Dem mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani’s SAT scores revealed amid controversy: report

Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist New York City mayoral candidate, has recently come under scrutiny after it was revealed that he identified as “Asian” and “Black/African American” in his application to Columbia University in 2009. According to a report by independent journalist Christopher Rufo, Mamdani’s SAT scores were below the median score for students admitted to the university that year.

Mamdani scored 2140 out of 2400 on the SAT, which fell below the median score range of 2110 to 2300 for students admitted to Columbia in 2009. While Mamdani has defended his decision to check multiple boxes in his application, stating that he wanted to reflect his “complex background,” questions have been raised about whether he was trying to gain an advantage in the competitive admissions process.

Interestingly, Columbia University, like many elite institutions, used race-conscious admissions at the time of Mamdani’s application. This system was later struck down by the Supreme Court in 2023. Mamdani’s identification as “Black/African American” on his application has raised eyebrows, especially since he has stated that he does not consider himself Black.

Mamdani’s parents are both of Indian descent, and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor at Columbia University. Despite his family’s roots in East Africa, Mamdani clarified that there had been no intermarriage with native African groups. He has emphasized his South Asian and Muslim identity on the campaign trail but has also highlighted his African heritage, being born in Uganda and named after the first Prime Minister of Ghana.

As a democratic socialist, Mamdani has proposed a number of policy changes to transform New York City in line with his vision. He is running against incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who was elected as a Democrat but is seeking re-election as an independent. Additionally, former New York Democratic Mayor Andrew Cuomo is also running for mayor as an independent candidate.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani and Columbia University for comment but did not receive a response prior to publication. It remains to be seen how this revelation about Mamdani’s college application will impact his mayoral campaign and how voters will perceive his background and qualifications for the role.