He attended the American School of Guatemala, a private English-language school in Guatemala City, an experience he cites as a great privilege. When von Ahn was eight years old, his mother bought him a Commodore 64 computer, beginning his fascination with technology and computer science. When he applied to colleges in the United States, Von Ahn had to spend more than $1,200 to fly to neighboring El Salvador to take the TOEFL.
He attended the American School of Guatemala, an English-language private school in Guatemala City, which he considers a significant advantage. At eight years old, his mother bought him a Commodore 64 computer, starting his fascination with technology and computer science. When applying to US colleges, Von Ahn had to spend more than $1,200 to travel to El Salvador for the TOEFL test.