For nontraditional elite students

I’m a nontraditional transfer student at a top school (HYPSM). I just graduated.

I’d like to ask everyone in a similar situation a question:

I’m wondering if you conceive of your opportunities, for grad school, etc. differently than traditional students. For example, do you want to go straight through for fear of age discrimination in admissions later? Do you make different choices for internships because you want to make more money rather than pursue a passion?

I’m struggling with these issues and would love to hear your experiences. Traditional students don’t seem to have the same concerns.

(cross-posted in various places, sorry for the multiple posts, but not sure where to find all the nontrad people <em>already</em> in college)