For most students, a 2140 SAT score – roughly in the 94th–96th percentile nationally – would be a ticket to top-tier universities. But for Columbia, it fell short. Mamdani’s mother is Indian, and his father Ugandan-Indian, placing him in the highest-scoring demographic pool in admissions. According to Rufo, his score was below the Asian median but likely above the Black median, raising uncomfortable questions about why Mamdani marked “Black” on his form. For most students, a 2140 SAT score – roughly in the 94th–96th percentile nationally – would be a ticket to top-tier universities. But for Columbia, it fell short. Mamdani’s mother is Indian, and his father Ugandan-Indian, placing him in the highest-scoring demographic pool in admissions. According to Rufo, his score was below the Asian median but likely above the Black median, raising uncomfortable questions about why Mamdani marked “Black” on his form.
