Stanford Admissions Chief
Reider outlined that they would not have offered a place based on O-Level results alone, barring major exceptions. He also stated that partial scholarships ‘were not a thing’, and that the full amount was always offered by Stanford. As he recalls it, Badenoch was never contacted.
“O-levels would not have been sufficient, and we would have been very nervous admitting a 16-year-old. She would have had to have an extraordinary record. We’d always offer the full amount. I made the selections myself, subject to the approval of the dean. I was never overruled by anyone.”
“I’d remember if we had admitted a Nigerian student with any financial aid. The answer is that we did not. I assure you, we would not have admitted a student based on test scores alone, nor would we have mailed an invitation to apply to overseas students based on test scores.” | Jon Reider
Course Kemi Badenoch claimed she was offered ‘does not exist’
Team Badenoch have since issued a reply to the controversy, stating that ‘pre-med’ is used as slang in the US to refer to any science undergraduate degree. She holds qualifications in both engineering and law – but her tale of academic excellence still faces heightened scrutiny.
Even now, a cursory glance on the Stanford website and their Med School section brings up a page which states – in no uncertain terms – that there is no ‘pre-med major’ offered by the institution. Though Kemi Badenoch is standing by her version of events, others continue to question them.