If someone knows exactly how to be different it’s Ethan Kim, with his quirky, funny and bold “HARVARD PLEASE LET ME IN” music video.
The video is a joint project between Kim and Carson Philbin, two Charlotte, North Carolina natives. The signature of the video is its fast tempo and the electronic tunes, combined with Kim’s iconic outfits: pink and white hoodies and a beige trench coat. “Ain’t your typical candidate,” Kim raps, showing the Harvard selection committee that he’s got the whole package: strength (taking Taekwondo lessons), means (being a middle-class American), brain power (good test scores) and humor.
“To sit and wait for a response without doing something crazy would be untrue to who I am,” Kim writes at the end of the video. Kim’s optimism has been a key factor in the video’s success, creating a huge fandom for him. He’s even been invited to local news stations to share the background story of how the video was created. “Good Day Charlotte” host Brigida Mack praised his skills, and said “If Harvard doesn’t work out, you could do this and use your gifts!”
Despite his viral success, Kim reminds us he’s still a relatable young Asian American guy. Following his video release, Kim said on Instagram, “It hurt my soul to wear shoes inside the house. I know. Don’t worry, my mom made me clean the carpet when we finished filming.”
We hope that Kim lands his spot in Harvard Class of 2024. In the meantime, let’s watch the music video for “HARVARD PLEASE LET ME IN” here.
