High school senior Kevin Cao was admitted to Princeton, Stanford and Harvard, but decided to attend the University of Virginia. So many people in his life were surprised by the decision that he wrote a publicly posted essay entitled, “Why I Chose UVA.” The press picked up on it, and the attention that followed made Kevin decide to remove his essay from the public eye. But an article about the essay shared several passages, my favorite being:
“Most of you must think I’m crazy for turning down Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, etc. to go to UVA, but read this letter I wrote explaining my choice and always remember: It’s not about where you go, it’s about what you do while you’re there… And how happy you are!”
That’s a kid who gets it.
Congratulations, Kevin. And have a great four years at UVA.