Michael Brown celebrates with friends after being accepted to 20 of the best universities in the US with a full ride and $260,000 in additional scholarship offers. 
 
 HOUSTON - A group of TV anchors from the Fox News affiliate in Washington D.C. are under fire after they criticized a Texas teen for applying to 20 colleges and getting into each with full-ride scholarships. 
 
 Micheal Brown, a senior at Lamar High School in Houston, was accepted into 20 top universities including Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford and received full-ride scholarships to each. 
 
 On Tuesday, FOX 5 DC morning anchors Holly Morris and Allison Seymour and podcast host Sarah Fraser discussed Brown's accomplishments, but shifted to the topic of the number of universities a student should apply to. 
 
 During the conversation, Fraser asked Morris and Seymour whether they "think it's a little ridiculous this kid applied to 20 (schools), taking away a spot and basically waitlisting another kid." 
 
 Morris replied that while some may not agree with her, "It's ridiculous that he applied to 20 schools." Morris stated that Brown's accomplishment would have been just as impressive had he applied to five or 10 schools and that many college readiness websites indicate students should apply to four to eight schools. 
 
 Fraser then asks whether they thought Brown applying to 20 schools was a "little obnoxious," to which Morris replied "I think it's a little obnoxious because you can only go to one. You can only take one full ride and you are taking a spot from someone else who works really hard." 
 
 Seymour countered that if Brown didn't take the full ride, the scholarship would go "back into the pot." 
 
 Morris said the best thing about Brown's story is that "19 kids come off the waitlist." 
 
 Many have taken issue with the anchors' criticism of Brown applying to 20 schools and have attacked the idea that Brown took a spot from another student. 
 
 Morris has stood by her position on Twitter and Seymour has not been active on social media since the controversial "Tuesday Talkers" segment, but Fraser tweeted Brown an apology. Brown responded that he accepted her apology. 
 
 I don’t feel that way. I have apologized to Michael and he accepted my apology. Michaels accomplishments aren’t up for debate. I have learned a valuable lesson. — Sarah Fraser (@heyfrase) April 7, 2018 
 
 I also said he is an amazing young man. This is not a racial issue. I would have the exact same opinion if the boy was white. https://t.co/gq8Edty0s8 — Holly Morris (@HollyLiveFox5DC) April 4, 2018 
 
 According to ABC News, Brown is part of a college readiness program called "EMERGE Fellowship." The website states the program “empowers and prepares high performing students from underserved communities to attend and graduate from selective colleges and universities across the nation.” 
 
 WATCH THE VIDEO: 
 
 Copyright 2018 by KSAT - All rights reserved. ||||| High school student Micheal Brown made headlines last week for a remarkable feat: He was accepted by all 20 colleges he applied to, and each institution awarded him a full scholarship to boot. 
 
 Video of Brown, screaming with excitement as he learned of his acceptances surrounded by family and friends, went viral. Four Ivy League institutions ― Harvard, Yale, Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania ― want him, as do Stanford, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins and 11 more top-rated colleges. 
 
 MUST SEE VIDEO! This is what it looks like when a hard working, 3rd Ward student gets accepted to his dream college. BTW... he was accepted to 20! Including 4 #IvyLeagues. Story coming up @ 10 on #KHOU11 #DREAMS #Houston #Harvard #Princeton #Yale #FeelGood pic.twitter.com/Lz5kY3G1CO — Lauren Talarico (@KHOULauren) March 30, 2018 
 
 While the exceptional senior, who earned a 4.68 GPA at Lamar High School in Houston was praised by many ― from reporters to readers to President Bill Clinton ― a local news team in Washington has come under fire for harshly criticizing the student. 
 
 On Fox 5 DC last week, morning co-anchor Holly Morris and contributor Sarah Fraser laid into Brown for applying to 20 schools, calling his decision to do so “obnoxious” and suggesting he was showing off. 
 
 “It’s a little ridiculous that this kid applied to 20, taking away a spot and basically waitlisting another kid,” Fraser said. 
 
 “I’m urging my kids not to,” co-anchor Allison Seymour said in an aside. 
 
 “It’s a little obnoxious because you can only go to one, you can only take one full ride, and you are taking a spot from someone else who worked really hard,” Morris said. 
 
