High school is a difficult time for many. During a period of such intense physical and mental growth, it is difficult for teenagers to successfully navigate this new landscape and make use of all the resources available to them. Additionally, many students are not aware of the different requirements colleges have and the different paths they can take after graduating from high school. Although the Internet has made information surrounding higher education and financial aid more readily available, it is still incredibly daunting and nearly impossible to sift through the millions of articles and resources on these topics.
As a senior currently applying to colleges, I have done extensive research over the past few years, finding information about how to take advantage of my high school years, as well as free resources to help me in the college application process. Drawing from my online research, personal experiences, and the help of my older MHS friends, I’ve created a guide to navigating high school. I will discuss college admissions, the importance of finding your interests and passions, academics, social life, free and underutilized resources, alternatives to four-year colleges, and more.
Discovering your interests and passions
Your high school years are a great opportunity to discover your interests and passions, whether academic, career-related, or personal. Your classes will play a large part in what topics and ideas you’re exposed to, so choose courses to check out new fields, but don’t fret if you regret taking certain courses over others. Just make sure you take full advantage of other opportunities to gain new knowledge through joining clubs, researching on the Internet, and reading more, all of which I will discuss in this section.
Definitely consider joining a lot of clubs at CLOG Rush every year, where on-campus clubs and organizations will gather on the Green at the beginning of each semester and open signups for new members. This year, CLOG Rush will almost certainly be virtual due to the pandemic. You can attend a few meetings and simply drop the club if you’re not interested. Join a variety of academic, competition, and interest-related clubs to have the opportunity to explore different parts of yourself as well as all of MHS’s plentiful offerings. You’ll also make new friends with similar interests by joining clubs!
Many clubs have events that feature guest speakers and academic activities, which will allow you to further explore your intellectual interests. Others might introduce beginners to activities such as dance and art, so don’t be afraid to try something new either— to discover new interests, you must try new activities. Almost every club accepts members at any point in the semester, so don’t be deterred from joining clubs just because you forgot to at CLOG Rush.
Thanks to the Internet, you can also gain exposure to many different academic disciplines, ideas, and careers beyond what your classes and clubs can teach you. I like to watch YouTube videos to hear from current college students and young professionals who are majoring in the area of study I’m interested in pursuing to see what kind of classes they take and how they apply that knowledge. Of course, you can also find extensive information about hobbies you could pursue, especially on YouTube.
Read more
Here’s my number one tip for discovering your interests and passions: read more. Read every day. You don’t have to be reading a physical book every day, but consider getting a free subscription to The New York Times at https://www.nytimes.com/initiative/highschoolaccess (valid through September 2021). Read whatever catches your attention.
In newspapers such as The New York Times, you can sift through many different sections to find what piques your interest. For example, the Times has a Style section with many different types of articles— you can find DIYs (How to Turn Vegetables Into a Tie-Dye Pattern), stories about fashion design (Renaissance Meets ’80s Rock Chicks at Chanel), stories about consumerism (Fashion Nova’s Secret: Underpaid Workers in Los Angeles Factories), and more. The Times also has a Science section, in which you can learn about scientific breakthroughs as they happen. Alternatively, consider picking up audiobooks or just reading at the Milpitas Public Library. Start to take notice of what’s most interesting to you; you might find a field you want to pursue in the future.
By the way, this shouldn’t be your main motivation for reading, but reading on a more frequent basis will make your SAT testing experience a lot easier since a large portion of the test is on reading comprehension. Also, reading will develop your vocabulary and critical thinking skills, preparing you well for college-level work.
Academics
Take classes in a variety of academic disciplines. Choose ones that interest you, but also branch out; you never know what could end up to be incredibly rewarding. Also, it’s important to take classes in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Silicon Valley tends to value STEM knowledge a bit more, but all academic disciplines are important in advancing your worldview and giving you the practical skills you need to succeed after graduating from high school.
Meet with your guidance counselor early on, starting in freshman year, and build a good relationship with him or her. You will be able to ask questions about classes to take that would relate to your goals and interests, and you can map out a four-year plan for your classes with his or her help, making sure you meet all the A-G subject requirements needed to apply to UC and CSU schools, as well as requirements for other colleges. By building a good relationship with your guidance counselor, you will receive more individualized support and set yourself up for success.
