Georgia teenager awarded millions of dollars in university scholarships

  • Published
Madison Crowell poses for a photoImage source, Mike Picha Frazier/ Facebook

A US teenager has amassed $15m (£12m) in scholarship approvals after being accepted by 231 universities.

Madison Crowell, 18, of Georgia, told ABC that her success was driven by her desire to show others they could get into any college they wanted.

Ms Crowell said she chose High Point University in North Carolina.

US pupils can apply for scholarships in every university application they make. How much Ms Cromwell is eligible to receive from her total is not known.

Ms Crowell, who is set to graduate from Liberty County High School on 18 May, had applied to hundreds of US universities but said High Point was "one of the best decisions I've made in my life".

She told ABC: "I want to show the kids here in Liberty County that it's possible to get accepted into not only just local schools... but that you can get accepted into schools... that you think might be out of your reach."

Around 14% of Liberty County's 69,000 people live in poverty, according to Census data.

Nido Qubein, High Point University's president, said: "We are excited to welcome Madison. She is going to do exceptional things."

Ms Crowell's decision to attend High Point concludes a journey that began in middle school, when her parents started taking her on university visits.

She plans to study science at High Point and eventually earn a doctorate in physical therapy.

Ms Crowell's marathon application process did hit some bumps - she was rejected by a small number of universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tulane University and Colorado College.

"I know what it's like to be deferred from a dream school and you don't know if you're going to get the chance to apply again or you're not going to be accepted again," she said.

"Always keep a positive sight on these things because it can get a little overwhelming," she advised other teenagers, adding that it was important to make "sure that you're keeping yourself sane and having outlets to release some energy".

Related topics