 The backlash was swift and has grown over the past week as a Now This video criticizing the Fox 5 segment went viral. 
 
 Here's a new one: Local Fox anchors criticized this Black teen for working TOO hard pic.twitter.com/sIwyciCC9j — NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 9, 2018 
 
 Twitters users are laying into the journalists, saying their comments seemed racially motivated. 
 
 This doesn’t “take a space or a scholarship” away from ANYONE. 
 
 
 
 Yale isn’t going to suddenly enroll only 1,499 freshmen or only give $4,950,000 in financial aid if this kid goes to Stanford instead. 
 
 
 
 This is straight up, poorly coded, bigotry. https://t.co/ySdmNbml1x — Aditya Sood (@adityasood) April 9, 2018 
 
 Michael Brown, I wish you would’ve applied to 30 schools. Keep shining- you’re an inspiration to black and brown kids all over. Perhaps you could call it a representation of the fact so many of us have to work twice as hard to get half of what others get... https://t.co/VOU3AjijcW — Don Champion (@DonChampionTV) April 9, 2018 
 
 Check out @FoxNews anchors call a young black man, Michael Brown, “obnoxious” for applying to and getting accepted with full scholarships to 20 colleges. 
 
 
 
 Either we’re “lazy” and need to “work hard,” or we’re “obnoxious” when we excel for working hard.#Racist#SitDownAndShutUp pic.twitter.com/QWGPVVcdpD — Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) April 5, 2018 
 
 So to sum up: Ferguson's Michael Brown who was murdered by the cop was a thug who wasn’t trying to do anything with his life so he deserved to die. THIS Michael Brown who applied to 20 colleges/universities and got full rides, is "obnoxious" for doing too much with his life. https://t.co/YXPXWAPrYv — Daryle L. Jenkins (@DLamontJenkins) April 5, 2018 
 
 Except when you do “work harder,” expect Alice&Seymour @Fox5DCAllison 
 
 Holly Maurice @HollyLiveFox5DC & 
 
 Sarah Fraser @heyfrase on @fox5dc using their morning airtime calling you “obnoxious” for being a hard working black student & getting into multiple prestigious colleges...🙄 — Miah Ed.D (@dst6n01) April 7, 2018 
 
 shame on these news anchors. he worked his entire life to achieve the impossible and instead of celebrating this extraordinary achievement they chose to call it ridiculous. Congratulations Michael Brown, the world needs more people like you - https://t.co/uXkhSwfTea — Casey Neistat (@CaseyNeistat) April 9, 2018 
 
 Shoutout Michael Brown, congrats getting into all 20 schools bud. You didn’t take any body else’s spot away, you earned your own — #SaveTheCrew (@garrettbinger) April 9, 2018 
 
 Congratulations 🎈 Michael Brown Which ever #College You Choose will be Lucky to have you These #Fox #TalkingHeads Should Be #Fired https://t.co/uxhu7sQbh0 — Peggy M (@morgep65) April 9, 2018 
 
 In response to the backlash, Fraser tweeted an apology to Brown on Saturday, saying she learned a “valuable lesson.” Brown tweeted that he accepted her apology. 
 
 Bishop Talbert - I am sorry. I’m sorry to Michael b. I truly had no malice when I set this story up, we wanted to ask is 20 schools too much? But I see now that was petty. Michael is awesome and I have learned a lesson. — Sarah Fraser (@heyfrase) April 7, 2018 
 
 Thank you for your apology. I appreciate it and accept it. — Micheal Brown (@mbreezy101) April 7, 2018 
 
 Morris maintained that she was criticizing the act of applying to 20 schools, not Brown himself. She also said she would have had the same response if the student were white. 
 
 I just believe in a more targeted search. I think the common ap has changed the game and makes it too easy to apply to too many schools. Has nothing to do with privilege. Just my opinion. We can disagree... that’s ok. https://t.co/JsGsXAGTmV — Holly Morris (@HollyLiveFox5DC) April 3, 2018 
 
 I also said he is an amazing young man. This is not a racial issue. I would have the exact same opinion if the boy was white. https://t.co/gq8Edty0s8 — Holly Morris (@HollyLiveFox5DC) April 4, 2018 
 
 Brown said he had a Skype interview with Morris but has asked the station not to air it since the anchor has still not apologized. 
 
