This is a nice story which just ran in USA Today:
By Andrew McGinn, Special for USA TODAY
Jennifer Hudson's and Chris Daughtry's premature departures. Sanjaya making it farther than he should have. Anybody who actually bought one of William Hung's three albums. At times, you really have to question the sanity of American Idol viewers.
In a few years, Stephanie Edwards should be able to give her professional opinion. The Season 6 finalist is back in school studying psychology. While most of her fellow finalists are chasing stardom, she's chasing a degree at Armstrong Atlantic State University in her hometown of Savannah, Ga.
"You need that backup and the education behind you," says Edwards, 20. "It makes you a more well-rounded person."
She already quit college once. She was just a few weeks into her freshman year at AASU when she decided she'd rather be on Idol. "Ultimately, I think I made the right decision," she says.
Edwards, who finished 11th on the show in 2007, returned to college this semester at her parents' urging and vows never to quit again. "No matter how big I get," she says.
She still performs regularly around Savannah and goes to Atlanta on weekends to work on her pop/R&B debut. (She's still seeking a label.) Last fall, she recorded On Our Way for a CD single to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Edwards says she's happiest on stage, but she's also realistic: "I can't put all my eggs in one basket."
Of course, going back to school has downsides. Like being a freshman all over again. "All my friends were like, 'Oh, yeah, we're sophomores now.' "
