Launching an American College Search from Africa, By Web and Word of Mouth I've had my life all figured out since I was ten. The plan? Finish primary school with the best scores so that I could get into a national high school. Once there, I would work even harder to get the best grades so that I could gain admission into the University of Nairobi Law School. That was my dream and I achieved it. But things changed when I found out about African Leadership Academy, a private school. When an acceptance letter from the University of Nairobi arrived, I didn't even bother to open it. Prior to A.L.A., I never considered applying to schools in the United States for my undergraduate studies. Now, my possibilities expanded, I find myself in an odd predicament. I no longer have a dream school, just a list of 18 colleges and universities to which I might apply. To tell you the truth, coming up with those 18 schools was a task. How does one choose where she wants to go? The only school I've visited is the University of Pennsylvania - and that is only because I participated in the Wharton Sports Business Academy over the summer. The rest of the colleges and universities on my list are there because they either had a Web site that made me love the school, or because I met alumni who told me they loved their school. I know that my list, as it stands, is far too long. I will narrow it down to 12 schools. But, so far, here they are: Forget romantic fantasies. I just hope one of them is The One. I have many anxieties, but for some reason that I really cannot explain, I know it will work out. I am anxious about whether my academic and other achievements are good enough, or whether my essays will depict who I really am, or whether my entire application shows I'm a fit for that school that I'm still trying to find. In the end, I'll get in somewhere because everyone has a place they're meant to be in. Because of the person that I am, I will find that group of friends who will make the place worthwhile. Because my interests vary from international relations to business to political science to literature, I know I'll find a course that I love. I'll make do because I always have. Of course, I am human. Despite knowing all these things, I will still worry over possible mistakes made and get anxious about what I should improve. For now, I'll just work on rolling the dice and playing the game. Ms. Abdi Yussuf, a Somali student at African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, is one of eight high school seniors around the world who are blogging about their college searches for The Choice. To comment on what she has written here, please use the comment box below.