 This morning, I had a respectful Skype interview with @HollyLiveFox5DC , though I did not get an apology during the interview. I won't allow the interview to air until @fox5dc provides me with a public apology. Where's the #humandecency? — Micheal Brown (@mbreezy101) April 6, 2018 
 
 Fox 5 DC, Morris, Seymour and Brown did not respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment. ||||| CLOSE Micheal Brown knows he’ll be enrolled in one of America’s top universities next year, he just has to decide which one. USA TODAY 
 
 Micheal Brown, 17, sits in the sand next to the names of colleges who've accepted him. (Photo: Berthinia Rutledge-Brown, Facebook) 
 
 A teen accepted to 20 colleges offering him full financial aid wants journalists at a Fox affiliate to apologize for calling his decision to apply to the schools "obnoxious." 
 
 An anchor and contributor on Fox 5 in Washington, D.C., criticized Micheal Brown's decision to apply to 20 colleges in a segment airing April 3. 
 
 Co-anchor Holly Morris and contributor Sarah Fraser called applying to that number of schools "ridiculous." 
 
 "It's a little ridiculous that this kid applied to 20, taking away a spot and basically waitlisting another kid," Fraser said on the show. 
 
 "I think it's a little obnoxious because you can only go to one," Morris commented. “You can only take one full ride, and you are taking a spot from someone else who worked really hard.” 
 
 Two days later, Micheal said he had a "respectful" interview with Morris, but he will not allow the segment to air until the station issues a public apology. "Where's the #humandecency?" he tweeted. 
 
 Micheal's mother Berthinia Rutledge-Brown told USA TODAY that Morris never apologized and instead said, "I didn't mean to offend you." They didn't receive an apology from the station either, she said. Fox 5 did not immediately return a request for comment from USA TODAY. 
 
 Rutledge-Brown said her son was truly hurt by the comments and she's "numb" over the situation. 
 
 Here's a new one: Local Fox anchors criticized this Black teen for working TOO hard pic.twitter.com/sIwyciCC9j — NowThis (@nowthisnews) April 9, 2018 
 
 Frasersaid she has since told Micheal she's sorry for the comments. She has also apologized to his mother. 
 
 "I have apologized to Micheal, and he accepted my apology," Fraser said on Twitter. "Micheal's accomplishments aren’t up for debate. I have learned a valuable lesson." 
 
 Micheal, a black student who grew up in a poor area of Houston, defied odds with a 4.68 GPA at Lamar High School. Last week, a widely shared video showed his enthusiastic reaction to being accepted into his dream school: Stanford University. He got a full ride. Spoiler: There was jumping. There was screaming. It was pure joy for all involved — including his mom. 
 
 More: Teen offered full ride to 20 universities, including four Ivy League schools 
 
 It didn't stop there. Brown was accepted into and received full financial aid for 19 other colleges, including Ivy League schools: Harvard University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Northwestern University, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, Johns Hopkins University, Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Williams College, University of Texas-Austin, University of California-Berkeley, Amherst, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Tulane University, University of Michigan, UC-Davis and UC-Irvine. 
 
 Rutledge-Brown said her son is currently deciding between Georgetown, Stanford, Harvard and Yale. He plans to announce his decision April 30. 
 
 Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets 
 
 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2qu5SVp ||||| Texas, like all places, is the site of both triumphs and tragedies. Every week in the Best Thing in Texas, we look for something that reminds us why we love our state so much. 
 
 WHO: Micheal Brown, a senior at Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in Houston 
 
 WHAT: Brown was accepted into twenty top universities with full-ride scholarships 
 
 WHY IT’S SO GREAT: It’s harder than ever to get into the country’s most prestigious universities, so the already impressive feat of getting into an Ivy League institution is all the more admirable today. And finding a way to pay for higher education is a crucial part of any but the wealthiest students’ application strategy. Micheal Brown, a senior at Lamar High School in Houston, has managed to accomplish that (and more)! 
 
 On March 28, Brown opened the last of twenty acceptance letters from top universities. Not only was he accepted into his long-time dream school, Stanford, but he was also granted admission into schools like Harvard, Princeton, Northwestern, and Yale. He was also awarded a full ride to each school through a mix of scholarships and grants. And he earned an additional $260,000 in scholarships outside of his school applications. And—no, just kidding. 
 
