• Video
  • Shop
  • Culture
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Food
  • Living
  • Style
  • Travel
  • News
  • Book Club
  • GMA3: WYNTK
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • Terms of Use
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Contact Us
  • © 2025 ABC News
  • Living
  • Good News

High school senior's reaction to college acceptance goes viral: 'An amazing feeling'

3:15
The story behind viral video of boy finding out he got accepted to Harvard
Courtesy of Myslenski family
ByYi-Jin Yu
February 23, 2023, 4:01 AM

Matthew Myslenski says he is always going to remember the fateful day in December when he learned he’d achieved a dream he’s had ever since he was a young boy.

The 17-year-old, a high school senior at Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, Connecticut, found out on Dec. 15 that he’d been accepted into his first-choice college – Harvard University.

“I saw confetti on the [computer] screen and I knew that I had made it into Harvard,” Matthew Myslenski recalled to “Good Morning America.”

PHOTO: Connecticut students Matthew Myslenski and his twin sister Magdalena, react as they learn he was accepted into Harvard.
Connecticut students Matthew Myslenski and his twin sister Magdalena, react as they learn he was accepted into Harvard in December 2022.
Courtesy of Myslenski family

Editor’s Picks

Alabama teen accepted to 15 schools with $2 million in scholarships

  • Jun 15, 2022

High schooler accepted into 72 colleges shares advice for other students

  • Apr 27, 2022

Florida teen accepted into 27 universities with $4 million in scholarships

  • Apr 13, 2022

“I've been working toward getting into Harvard basically since I was 7 so just finding out that my dreams came true is an amazing feeling,” he continued.

A video of Matthew’s joyous reaction following the big news has since gone viral, with over 833,000 views on his school’s TikTok account.

Related Articles

MORE: Student's college acceptance reaction goes viral

In a statement to “GMA,” the school also praised Matthew’s achievement.

Magda and Matthew, both high school seniors, are finishing their final year at Woodstock Academy, a high school in Woodstock, Conn.
The Woodstock Academy

“The Woodstock Academy community is extremely proud of Matt’s accomplishments,” Woodstock Academy Associate Head of School Holly Singleton said in a statement. “He has never backed down from pursuing his dreams, even when they seemed uncertain. While I’m sure many deserving students applied to Harvard, I am glad that Harvard recognized his unparalleled kindness to others, his personal commitment to give back to his community and make things better, and his stalwart determination to never be defeated by the things in his life that are hard.”

The video also features Matthew’s twin sister, Magdalena Myslenski, who has watched her brother work toward his dream for the last decade and was just as equally excited for his major accomplishment.

“I was really nervous for Matthew,” the 17-year-old, who goes by Magda, recounted. “We're all gathered around this computer and Matthew finally loaded up the screen and it was the confetti and it was, ‘Oh my gosh! This is actually happening.’”

“It’s something I know Matthew has been working hard for but it just means so much more that I got to go through this with Matthew and got to see this whole experience,” she said.

Magdalena, who goes by Magda, said she's watched her twin brother work toward realizing his dream of becoming a Harvard student ever since they were young kids.
Courtesy of Myslenski family

Over the years, Matthew, who has cerebral palsy, has had to figure out how to adapt to some of the challenges he’s had to face. CP is one of the most common motor disorders in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and for Matthew, CP affects his muscle movement and tone, his gait and other aspects like his posture.

“Having cerebral palsy can make it a bit harder doing physical tasks involved in education, for example, highlighting or taking notes down but what I do is I adapt to my disorder … and I work to overcome it,” Matthew said.

Both Matthew and Magda say the 17-year-old’s disability doesn’t hold him back from achieving his goals.

Twins Magdalena and Matthew Myslenski say they've "always been close" but now they're excited for their upcoming adventures as college students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Harvard University respectively.
Courtesy of Myslenski family

“It may look like he can't do things as well as others, which sometimes he can't, but if you really put in the extra work and keep at it, you can do anything in this world,” Magda said.

Added Matthew: “I also want people to take away that those who have a critical disability, you shouldn’t make any immediate assumptions about what they can or cannot do but you should take your time to realize everything that they can do and what they can offer.”

Related Articles

MORE: Miami teen accepted into all 8 Ivy League universities

Matthew said he hopes to study biology at Harvard and become a physician one day, following in the footsteps of the doctors who cared for him at Boston Children’s Hospital, which is affiliated with the Ivy League university.

Both twins say they’re looking forward to going away for college, with Matthew heading to Boston and Magda leaving for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, in the fall.

Editor's note: This was originally published on Jan. 17, 2023.

Related Topics

  • Good News
  • Education

Editor’s Picks

Alabama teen accepted to 15 schools with $2 million in scholarships

  • Jun 15, 2022

High schooler accepted into 72 colleges shares advice for other students

  • Apr 27, 2022

Florida teen accepted into 27 universities with $4 million in scholarships

  • Apr 13, 2022

Up Next in Living—

June's full strawberry moon: See photos and what it means for your zodiac

June 11, 2025

High school athlete somersaults to track and field championship win

June 10, 2025

Michaels buys Joann brand, plans to expand crafting supply to meet demand

June 6, 2025

Approximately 1.7 million air conditioners voluntarily recalled for potential mold exposure

June 6, 2025

Shop GMA Favorites

ABC will receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Sponsored Content by Taboola

The latest lifestyle and entertainment news and inspiration for how to live your best life - all from Good Morning America.
  • Contests
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Children’s Online Privacy Policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Press
  • Feedback
  • Shop FAQs
  • ABC News
  • ABC
  • All Videos
  • All Topics
  • Sitemap

© 2025 ABC News
  • Privacy Policy— 
  • Your US State Privacy Rights— 
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy— 
  • Interest-Based Ads— 
  • Terms of Use— 
  • Do Not Sell My Info— 
  • Contact Us— 

© 2025 ABC News