By the end of the college apps process, I had written so many essays it was a struggle to write anything anymore. I was completely burned out, tired of trying to write perfect essays for every college, checking and revising them seven times and never quite feeling completely satisfied with them. I also felt a bit like I lost my voice during the process. My first essays were noticeably better, and I think it's because back then I still wrote what I wanted to write. By the end of the process, I started writing what I thought colleges wanted to...

Post-college plans could change in a hurry, and that's not a problem at all. I went to UChicago planning on majoring in economics and working in finance. I ended up double-majoring in statistics and English literature, and I'll most likely be doing either data-driven marketing or sports analytics once I graduate, although even those are still flexible. The key is to explore options, keep an open mind, and talk to people. And, most importantly, start immediately.. I started off thinking I could be interested in investment banking. I went to a Goldman Sachs information session my first week at UChicago ...