'Potter' star Watson going to Columbia U.

NEW YORK, July 4 (UPI) -- British actress Emma Watson of "Harry Potter" fame says she will soon be a student at New York's Columbia University.

The 19-year-old actress, who has played Hermione Granger in all the "Harry Potter" films, has confirmed she will start attending Columbia in the fall, the New York Daily News reported Monday.

Speaking with Elle magazine, Watson said she was hopeful her future U.S. home would offer her more anonymity than London.

"I'm so excited. Living in London, it's hard to be anonymous," Watson said. "But hopefully, on a campus somewhere, I'll fade into the background a bit."

Watson, who reportedly has earned more than $16.5 million from her "Harry Potter" role, is also hopeful her new collegiate position will clarify her next step in life.

"At the moment I feel like I need to go away and figure out what I want to do and be myself for a bit," she said. "I think university will give me that break. People think because I'm going to university I'm never going to act again, but it's actually me. I want to figure out how I feel about everything first. Maybe I'll keep acting, maybe I won't."