Harding student has his pick of the Ivy League -- and then some

By Blair Emerson

blair.emerson@startribune.com

As it turns out, there's more than one student in Minnesota faced with a choice of which Ivy League school to attend.

Alexander Roman, 17, a senior at Harding Senior High School on St. Paul's East Side, was accepted to all eight Ivy League schools — and then some. Starting in January, the acceptance letters have been pouring in. In all, he's been accepted to 20 colleges and universities across the country.

"At first I was hesitant [to apply to 20 schools], because it just seemed kind of like a lot," he said. "But then I kind of got encouraged by many people to kind of just [apply to] the schools that I think I would enjoy myself at."

Alexander said he couldn't believe it when he started getting accepted to big name schools like Harvard and Yale. "The first reaction I had, especially the Harvard one, was like, 'Is this really happening?'" he said. "Right away I told my family, 'We're going to go out to eat!'"

They got Chinese.

At Harding, Alexander is involved with the Knight Crew -- a student group that helps younger students make the transition to high school, and the Genius Squad, a tech help group. Alexander also played as the starting first baseman for the school's baseball team until his junior year. He is a youth leader at his church.

Alexander said he will be the first in his family to graduate from college. Alexander's father was a teenager when he emigrated from Mexico. Alexander said his dad's excitement has grown with each acceptance letter.

"Just the first [letter] he was really excited … and then right after that getting the Harvard one he was really ecstatic because it really is a really big deal," Alexander said.

Ralph Alexander, the director of Harding's College and Career Center, said in his 12 years on the job he's never seen a student get accepted to all Ivy League schools. "He's the consummate perfect kid to have this happen to," he said.