I am excited. Every experience of the past year has been a gift. I have learned that I can perform at a high level in college and engage in its community. Yet, I have also begun to understand the differences between performing successfully and truly thriving - the differences between attention-grabbing credentials and the real attainment of academic strength and personal connection. It is my responsibility to act upon this lesson - to chart a revised course that better prepares...

"The Global Financial Crisis of 2008 turned my life in the right direction." Who, outside of certain savvy Wall Street investors, ever makes that statement? I do. I did not make exorbitant amounts of money like they did at the time. I was, after all, only an eighth grader. More importantly to me, the salient feature of the crisis was not how some profited, but how most suffered. The crisis challenged me to a new level of empathy and introduced me...

Leading a meaningful life is the most important thing I can aspire to do. Achieving that and maintaining focus on a career are not mutually exclusive, however. Neither are efforts to prepare for a meaningful life while preparing for a career. In fact, I believe that these really should be done together - and starting at as early an age as possible. College surely provides the best time and opportunity for this; it is then that we thirst desperately for...

I transferred schools after my freshman year, despite being on scholarship. Your post-secondary education is all about utilizing your potential to place yourself in the best possible position for your career. For me, my first undergraduate institution, the University of Miami, didn't really challenge me to the point I wanted. Sure--it was a top 50 university, but honestly, my motivation to initially attend was mostly scholarship based. My advice to anyone thinking of transferring is based around honest evaluation of your first semester or first year of school (depending on what year you plan to transfer). College is about challenging yourself. ...