Many students have regrets about how they handled their high school experiences - whether about their SAT scores, diligence in studying for tests, or even in just having fun. These students shared the advice they would have given themselves in the summer before their senior year of high school.
Paige is rising senior at Boston College. She is originally from Norwood, MA. Her advice was:
If I could go back to the summer after my junior year in high school, I would definitely have some advice for myself. For one, I would encourage myself to work hard in SAT prep classes so that I could save myself the stress of the exams during the year. I would also try to go on as many college tours as possible, so that I could see a wider range of schools. Finally, I would tell myself to look for internship or job opportunities out of my realm of comfort so that I could go into college having tried different fields and realizing new passions.
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Neil is originally from McLean, Virginia. He plans to graduate from The College of William & Mary in 2015. He said:
If I could travel back to the summer in-between junior and senior year of high school, I would advise myself to go out and gain more experiences. Conventional wisdom does not tell students that experiences are just as important as academics. Experiences are important because they shape your personality and perspective. Also, colleges want to admit students who have unique perspectives and are more than their grades. Plus, having a lot of experiences will give you plenty of topics to choose from for college supplement essays! If you don’t have something to talk about, you end up lying and coming across as disingenuous. The college members reading these essays are shrewd people and can tell when you’re lying. So unless you’re name is George R.R. Martin, your made up stories are not going to have an effect. Next time you want to go out with your friends on a road trip, tell your parents you’re doing it for college!
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Vicki is a rising junior at University of California San Diego. She was born and raised in Oakland, California, but attended high school in a small city called Alameda. Here’s what she had to say:
Looking back, I wish I had known how many opportunities there were for high school students. If I could go back in time to the summer after my junior year of high school, instead of solely dedicating my summer to summer classes at the local community college and prepping for the SAT, I wish I had participated in an internship. Finding an internship would have allowed me to not only gain some experience, but also enable me to explore my options and interests.
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