I prefer to work alone. Give me a math book or a stack of origami paper, and you won't see me for the next twelve hours. For years, my approach to group work reflected this. I simply did all the work myself and avoided unnecessary “chatter” with the other group members. Then I joined mock trial, and the whole do-it-yourself approach fell apart. As team captain, I needed to work with rather than for the others, and that meant understanding...

The thing about Yale is that it isn't just a place with ridiculously good academics. Its a place where they care about what you are obsessed with. When you find something you really love doing, however unusual it is, they help you to develop that talent or passion. The way I described it...