ABC News April 26, 2016

Chicago-area Student Receives Offers From More Than Three Dozen Colleges, Including Four Ivy Leagues

Courtesy Southland College Prep Charter High School
Chicago-area high school senior Christian Davis has been accepted to more than three dozen colleges and universities, including four of the nation's ivy leagues.

Chicago-area high school senior Christian Davis, 18, has a lot on his plate these days.

He'll have to decide which post-secondary school to attend this fall after more than three dozen colleges and universities, including four of the nation's ivy league institutions, sent him acceptance letters, with some offering full scholarships.

Davis has narrowed down his list to four schools: Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University and University of Pennsylvania. He wants to study engineering, and become a neurosurgeon.

Davis will tell you the abundance of academic options is a problem worth having.

"I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go," Davis told ABC News. "I wanted to keep my options open."

Courtesy Southland College Prep Charter High School
Chicago-area high school senior Christian Davis has been accepted to more than three dozen colleges and universities, including four of the nation's ivy leagues.

His achievements did not come easy, Southland College Prep Charter High School administrative assistant Robert Lane told ABC News. Before moving outside of Chicago and attending Southland in Richton Park, about 40 minutes south of Chicago, Davis grew up on Chicago's west side with his mom and two brothers.

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"He certainly has a lot of obstacles that he has had to overcome to get to this summit," Lane said. "He has had to deal with a lot to get to where he is."

Davis not only excels academically, but he also finds time to serve, and that's something school CEO and superintendent Dr. Blondean Davis, who has no relation to him, can attest to. The astute student is a member of the school's National Honor Society chapter, and volunteers at a local hospital.

"He is very modest," Dr. Davis told ABC News. "When he first came to Southland he was a very quiet young man. He was so shy...he has just blossomed."

Dr. Davis added, "The greatest thing is he has so much respect."

Courtesy Southland College Prep Charter High School
Chicago-area Southland College Prep Charter High School senior Christian Davis is flanked by his school's CEO and principal Dr. Blondean Davis. The two share no relation. Davis has been accepted to more than three dozen colleges and universities, including four of the nation's ivy leagues.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story said that Davis was accepted to all of the Ivy League colleges. He applied to and was accepted by four colleges in the Ivy League.