Up until my sophomore year, I attended Sierra Pacific High school, a public institution in Hanford, California. The beginning of my sophomore year was my first exposure to boarding schools, and I was extremely interested in attending one of these prestigious prep schools that I had barely known about, specifically the Lawrenceville prep school in New Jersey. Due to my young age, the admission officer at the Lawrenceville school recommended that I should repeat my sophomore year. She explained that students from California’s Central Valley that have been admitted must repeat their sophomore year in order to attend Lawrenceville. Knowing this prerequisite, I applied and was accepted to Lawrenceville with a full ride scholarship. In order to