People have different events that mark their transition from childhood into adulthood. For some it is a dramatic event, while for others it may have been a summer where the realities of the world slowly crept up on them. For me, the event that marked my transition was moving from South Africa where I had spent most of my childhood, to Oregon. Arriving in Oregon as an eight-year-old I was still a child, and the life and culture I remembered...

In terms of summer activities, my advice would be to do what you...

Choose recommenders from different different aspects of your life. This allows the...