The year is coming to a close, which means the Class of 2016 is preparing and finalizing their plans for the future. Among this group of prospective graduates is senior Bailey Brennen. After submitting applications to MIT, Harvard, Duke, Johns Hopkins and a few others, Brennen decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and attend Carnegie Mellon. “I’ve just heard about it a lot since I was a kid,” Brennen said, “and they offered me a really good spot in their Honors College.”

As for her choice of major, Brennen plans to focus on neuroscience. “I like working with people with disabilities, and I’d like to learn more about these conditions and other brain conditions.”

Her interest in the field primarily stems from personal experience. “I’ve just known a lot of people with disabilities, and I’ve gotten along really well with them. … [I]t’s just something I want to study so we can make better care for people with disabilities and make the world more accessible in general.”

In order to prepare for this decision process, Brennen made sure to use her time at high school wisely, giving her plenty to add to her applications. “I participate a lot in extracurriculars and took the AP classes I wanted to take — not just all the AP classes, but the ones that would help in life, so that really helped a lot.”