Ben Gaylord, The Athlete

Although Princeton University doesn’t have a pre-med concentration, Ben Gaylord ’13 plans to take all of the classes necessary to qualify for medical school in the next four years.

He also wants to get a certificate in classics to keep studying Ancient Greek and Latin and possibly a certificate in history as well.

“I’m so ready for high school to end,” Gaylord said.   “My parents will probably be sad to see me go to the East coast, but it’s for the best.”

Gaylord said that he is happy to be finished worrying about college because now he can focus on pole vaulting in the Track and Field season and post-season.  He is looking forward to Ivy League athletics.

“I definitely want to keep jumping high so that I can be competitive in the Ivy League,” Gaylord said. “I have the potential to place, which is really exciting. “

Kristina Park, The All-Around

Kristina Park ’13 accidentally found out that she was accepted to her first choice school, Brown University.

“I was on the Euro trip with Chamber Singers so I wasn’t going to check,” Park said. “I was just checking my email and saw I had a Facebook-group invite.”

When she realized that it was an invitation to join the Brown University accepted-students group Park said that she freaked out.

“Maybe my family was more excited than I was,” Park said. “They weren’t expecting a call.”

Park is looking forward to going to school with her sister who will be a junior at Brown next year. She plans to pursue a math and science track.

“I think it’s a huge step,” Park said. “No parents, new friends. I don’t think I will be nostalgic until graduation.”

Park was also accepted by the University of Michigan, University of California San Diego, University of California Berkeley and Emory University.

Kenneth Kim, The Brainiac

Kenneth Kim ’13 decided to place a deposit at Brown University for its four year bachelor degree program rather than their eight year medical program.

He realized he wants the option to apply to different medical schools when he finishes his undergraduate degree.

Kim also decided to stay on Yale University’s waitlist. It is his first choice though he says Brown is not far behind.

“I was a little bummed when I got the countless number of rejection letters, but after visiting I feel really happy about Brown,” Kim said.

Kim said his decision came down to choosing between Northwestern University and Brown.

He was also accepted to Cornell, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Southern California with a full scholarship.

“It took me a while to realize that I got into places where I would fit in and didn’t get in to places where I probably won’t,” Kim said.

Nick Healy, The Artist

While Nick Healy ’13 is nearly sure he will double major in English and Theater at Brown University, he said he is happy to be attending a school with no course requirements.

“I have no freaking idea what classes I’m going to take,” Healy said.

Healy plans to put more energy into magic, piano and organ next year, activities which he feels he has let fall by the wayside in the last couple of years of high school.

Though community service was not a large part of his experience at Harvard-Westlake, since working with the Advanced Dance I class on a show for The ARC for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, he has been inspired to do community service and volunteer work at Brown.

Healy said his friend Justin Carr’s ’14 involvement in his cultural heritage has also shaped his goals for the coming four years.

“I have a deep Italian-American heritage that I’m totally ignorant of,” Healy said. “I want to touch base with my culture.”

As he faces the end of his senior year, Healy feels both nostalgic and ready to leave home.

“I realized the other day I’m going to miss this place,” Healy said. “It’s weird though, I’m ready to start college. I realized over Spring Break I want to leave.”