 Stanford admission notwithstanding, Brown hasn’t yet decided which university he’ll be attending. He’ll be spending the next month visiting schools before he makes a decision on May 1. Whatever school he chooses, they’ll be lucky to have him. Congrats, Micheal! 
 
 This post has been updated to correct a misspelling of the subject’s name. It is Micheal, not Michael. We regret the error. ||||| (CNN) Micheal Brown stared at the acceptance letter in front of him: It said yes. 
 
 So did the next one. And the one after that. 
 
 The 17-year-old from Houston applied to 20 of the best universities in the US. He was admitted to every single one with a full ride and $260,000 in additional scholarship offers. 
 
 "It's something I'm proud of because I see my hard work paying off, determination paying off, sacrifices paying off," the student told CNN. 
 
 Of those 20, he listed his top eight choices as: Harvard, Princeton, Northwestern, Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, Georgetown and Vanderbilt. 
 
 Currently a senior at Mirabeau B. Lamar High School, Micheal has been heavily involved in his school's debate team, mock trial and student government for years. He has also volunteered for political campaigns, citing his interest to "the moment I saw Barack Obama get elected." 
 
 He is set on majoring in political science, but is also considering a second degree in economics. 
 
 The first letter 
 
 When he received his first acceptance in December, he chose to do it at a friend's house to relieve the pressure of being around his whole family. 
 
 "My family had high expectations and maybe didn't realize how competitive the process is," he said. 
 
 But he still invited his biggest supporter to come along -- his mom. 
 
 Berthinia Rutledge-Brown filmed as Micheal stood in shock by the computer while his friends excitedly rallied around him. 
 
 Stanford, of course, said yes. 
 
 "After sixth grade, Mike was in control of his education," recalled the proud mom. "He was focused, he knew what he wanted and he made his own decisions." 
 
 A mother's dedication 
 
 Rutledge-Brown lost three babies before becoming pregnant with Micheal. Once she finally had a son, she poured all of her energy into giving him the very best that she possibly could. 
 
 He only received one B during his entire academic career, which she said was very difficult for the goal-getter. 
 
 On March 28, Micheal opened the last four admissions decisions that would mark his 20-school streak. 
 
 His mom, who works two jobs as a licensed chemical dependency counselor, took the afternoon off to be with him. 
 
 They are both still in shock about the college and scholarship offers. 
 
 Urging others to dream big 
 
 But he didn't want to talk about his own accomplishments alone. 
 
 "For me, it's important to highlight that I'm not the only student of color who is achieving," the teenager noted. 
 
 Micheal, far right, stands with friends Eric Muthondu and Sammantha Garcia during the Subiendo Academy at University of Texas Austin. All three are first-generation college students that have been accepted to Harvard. 
 
 He has met countless friends through organizations like QuestBridge Emerge Fellowship and Breakthrough Collaborative , which match students from low-income communities with higher education opportunities. 
 
 In fact, Micheal has at least one friend at every single Ivy League school thanks to these initiatives. He stressed the importance of using his platform to show other kids that they can dream big, too. 
 
 "I want people to be informed and get access to these same programs," he said. 
 
 The high achiever will spend the next 30 days touring additional schools before he makes his final choice on May 1. 
 
 And he's not taking a break until the fall. 
 
 This summer, he'll spend two weeks traveling around cities that have historically fought for racial justice as part of Rustic Pathways' "Race in America" program. 
 
 CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misspelled Micheal Brown's first name. ||||| Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) Thursday said he was glad that one of his Democratic opponents, consumer advocate Elizabeth Warren, didn't "take her clothes off" to pay for college. Brown, who won his seat in a 2009 special election, was speaking on Boston radio station WZLX. 
 
 Brown made his comments when asked about Warren's response in a debate Tuesday to a question about how she paid for college. The question referenced the fact that Brown posed nude for Cosmopolitan in 1982 to make money. 
 
 "I kept my clothes on," Warren said, adding that she borrowed money to go to a public university and worked a part-time job. 
 
 "Have you officially responded to Elizabeth Warren’s comment about how she didn’t take her clothes off?" the host asked Brown Wednesday. 
 
 "Thank God!" Brown said, laughing. 
 
