Arianna Alexander: High School valedictorian offered spot by 26 colleges

Some people just make it look easy. While many if not most students fight to get a place in the college they want, Arianna Alexander of Chicago found herself with no shortage of offers.  Indeed, the Kenwood Academy’s valedictorian has picked the University of Pennsylvania after receiving 26 invitations and three million dollars in scholarships. Six of  the offers were from Ivy League institutions. “I was very organized and that helped reduce the stress,” the 18-year-old told The Independent of her success. “I had a plan and I stuck to it.” Her father, Pierre Alexander, said Arianna was the youngest of four children and that he and his wife had tried to instill the importance of education in all of them. “It has been a long process and we are delighted,” he added.

The school’s principal, Dr. Gregory Jones, said the young woman had achieved her success through hard work and the support of a “great family”. And she was not the only student at the school to see success. “In total the class of 2015 has received $40m in scholarships – that is among a graduating class of 360 students,” he said.

READ MORE: independent.com