Entering high school means a lot of things to a lot of different people.

For some, it means its time to dress like you're 30, and go to parties and pretend you're 21. For others, it's about having the typical high school experience, which means being a cheerleader, going to football games, dating the quarterback, and being super popular.

But for me, it was none of those things.

Towards the beginning of my freshman year, I didn't think I had what it took to be at the top. But towards the end, I was in the top 15th percentile and had a 4.7 GPA. Winning awards and seeing my grades go higher and higher, made me actually proud of myself. It made me believe that my dream of going to Harvard or Boston University wasn't gone, and I shouldn't allow them be pushed down to the bottom of my heart or to the back of my brain anymore. Now that I had a real chance of going to an Ivy League school, it was time to start acting like it.

So, once summer came, I threw myself into every online Ivy League course there was. I applied for probably 100 internships, and researched high school medical programs in others cities. After getting accepted into every course and internship I applied for, I knew my chances of being accepted to Harvard was real, and it wasn't just a long-lasting adrenaline rush from being a hot shot in academics. I had everything Harvard was looking for. The grades, the dedication, the perseverance, the impressive resume filled with challenging classes from Ivy League institutions, and a variety of internships. But I also had the fairly interesting background and extracurricular activities. I had the figure skating, the first place medals in competitions, and the divorced parents that came with one hell of a story. I was, and still am, different than most applicants Harvard recieves. I started preparing for college way later than most people who are bred for the Ivies, but yet I still flourished, and accomplished so much in such a short amount of time.

Quite frankly, those exact reasons are why I don't care that I always have my nose in a textbook, or that I'm always studying, or why I don't go out with friends as much. I'd rather be around doctors or surgeons - powerful people who could give me some kind of of letter to further my applications. Now, that may sound sad and like I need to get out, but it's my reality and I'm proud of it.

I don't care that I miss football games, homecoming dances, or dates, because being popular and having a typical high school experience isn't what matters to me. Getting into Harvard or BU is. Going to Harvard Medical School, getting into a residency program at Boston Children's Hospital, and becoming a Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon is what's important to me.

My ticket to "the big world" is my high school diploma. Not drinking at parties. Not going to football games to walk around and pretend like I'm there to watch them play. Not being the popular cheerleader, and definitely not dating the quarterback.

If all of that is your idea of getting out of the small town and to the big city to further your dreams, then have at it. But it's not mine, and I'm most definitely not going to apologize for liking school or for wanting to be the best pediatric cardio surgeon in Boston.

Maybe my determination has something to do with the fact that my parents never graduated from college, or maybe it's the fact that I want a life that I can be proud of - not one that reminds me of my past.

Either way, it doesn't matter, because I'm going to Harvard, and the only person who can take credit for that is me.