 The host got a kick out it, too. "That’s what I said! I said, 'Look, can you blame a good-looking guy for wanting to, you know…” 
 
 "You know what, listen: Bottom line is, you know, I didn’t go to Harvard, you know, I went to the school of hard knocks, and I did whatever I had to do to pay for school," Brown cut in. "And for people who know me, and know what I’ve been through … mom and dad married and divorced four times each. You know, some real challenges growing up. You know, whatever. You know, let them throw stones. I did what I had to do. But [if] not for having that opportunity, I never would have been able to pay for school, and never would have gone to school, and I wouldn’t probably be talking to you, so, whatever." 
 
 Warren did not go to Harvard either, as Brown seemed to imply. She graduated from the University of Houston, a public school, though she spent her first two years at the private George Washington University on a debate scholarship. She later attended law school at Rutgers, a public university in New Jersey. Brown graduated from Tufts University and Boston College Law School. 
 
 Brown reminded the host that they shared equally in the blame for the Warren crack. 
 
 "That’s funny, you throw that jab," the host said, before Brown interjected: "You said it, too!" 
 
 It was fair game, the host pointed out. "Well, they said it about you! And not being in shape. You know, 'if you’re going to take your clothes off, next time, be in shape.' That’s what they said about you!" 
 
 Brown said he'd be happy to compete "anytime they want to have a little road race, or a triathlon, or anything." 
 
 Warren, a Harvard law school professor, was instrumental in establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. President Obama did not nominate her to serve as the permanent head of it, fearing a contentious Senate confirmation battle; he instead nominated former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray, who cleared his first hurdle in a Senate subcommittee Thursday. 
 
 READ MORE about Elizabeth Warren: 
 
 PHOTO GALLERY BEFORE YOU GO Elizabeth Warren PHOTO GALLERY Elizabeth Warren 
 
 Scott Brown: 'Thank God' Elizabeth Warren Didn't 'Take Her Clothes Off' Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Warren 1 / 9 Introduces Financial Product Safety Commission Elizabeth Warren <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/10/financial-product-safety_n_173691.html" target="_hplink">announced</a> a bill creating a Financial Product Safety Commission with House and Senate Democrats in March 2009. The body was designed to have oversight over mortgages and other financial instruments to protect consumers against predatory practices. She said if the agency had existed before the subprime collapse then "there would have been millions of families who got tangled in predatory mortgages who never would have gotten them." HuffPost's Ryan Grim <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/10/financial-product-safety_n_173691.html" target="_hplink">reported</a>: Without all these toxic assets on banks' balance sheets, the institutions wouldn't be on the brink of collapse and the recession would be more manageable. "Consumer financial products were the front end of the destabilization of the American economic system." Sen. Charles Schumer's cosponsorship of the bill is notable because of his proximity to Wall Street. The bill's merit, the New York Democrat said, is that it regulates the actual financial product rather than the company producing it. AP 
 
 WATCH Scott Brown's legendary flu game performance on the Senate floor:
– One might think a high school senior called the "best thing in Texas" by Texas Monthly, and who got accepted to 20 colleges—some of which were Ivy Leagues, and all of which offered him a full ride with grants and scholarships—would receive universal praise in the media. But per KSAT, staffers at a DC station seemed annoyed last Tuesday at his avalanche of good news. Podcast host Sarah Fraser asked Fox 5 DC morning co-anchors Holly Morris and Allison Seymour if they thought it was "a little ridiculous" Micheal Brown threw his hat in the ring for 20 schools, which Fraser believes yanked spots away from other teens who'd be waitlisted. Morris agreed it was "ridiculous" and also "obnoxious," because "you can only take one full ride and you are taking a spot from someone else who works really hard." Seymour tried to point out that scholarships from schools Brown eventually turns down—his first choice is Stanford, though with Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and other esteemed schools in the mix, he hasn't made up his mind yet—will go "back into the pot." HuffPost notes that many online were angered by the journos' takes, with some saying their comments may have been racially motivated, as Brown is black. Fraser has since apologized to Brown (he accepted), calling their remarks "petty" and insisting Brown is "awesome." Morris clarified on Twitter she just believes in a more "targeted search" for colleges; she also conducted a Skype interview with Brown, which he says was "respectful," but he adds he won't give permission for it to air until he gets an apology from the station. "Where's the #humandecency?," he tweeted last week.