Area Teen Applies to 28 Schools

Sugar Land, TX - High school senior Madeleine Kim has recently completed 28 college applications, writing over 100 essays and spending at least $1000 in application fees.

Kim, who hopes to major in either sociology or biomedical engineering, has sent in applications to Ivy Leagues, public schools, overseas institutions, and community colleges. She began working on her applications in November of her senior year after attending a Princeton Review seminar about the college selection process. "This is the most important decision I'll ever make," says Kim. "I had to start early because I can't afford to mess this up. My life literally depends on it."

The most challenging part of the application process for Kim was writing the numerous essays required for each college. Kim wrote extensively on topics ranging from an issue she is passionate about to her favorite word. "The weirdest topics definitely came from UChicago," she says. "I mean, Plato vs. play-doh? Really?"

"The hardest question, though, was, 'Why do you want to attend this school?' I pretty much wrote the same ansewr for everything. I know you're supposed to research what's unique about each college or whatever, but who has time for that? I know the name; isn't that enough?"

Kim's best friend, Samantha Lewis, says the application process has been "really difficult" for Kim. "She's so stressed out all the time. All she does is write essays. She made this massive spreadsheet to keep track of everything, and she lugs it around with her everywhere. I can't wait until January, when all this is over. But I guess then she'll be applying to scholarships..."

Lewis has sent in applications to six schools, narrowing down her original list of 20 by researching each online and visiting as many as she could. "I applied to two safety, two realistic, and two reach schools, and I can totally see myself going to any of them," she says. "Those applications were a pain. Six is more than enough. I don't know how Maddy does it."

Kim visited two of her 28 schools on a class trip in 8th grade. "I don't know if I would actually go to those, though," she confesses. "Actually, I think I would only actually go to five or six of the 28. But I might as well apply. Anyway, it'd be cool to get in."

Now that she has completed her college applications, Kim announces plans to begin applying for scholarships. "I have fifty or sixty I've been looking at," she says. "I'll start those over the break. Then I need to apply to jobs, and internships, and study abroad programs, and graduate school... There's just so much to do. I'd better get started."