In January of each year, counselors will ask you to register for classes for the next school year, so you want to be prepared instead of frantically scrambling to put together a schedule within a few days. When it’s time to turn in your scheduling forms, make sure to do so early! Sometimes, the most popular classes will fill up quickly, with upperclassmen typically getting priority, so you want to make sure you maximize your chances of getting your spot.
Resources for low-income and disadvantaged students
If you think you might qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, check the requirements and apply if your family and financial circumstances meet them (or you have extenuating circumstances that would warrant it). Doing so will open up many doors. If you qualify for this program, you can obtain an SAT fee waiver, which will ensure that you can take a certain number of SAT tests completely free of charge. You can also purchase AP exams for as little as $5 each, saving you hundreds of dollars.
Low-income and high-achieving disadvantaged students should also consider applying to college through a nonprofit called Questbridge (https://www.questbridge.org/), which works with colleges such as Stanford and MIT to help students gain acceptances and scholarships to such colleges.
Free summer camps and academic programs for all students
Summer camps and academic programs are extremely rewarding experiences. You will often have the opportunity to learn from world-class professors, conduct research, or explore a discipline in depth. However, these opportunities often cost thousands of dollars. Fortunately, the most respected educational programs are often free or very low-cost. If a program costs thousands of dollars, it may still be educational, but not be as beneficial or worth your money.
Here are two of the most prestigious free summer programs (although they have very low acceptance rates):
Research Science Institute (RSI)— Five-week research internship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where students conduct individual projects under experienced scientists and researchers
Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP)— Free six-week educational experience for high school juniors that offers challenges and rewards rarely encountered in secondary school or even college (generally geared to more humanities-oriented students)
Here are some other well-known free summer programs (with higher acceptance rates):
Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program (GWC SIP)— Free seven-week introductory computer science program for girls going into their junior or senior year of high school
JCamp— Free six-day camp where students will learn from professional journalists and get hands-on training in writing, photography, television broadcasting, online media, and reporting
College admissions 101
Make sure not to apply for for-profit colleges. I’m not referring to private universities when I refer to for-profit colleges. Schools like Santa Clara University and Stanford are private but not classified as for-profit. Many for-profit colleges are not legitimate and give out useless degrees, so be cautious.
Academic requirements are different for each college, so make sure you do careful research for the schools you’re interested in. UCs and CSUs will have A-G subject requirements that are strictly enforced (these will be explained by the MHS course catalog and UC/CSU websites); if you do not meet these requirements, you will not be accepted, no matter how amazing your application is.
All colleges will have some sort of policy on test scores, whether it be SAT, AP, or SAT II. However, some colleges, such as the UCs, are shifting away from traditional standardized testing. Some colleges, such as Georgetown, have very extensive testing requirements, so it’s best to do your research early and create a plan for testing.
Do not feel compelled to pay thousands of dollars for a test prep class. If you can afford it, it might help, but you can gain the same knowledge from prep books borrowed from the local library, Khan Academy SAT prep online, cracksat.net, and AP videos. Be resourceful! It will pay off.
Selective college admissions
Selective colleges want students who are intellectually curious, build up significant expertise and interest in a certain niche through their coursework and extracurriculars, have stellar grades and test scores, receive glowing teacher recommendation letters, and write excellent application essays. This sounds very overwhelming, but you don’t have to cure cancer to get into a good college.
What’s more important is finding something you’re interested in and pursuing that to the best of your ability. If you can accomplish that, then you will be satisfied with your high school career. High-achieving students often pursue many flashy-sounding internships and officer positions, but these don’t necessarily translate into happiness or college acceptances, so it makes more sense to prioritize finding your interests in high school.
Living in California, we are fortunate to have a high quality public university and community college system, so if you cannot afford to go to a selective college or you are not accepted to one, rest assured that you are not really missing out.
Other post-graduation options
Four-year colleges are not the only option you have after high school graduation. Many students attend a community college and transfer to a UC or CSU after just one or two years due to California’s amazing community college transfer system. After one or two years of studying at a community college, it is relatively easy to transfer into a UC or CSU, even ones such as UC Berkeley and UCLA. However, there is a caveat— it may still be difficult to transfer into impacted majors such as computer science, and transferring is not guaranteed for certain campuses.
Other viable options include going to trade school or technical school, joining the military, or opening up a business. Most importantly, explore your options early— don’t wait until senior year to figure out what to do after graduation. You can often learn from the experiences of those who took paths that deviated from the typical four-year college path online, but take their advice and experiences with a grain of salt. Always do your own research.