Iris Berkley

What happens when a kid uses Minecraft economics to redesign real warehouse logistics...and it works?

He ends up studying Finance at one of the best business schools in the Southeast.

is one of those rare students who connects everything.

Redstone circuits → supply chains
IB Philosophy → housing equity
Track coaching → leadership theory

He didn’t fit a mold. But he did keep asking, “whose needs aren’t being met?” until the answer pointed him somewhere bigger.

This fall: Warrington College of Business, University of Florida. Finance major. Let’s go!!!! 🐊

📍 UF Warrington | Finance | Class of 2030

The college admissions landscape is shifting, and if you’re applying for Fall 2027, you need to update your strategy now. 👇

Here’s what changed:
🎓 University of Florida is introducing a binding Early Decision option for the first time. Applications open August 1 with an October 15 deadline. You’ll need a signed commitment from you, a parent, and your counselor.

🎓 Florida State University is also adding binding ED, driven by a record-breaking 100,000 applications last cycle. If admitted, you’ll have until January 15, 2027 to submit your enrollment deposit.

🎓 USC is expanding Early Decision to nearly all undergraduate majors (excluding Dance, Music, and Dramatic Arts). The ED deadline is November 1, 2026, and merit scholarships still apply.

🎓 Georgetown is joining the Common App for the first time in its history, starting August 2026. It’s a 3-year pilot, and the Georgetown-specific application will still be available. Expect more competition and potentially lower acceptance rates. (I misspoke in the video!🙈)

⚠️ And at the UC System, STEM faculty are pushing to bring back SAT/ACT math score requirements for undergraduate STEM applicants beginning 2027-28... a significant reversal from the university’s test-blind policy!

Big moves across the board. Whether you’re a rising junior or senior, now is the time to reassess your school list, timeline, and ED strategy.

💬 Save this post and share it with anyone who’s in the middle of their college search. Which of these schools are on your list?

https://news.ufl.edu/2026/05/early-decision/

https://www.provost.usc.edu/early-decision-admissions-fall-2027-applicants/

https://news.fsu.edu/news/university-news/2026/04/30/fsu-announces-early-decision-admissions-plan-for-2027/

https://www.georgetown.edu/news/georgetown-announces-new-undergraduate-admissions-processes/

https://ucstudentsuccess.org/

Did you know your college could take your outside scholarship money? 👇

This is called scholarship displacement. And it affects thousands of students every year without them even realizing it.

Here’s what happens: you win a private scholarship, feel amazing about it, and then your school quietly reduces your financial aid package by the same amount. Your bill? Stays exactly the same. 😶

What you should do:
✅ Ask your school about their displacement policy BEFORE accepting outside scholarships
✅ Request that aid be reduced from loans first, not grants
✅ Look for schools with “scholarship-friendly” financial aid policies
The more you know, the better you can advocate for yourself. 💪
Drop a ❤️ if this helped you, and share this with someone heading to college soon!

🔍 scholarship displacement | financial aid tips | college scholarships | FAFSA help | paying for college

Most students go to college to find their purpose. Shyam already found his.
✨
At 18, he has transformed bacteria to fluoresce, used CRISPR to knock out genes in E. coli, conducted AAV gene therapy research at a university lab, taught students with autism using strategies he invented, and written and published a book for teens navigating autoimmune conditions.
🔥
Instead of waiting for the world to make space for him, he spent his time making space for others.
🤎
This fall, Shyam heads to Brown University as a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major, and I have a feeling I will be reading about his research in a few years.
🔬
Shyam, the patients you’ll one day help don’t know your name yet. But they’re lucky you’re coming.
🎉
Congratulations!!!