After John was admitted to a famous art school

[Bassim]

Have I made any mistakes?

After John was admitted to a famous art school, many of his friends and acquaintances congratulated him, but he noticed a hint of envy in their voices. They had seen his paintings before and were not excited. He had always been seen as an oddball, wrapped up in his world of amateurish paintings--a loafer who would never achieve anything in life. But now that he had succeeded where they had failed, they were unable to hide their envy.

 

[teechar]

He had always been seen as an oddball,

That's not wrong, but it can be written in a simpler way.

 

[Bassim]

Should I write "He was always an oddball"?

 

[teechar]

or even "He was always an oddball to them".

 

[Tarheel]

He had always been seen as an oddball ....


I prefer the original.