I’m done. I’m done with high school. I’m done with APs. I’m exempt from all of my finals. I’m done with it all. I don’t know if I even want to go to graduation but I think I should.
Advice for rising college freshmen? Go to class, study and do all of your work, get involved in something, and don’t squander this privilege and opportunity.
Go to office hours and tutoring as soon as you realize that you’re having difficulty. There are usually fewer opportunities to recover . Join a club or organization to saty social and meet new people .
Accomplishments and missteps of your hs years are in the rear view mirror. You’ll start college with a fresh slate. Take full advantage of your situation from day one. Congratulations and good luck.
To you in particular, but to all HS seniors:
Don’t be so hard on yourself. There will be times when things don’t go according to plan-- you won’t be BFFs with your rooomate, that special someone doesn’t see all that’s so special about you, you won’t get the grade you thought you deserved, whatever
It doesn’t mean that you did anything wrong. It doesn’t mean that anyone is out to get you. It doesn’t make you a failure.
It simply means that sometimes you don’t get what you want. It happens to all of us. If it hasn’t ever happened to you in your first 18 years, that simply means you’ve beaten the odds and it was bound to happen.
You have a brief pity party-- most here are familiar with my affinity for Ice Cream Therapy-- and you pick yourself up.
If the one thing you learn in college is resilience, you will have gotten an important education.
OP, let’s turn it around: what advice would you give to rising seniors about the college admissions process?
Do not wait to get in contact with the counseling center at the college if you need it.
- Don’t overload your senior year schedule with APs if you know you hadn’t done your admissions prior.
- Consider taking a study hall period in senior year as a break period.
- Don’t let your parents entirely dictate where you go like I did. Be comfortable with it being your own decision. (I was hoping to go to UT but I got CAP’d, hoping to go to SMU since I got admitted but parents insisted I stay close to home).
- At least read student reviews about the college’s atmosphere if you’re not going to visit. Go to niche and see for yourself.
- Grades don’t matter unless the college requires a final transcript. Just don’t slack off and accrue D’s and F’s.
- Don’t put ANYTHING in your personal statement essay that is already in another part of your application (resumé, writing supplements, etc). You’ll just be regurgitating stuff.
- You only get one chance at prom. Try not to let that chance go because of college apps. It’s actually pretty fun.
- TEACHER RECOMMENDATIONS.
- How are you applying? Common App? Some state admissions profile?
@AsadFarooqui Take advantage all that college has to offer!! Keep your dorm room door open so others will come in and say hello. Everyone wants to meet new people. Go to the club fair if your school has one and sign up for a few things that interest you, get involved. It is okay to feel homesick and miss the comfort of your family but remember that they will always be there to support you. If you haven’t already registered for classes try not to overdue your schedule first semester by taking too many really challenging classes. Its a marathon not a sprint, you will be doing a lot of adjusting so allow for that. Take advantage of your professors office hours or the tutoring center. There is nothing wrong with needing help and asking for it. If your school has sports and you are interested go to the games/matches. You have earned this so work hard, have fun and be you!!!
On #5-- grades DO matter. Lots of schools will offer scholarships based on your GPA when they get your application. Senioritis can kill a decent scholarship.