<p>Don't allow your father to get to you, it's not worth it and he's not going to change. He's not going to college, you are.</p>
<p>Dear yanners,</p>
<p>Work harder. Stop slacking off. A 2360 SAT is no reason to rest on your laurels. Get some more stuff done this summer - two week-long activities are not going to cut it. Significant volunteering? More summer programs? Learn how to Rubik's Cube? Paint and photograph some more? SOMETHING. STOP SITTING AROUND.</p>
<p>And also...actually start your college apps. Don't just say you will. DO IT. NOWWW.</p>
<p>Dear 11th grade Mika,</p>
<p>What the hell are you doing? Get off of that computer right now and study for those SATs. What was that? You don't need too? Hahaha, don't make me laugh. Take the SATs seriously dammit. You heard it from the counselors, you heard it from your peers, you heard it from your parents, and you're going to hear it from me. Take it seriously. But I know you won't so have fun retaking the ACTs in the very last minute. You'll enjoy the stress that comes with it. </p>
<p>You're going to have one hell of a senior year, literally. </p>
<p>Speaking of applying to schools, do you even know what college you are applying to?? You don't?? You want to wait until summer? Sweetie, knowing you, you probably will start college searching in the 2nd week of your senior year. I'm just saying... you need to put the remote control down and start thinking about where you want to go. Do it now and you'll thank me later.</p>
<p>Trust me. I know. </p>
<p>Get ready for disappointments. Get ready for a lot of disappointments. Look, I'm just going to tell you this right now... you won't get into your ED school so you can stop refreshing your applicant status page 2123465132123132 times in a minute. Oh, and about getting accepted to Duke? Not going to happen. Big shocker, isn't it? It's call a reality check. Get used to it.</p>
<p>But it'll get better, I promise. You'll find a school that you'll absolutely adore and guess what? It's not even a Top 20 school, like OMG. Seriously, name isn't everything. Sure it's something, but it's not everything. You will be successful wherever you go.</p>
<p>Don't take your friends for granted. They love you and will do anything for you but don't take advantage of that. You have to know your limits and thank them once in awhile for being there for you. Don't be surprise when they say "No". Chances are, you deserve that answer. That best friend you lost junior year? The one that you knew since 3rd grade? Yeah, your friendship with her won't be the same again and it'll be awkward at times but you'll move on. You'll meet or get to know other people. Become close friends with them. That's life. </p>
<p>Just have fun. You can only be a high school student once. Stay strong and don't give up! Before you know it, it'll be 4 weeks until your graduation!! </p>
<p>Love,</p>
<p>The experienced Mika</p>
<p>P.S. Here's an awesome site you should go to:</p>
<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/</a></p>
<p>Seriously, don't wait until senior year to randomly stumble upon this site. Go to it NOW. The sooner, the better.</p>
<p>Start EARLY. </p>
<p>Don't be like me and do some of my college applications 2 days before it's due (though apparently, that didn't really affect my chances of admission) but the stress is not worth it. </p>
<p>I should have applied to more reach schools and maybe I would have gotten better financial aid. (UPenn, Yale, Princeton X___X)</p>
<p>Oh yes: NO PROCRASTINATING. I wasted so much time doing nothing when I should have applied to more scholarships or something. The procrastination led to a small dip in my grades too. </p>
<p>And I probably shouldn't have ended up taking 6 APs and 1 honors class senior year. </p>
<p>But I'm happy with what I accomplished and am now in the fortunate position of choosing between MIT and Rice.</p>
<p>I would have told myself try harder on the SAT a 1980 is not good enough. I would have told myself don't overdo it your senior year. I took AP Physics C, AP Calc AB, AP Bio, Honors World Literature, Honors Church and Vocation, and Political Science. In order for me to take my three AP classes I had to give up my lunch period so I now have to eat lunch in class. I regret this now.</p>
<p>hello 11th grade livingtea,</p>
<p>please don't try to submit your applications on common app at 11:55 pm last day their due... common app WILL DIE ON YOU. IT WILL.</p>
<p>also, don't put yourself down in your essay. it isn't appealing, and will get you deferred/rejected from columbia. enjoy. </p>
<p>oh, and very important!!! you should try to arrange your second semester senior year schedule to be a bit less difficult. </p>
<p>-12th grade livingtea</p>
<p>Dear 11th grade Puddly,</p>
<p>You were absolutely lucky when you got through Common App on New Years Eve. You were pretty stupid because you didn't know how to submit your supplements though. Good thing Yale extended it, huh? And good thing Stanford extended it too, huh? And good thing most colleges don't download your supplements until 1/4, huh? You were one lucky *******.</p>
<p>Good job on staying up on all those nights though. The hard work ultimately paid off. Free rides to all colleges, baby! Focus on those tests, but not the SATs -- those are a joke. You can't study for them anyway. SAT classes were a waste of time.</p>
<p>Oh, and don't sign up for APES. It's called "AP Easy Science" for a reason. The teacher curves like hell, but most people don't pass the AP exam. Also, you should look into journalism. It's quite fun.</p>
<p>Also, don't get your heart set on Columbia. It is a heartbreaker with its waitlists. </p>
<p>If you're hungry, buy brownie bites. They're really good.</p>
<p>But most of all, don't let dad get to you. Stop crying. You'll get into Harvard. You'll get into Yale. You'll get into UPenn. You won't get into Stanford, Cornell, or Princeton, but that's okay because you can go to DAVIZ! You'll also win the IAP at Berkeley, so don't even worry about not getting into Berkeley.</p>
<p>Be good to your friends. They really do love you, especially the one you kept bothering to read your personal statements to see if it flowed. Keep badgering him about whether a sentence is "humpy" though. Good times.</p>
<p>Cheers,
12th grade Puddly</p>
<p>P.S. - Buy a sleeping bag. Trust me.</p>
<p>Dear 11th grade self,</p>
<p>Dont cut off your nose and gauge out an eye....DONT no matter ow drunk you are and how much you think it would be coool to cut out an eye dont do it. also DONT get a tatoo of Hitler on your left butt cheak...no matter how nice the buy at the tatoo shop is. also dont eat that sandwitch your about to bite into. its poisined.</p>
<p>-your one eyed, noseless, hitler wuving self</p>
<p>Dear 11th Grade choyphin,</p>
<p>Get some sleep. You’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Dear 11th Grade Kali22,</p>
<p>Brace yourself.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Kali22</p>
<p>Retake the SAT idiot.</p>
<p>Hey BlackRose,</p>
<p>You shouldn’t have been lazy, retaking the SAT in June could have helped you, maybe you should have studied more. </p>
<p>Spend your summer inventing a time machine that could take you back in time to 9th grade. Once you are a freshman again make sure to beat every students butt in class. Become #1 :)</p>
<p>Oh, and please do not waste time on CC, or its facebook equivalent.</p>
<p>Dear eatyoualive, </p>
<p>Your username would only be cool for the first two days. Seriously.</p>
<p>Your best teacher is actually the worst teacher. Read the book more and actually listen to his lectures. You’ll see.</p>
<p>Do not worry about your grades. They are not going to be horrible. IN fact they’ll be better than most people’s.</p>
<p>Take SAT IIs. Trust me. It’s not that crazy an idea.</p>
<p>Mellon doesn’t give aid to internationals. Stop making it your dream school…for a whole 8 months.</p>
<p>Write essays instead of thinking about them.</p>
<p>No matter how hard you work this year and the next, your college admissions prospects will be hindered by things outside you control, especially lying conniving classmates. So take a breather and actually enjoy life. </p>
<p>ps Don’t give your guitar to your brother.</p>