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IMPOSTER CAUGHT
High school graduate pretends to be a Stanford student, even living in the dorms, buying textbooks and ‘studying’ for exams
May 24, 2007
By Daniel Novinson

Azia Kim was like any other Stanford freshman. She graduated from one of California’s most competitive high schools last June, moved into the dorms during New Student Orientation, talked about upcoming tests and spent her free time with friends.

Azia Kim allegedly climbed through this first-floor window in Okada to sleep during spring quarter. The 18-year-old was evicted after her ruse was uncovered Monday night.

The only problem is that Azia Kim was never a Stanford student.

Kim, an 18-year-old from Orange County who graduated from Fullerton’s Troy High School, lived in Kimball throughout fall and winter quarter. She lived in Okada, the Asian-American theme dorm, until Monday night, when University staff finally caught onto her ruse.

Friends aren’t sure of her motive for sneaking onto campus and living a lie, but many speculate that she felt pressure from overbearing parents to attend Stanford — regardless of whether she was admitted.

What Kim’s friends do know is that they are scared and angry that someone slipped through the cracks for eight months.

“Personally, I don’t feel safe now that Stanford allowed this to happen and that they’re not doing anything to ensure the safety of their students,” said Amy Zhou ‘08, Kim’s roommate in Okada. “I think something’s definitely wrong with the system if this could happen.”

Kim declined comment for this story, unless the newspaper agreed to withhold her name. She suggested, but then declined, postponing publication one day in exchange for speaking on the record.

(more)

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It took Zhou even longer to find out the truth — she said that Azia Kim broke into her email account and permanently deleted emails from Housing that explained the situation. Kim even replied to Housing, imitating her roommate in an email that Zhou provided The Daily:

“Hey Edith,

Actually, Azia doesn’t stay here permanently, she just stays occasionally when she stays late. Sorry, I apologize for any confusions.

Amy”

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“She took off the screen and always left one of the windows wide open and the blinds up,” Zhou said. “I just guessed she always wanted a breezy room.”

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--j_k

[ May 25, 2007, 02:49 PM: Message edited by: James Tiberius Kirk ]
 

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Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 
I like how Zhou called it, "Hacking" when Kim accessed her email. Chances are she simply has a cookie that automatically logs her in.

My guess is she told her parents she got into Stanford and then put all her efforts into making that a reality for everyone else she was in contact with. That being the case she definately put alot of work and ingenuity towards that effort.

8 months, wowzers.
 

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Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
 
I have to say, I'm somewhat impressed. I mean, 8 months is a long time to keep it up. And she was just trying to get an education. I think that the world we live in now has given people an unrealistic sense of danger. We are all so paranoid about anyone going against the system. I'm not saying what she did was right, but you have to at least give her props for keeping it up for so long.
 

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Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
 

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And she was just trying to get an education.

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No she wasn't. She could have gotten an education somewhere else with a lot less hassle.
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
She wasn't getting credit for any classes. I know an education isn't all about he credit, but it is at least a little bit about the credit. Unless she was planning on faking a resume later as well.
 

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Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
 
(For the record, the article does state that she didn't take many of the tests she prepared for with her friends. I strongly suspect her presence there was less about education and more about a desire to be at Stanford.)

As much as I believe Kim was hardly dangerous, I have to agree that her presence was a breach of security and trust. Because of the latter, she's likely to be expelled, and won't be able to reapply to Stanford this fall. That option would have been available to her if she had wanted to spend a year elsewhere and transfer in.

[edit] Fast typers

--j_k
 

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Posted by JLM (Member # 7800) on :
 
As a Stanford grad, I fail to see why someone would go to such lenghts to "be" at Stanford. They have a pretty campus, a world famous golf course (only $20 green fees for students) and a good location, but they didn't have anything special you wouldn't find at any decent state college. In fact, many student amenities were lacking. Stanford may have lots of money, but the spending priority sure isn't for the students.
 

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Posted by MightyCow (Member # 9253) on :
 
I knew a couple kids in high school who HAD to get into Stanford. To them, any other college was failure. I'm not sure exactly why they felt this way, but if Kim had a similar belief, it goes some way towards explaining her actions.

Both of the guys I knew who considered Stanford THE ONLY SCHOOL were Asian as well. I would guess, based on that and the fact that they have an Asian-American dorm, that it might be kind of a big thing for Asian descent kids.
 

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Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
 

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Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head:

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And she was just trying to get an education.

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No she wasn't. She could have gotten an education somewhere else with a lot less hassle.

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I think she was specifically trying to get a, "Stanford Education" or in other words an, "Ivy League Education."

Or perhaps she thought she would get absorbed into the beurocracy and be home free. Just because she is Asian does not mean she has the stereotypical pressure that Asian parents put on their children, but its entirely possible, even probable.

edit: I had a gorgeous half Asian friend who was very upset that Stanford rejected her, even though she had gotten into Harvard.

At my high school, schools like Duke, Princeton, and Virginia Tech were "safety schools."
 

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Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
 
Princeton a safety school? Wah .
 

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Posted by TheGrimace (Member # 9178) on :
 
j_k, how can she be expelled from a school that she isn't enrolled at? Not that I disagree about her chances of being accepted at a later date, but what can they do other than telling her to go away and keeping her out of the dorms?
 

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Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
 

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Originally posted by TheGrimace:
j_k, how can she be expelled from a school that she isn't enrolled at? Not that I disagree about her chances of being accepted at a later date, but what can they do other than telling her to go away and keeping her out of the dorms?

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