Hey Blake,
I'll address the elephant in the room: unfortunately, Miami isn't too close to Colorado. There are plenty of direct flights between Denver and Miami, of course, and we'll be sure to provide your friends and family back home with tickets to come out to watch you. In addition, we'll make sure to schedule road games at both Colorado-Boulder and Colorado State each year you're here. I want you to feel as at-home as you possibly can here, and I'll do whatever I can to help you with that.
But let's get to your true dream: becoming an astronaut. I've always been fascinated with space and its exploration- in fact, I spent most of the day crying my eyes out when Pluto had its status as a planet revoked. Becoming an astronaut is an incredible aspiration, and Miami provides you with the best opportunities to fulfill that dream. For your purposes, you'll need a bachelors in a science degree, and we've got you covered. We offer one of the top engineering programs in the country, as well as a top tier Physical Science program. Both departments have faculties and staffs filled with some of the most experienced and brilliant minds in their respective fields, and will help you gain the prerequisite degree.
From there, you'll need 3 years of professional experience or 1000 hours piloting a jet aircraft. At Miami, you've got THE biggest resource in the world just 4 hours away: NASA's Johnson Space Center. It's the hub of human spaceflight activity for over 50 years, and the best place for you to be noticed and picked up. Our proximity will help you attain easier access to NASA and gain the requirements you'll need to become an astronaut.
It's a model that worked for former astronaut Rick Barry, a graduate of the University of Miami who was later picked up by nearby NASA and flew aboard the STS-72 Endeavour, STS-96 Discovery, and STS-105 Discovery, performing a spacewalk on each occasion. WIth our strong alumni network, we can even have you directly contact him so you can learn more about his journey yourself. I believe you can follow in his footsteps and achieve your goal of being an astronaut.
So, this fall, I truly hope to see you on campus in the Orange and Teal. In 5 years, I truly hope you see us, 220 miles above us, realizing your dream as an astronaut.
Cheers, Lotus