Senior Advice from the Class of 2018
Pixel Journal contributor, Hannah Yang, catches up with OHS’s Class of 2018 to hear what they have to say about making the best of high school. Take a look at what OHS seniors had to say about everything from grades to friendships to college!
On academics
Olivia Giaccio (Columbia University): Fulfill your credits at the OHS, then take the time to explore what you want to study otherwise! In my senior year, I was able to minimize stress regarding my schoolwork simply because I immensely enjoyed the 4 classes I was taking.
Shalin Shah (Carnegie Mellon University): Do something wacky for your CRA final project.
On the OHS experience
Grace Sewell (Swarthmore College): Try to become involved in the community. Make time to figure out ways to celebrate your interests within the context of the school’s student life. Otherwise, you will likely feel isolated, which will detract from your OHS experience.
Olivia Giaccio (Columbia University): The OHS is truly a unique place. Take advantage of your peers, counselors, and teachers—having a go-to study buddy is incredibly helpful. Reach out to someone in your class over Skype when you’re having trouble with the material! It’s also a good idea to go to college information sessions and learn what you can about the college process from your counselors. Go to office hours! Your teachers will be ecstatic to see you there. Basically, get to know people in your community, as it will enable you to cultivate and foster relationships that immensely benefit your OHS experience.
Shalin Shah (Carnegie Mellon University): Get on Skype and join all the OHS Skype groups relevant to you!
Anonymous: Utilize office hours and remember that your teachers are here to help you! Coming to office hours can be a step beyond some of our comfort zones, but give it a couple of tries and eventually you'll figure out how to make the most of these sessions since every teacher has a different style. Also take advantage of the many clubs at OHS - this will help you explore and expand your interests while also meeting new friends! Take advantage of the diversity of the OHS community—it's truly something special.
On friendships and relationships
Jacob Fong: Diversity in friends is good, but be sure to get to know people who share your academic and extracurricular interests. They'll become useful should you ever want to collaborate on a project.
Grace Sewell (Swarthmore College): Make time for your friends at OHS. It requires effort to cultivate bonds here, and it is so worthwhile. I promise that in the long run you will gain more from a late night conversation with a friend than you will gain from editing an essay for the hundredth time.
Olivia Giaccio (Columbia University): I'd recommend finding friends in every sphere of your life (OHS, sports, family, your town, etc.)! This really helped me: when I didn't feel like interacting with a certain sphere of my life, I was able to turn to friends elsewhere and take a break, in a sense.
Shalin Shah (Carnegie Mellon University): GO TO SUMMER AT STANFORD. You can make lots of friends that you can keep in touch with and share classes with during the school year.
On the college application process
Geeta Shankar (UC Berkeley): The college admission process is a classic example of the idea that "there is no one right path." Because admissions are completely out of our hands, be attached to the effort you put in but detached to the outcome!
Olivia Giaccio (Columbia University): Submit your apps early!! I submitted my REA app in late early October and my RD apps in mid/late November. It helped to take a huge load off my plate when the deadlines did come around—I wasn’t attempting to finish 8 apps in a week, or stressing about apps and finals at the same time. Also, don’t be afraid to diverge from the norm. Not many athletes in my sport choose to go to a top college when they’re still competing, but my education is also a big part of my life, and I won’t be able to compete forever! I insisted on finding a school that had high-class academics and would also be willing to work with my schedule, and that’s exactly what ended up happening! Finally, try not to get super hung up on any rejections you get. This is super cheesy, and definitely doesn't fit in with CRA ideology (whoops, sorry Dr. Hicks!) but you will end up where you are meant to be.
Shalin Shah (Carnegie Mellon University): Write your Common App essay and get it to a near-final stage in the summer before senior year. Trust me. You're gonna get really busy during the fall semester writing other essays and doing other college-related stuff.
Anonymous: Form close relationships with students in higher grades and make the most out of OHS's graduated alumni! Many graduated OHSers are more than willing to answer questions about the school they attend, the college application process as an OHSer, etc. The alumni network is always available, as well as your college counselor (both of whom are awesome), so don't neglect to use these OHS resources.
Anonymous: Once you get to schools with around 30-ish% acceptance rates or lower, the college admissions process is honestly pretty random. Just because you get a rejection or waitlist from one school doesn’t imply anything about your application status with another school. Once you've sent in your applications, don't lose hope, don't regret anything, and remember that all you need is one yes.
On college admissions essays
Olivia Giaccio (Columbia University): Write whatever makes you tick! I believe that passion has the potential to show through in any type of writing—be it a creative writing piece, a college essay, or a poem—so tap into an experience or a topic that makes you excited.
Shalin Shah (Carnegie Mellon University): Don’t try too hard to impress admissions officers by portraying yourself as super “intellectual, driven, passionate, tenacious, perseverent, curious, etc.” Be personal, be colloquial, be humorous, be interesting, and make it so that your essays truly represent who you are. If somebody met you in a coffee shop for a casual and honest conversation, then read your essay afterwards, they should think “Yeah, that sounds like him/her.”
Anonymous: As ironic as this may sound, enjoy yourself when writing these! Give yourself an ample amount of time to write essays so that you have time to think and edit. Also, have a friend or acquaintance read your essays and give you feedback!
On high school
Jacob Fong: You’re attending one of the most academically fulfilling yet flexible high schools in the world. You most likely have no significant expenses or life responsibilities, and guess what, you're young. A hundred million people would pay big bucks to be where you are right now. Don't goof. Do something of substance with your time.
Grace Sewell (Swarthmore College): Write thank-you notes to everyone who helps you throughout your high school journey. It is crucial to show people that you are grateful to them for supporting you. Say “thank you,” even when life doesn’t go your way. People will notice.
Olivia Giaccio (Columbia University): Have fun with whatever you’re doing! Life isn’t as fun when you’re slogging through tasks simply to check off your to-do list. :)
Anonymous: As much as your senior-year-brain tells you that starting a paper/presentation/assignment 2 hours before it's due (or at a crazy time like 2am) is a good idea, it's really not. :D
Anonymous: Don't stress! Sometimes there are things that aren't completely under your control and that's totally fine. Just do your best and know that everything will be okay. :)
Responses edited for clarity and brevity. Comic by College Humor.