Class of 2025 Alumni Share Advice

Every December, CA’s College and Alumni Relations Offices welcome recent graduates to campus for a conversation with current Colorado Academy Seniors and Juniors about the transition to college.

Thank you to this year’s wonderful panelists, who visited on December 16, 2025, to share great advice with Mustangs approaching their own graduation! 

• Raj Keithley ’25, Miami University
• Simone Leech ’25, Wake Forest University
• Tiffany Hernandez Najera ’25, Chapman University
• Ella Merwin Olk ’25, The University of Virginia
• Fletcher Miller ’25, Dartmouth College
• Gabriella Myers ’25, Miami University 
• Lucy Nadolink ’25, University of California San Diego
• Everett Ulrich ’25, Texas Christian University 

Here are a few of their memorable reflections:

College Application Zen

• Be proactive with the things that you do. Go after those deadlines. Once you get to college, take responsibility. You’ll end up where you should be. Believe that will happen for you!
• Don’t be afraid to ask friends to stop talking about college or take a break.
• I focused on academic ranking. I realize that matters a lot less now in school. Fit is very important. 
• While visiting, engage with CA alumni to get a better understanding.
• These schools are hard to get into. You know it’s going to be hard.
• Talk to people who aren’t getting paid to sell you on the school. 
• Recognize that you might not be the right fit for a school that has a 2% acceptance rate.

Early Decision Reflection

• It’s okay to wait and normal to not have a decision right away. It’s normal to wait to hear back from all of your other schools. 
• I never had a dream school, but I had to come to terms with what might be a realistic option for me. I decided to choose early decision; it isn’t for everyone, but it was right for me. The decision then sort of becomes made for you. So be very careful about where you decide to apply early. I’m happy with where I landed, though.  

Trust Yourself

• Trust yourself; you are the only one who knows what you want.
• Lean into schools that feel right for you and not the schools that other people would want.
• Pick the school where you’ll be the happiest.
• I recommend going with your gut and not always following other people’s opinions. 
• Follow what you want; don’t let others tell you what you want.

Academics

• Going to CA helped me build good habits. Try to maintain those good habits. 
• There are kids who aren’t able to write long 8–10-page papers. But at CA we do that all the time. We’re all lucky.
• CA prepares you well for a well-rounded education.
• Coming from CA it seemed overwhelming to go to a big state school, but have confidence that you will figure it out. CA prepares you. You will overcome the fear factor.
• CA prepared me a lot better than I thought it would to go to a really big school. I expected to be a bit out of my depth academically in lecture halls and socially. But I found it easy to adapt. 
• I was surprised by how much freedom I have in college. No one’s checking if you go to class or do your homework. 

Forging Connection

• Try to make friends in your classes. It makes class a lot more fun and you can help each other. 
• Homesickness in the first month is very difficult, but I made a great group of friends to be able to be open about homesickness.
• When you live with someone, all the little things add up; talk to them about frustrations and be patient.
• I wasn’t expecting clubs to be so competitive to get into. I went to coffee chats, interviews, and submitted applications. I wasn’t expecting that.
• During my free time during the day, I try to stay out of my room. I’ll do workout classes, walk around the neighborhood, or meet up with friends. 

Say “YES!”

• Say yes at the beginning. Everyone is in the same situation. Connect with people who share your common interests.
• Go out of your way in those first few weeks.
• No one knows each other. Talk to other people. You never know where you’ll find your best friends.
• Try not to spend too much time alone.