Advice from peers can be more powerful for students than anything adults can provide so I have asked recent high school graduates to provide advice for rising 9th graders, who will be starting high school.
Advice from peers for rising 9th Graders:
Rhea, Rice University, Class of 2025: Be willing to be open-minded and explore everything that interests you. This will ensure that you are able to choose something that matters to you and develop that interest over the next four years.
Ryan, Yale University, Class of 2025: You’re going to see a lot of people both around you and online doing a bunch of activities and seemingly doing everything “right,” and you’re going to want to copy them. Don’t. When you copy someone, you’ll always end up in second place; your work will be inauthentic, and on top of all that, you’ll look like a follower. Additionally, one of the important parts of college admissions that few people ever mention is character. Many brilliant kids with amazing resumes have no goals besides getting into college. Having direction, standing out from the crowd, and not being afraid to disagree with people are traits that will impress those around you and will result in stellar letters of recommendation.
Campbell, Notre Dame University, Class of 2025: Explore your options and find what you are truly interested in. This will not only make high school way more fun and interesting, but you will also meet friends with similar interests, and have something you are passionate about for your college apps. Dig deeply into one or 2 interests instead of spreading yourself too wide across every available extracurricular.
Aidan, Purdue University Honors College, Class of 2025: Take some time each day to pursue a challenging activity that no one else is making you do or grading you on. This will develop your interests and your ability to learn on your own.
Alexandra, Pomona College, Class of 2025: Learning to network can provide avenues of insight; a simple greeting of a stranger may influence your entire future. Start by just going to chat with your teachers about their class or speaking with the people you meet about your passions. After all, the time to build a network is always before you need one; it is your job to take the first step!
Carl, Pitzer College, Class of 2025: Go into high school with an open mind. Do things because you’re genuinely interested in them, not because they will get you into college. Most importantly, remember to enjoy the moment because you don’t get to do high school again.
Katie, New York University, Class of 2024: The beginning of high school is a formative time in your lives that should be a lot of fun, but do not forget the point of high school is to do well in school! This is the only time in your lives that your only "job" is to get good grades so do not forget to put effort into maintaining your GPA. Even if right now you think you do not need a high GPA for what you want to do in the future, there is a high chance you will change your mind and you do not want to be not able to attend your new dream school because of academic mistakes you made early in high school. Have fun but keep your grades up!
Aman, University of Chicago, Class of 2024: When you start high school, try everything you can. Once you find a few activities that really pique your interest, establish goals for those activities and commit yourself to doing those activities consistently to fulfil those goals. Every day (or week), ask yourself: am I more committed to my goals than I was previously.
Angelica, Duke University, Class of 2024: Get involved in any activities that you are interested in! You can always stop if you don’t enjoy something, but it’s important to start getting involved and pursuing your interests from the beginning of freshman year.
Alison, Vanderbilt University, Class of 2024: The pressure of high school can be a lot to handle, so take care of yourself mentally and emotionally. Also, join clubs and take classes that are outside of your comfort zone; you will probably find unexpected interests and meet new friends who you would not have met otherwise.
Somya, Boston College, Class of 2024: Get involved in a lot of different things in order to find what you like. I would also say to be open minded and to not underestimate the importance of your grades.
Erin, Tulane University, Honors College, Class of 2024: Be outgoing and try make as many new friends as you can. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Sleep!!!
Andrew, Pennsylvania State University, Class of 2024: Nothing is more important than organization. Being able to keep track of all schoolwork, extracurriculars, sports, etc. is the difference between one who thrives and one who struggles during their time in high school.
Zoe, University of San Diego, Class of 2024: Starting high school can seem like one of the scariest things in the entire world, but I promise you it’s not. Everyone is in the same position you are in and your teachers understand how new this whole journey is for you. I recommend working extremely hard to get good grades your first year because that will set the pace for your next four years.
Riley, University of South Carolina, Honors College, Class of 2024: Don’t get too caught up in the stress of finding your “group” of people in high school— over time, everything, from friendships to study habits, will start to fall into place. Work hard and put effort into your schoolwork, but also remember to find a balance between your classes and having fun. You are going to change so much personality-wise over the next 4 years, and that’s okay! Enjoy high school while it lasts.
Joseph, Loyola Marymount University, Class of 2024: One thing that is most important throughout the first years of high school is that you succeed and set up how you are going to act academically throughout the duration of high school. Although important, freshman year can be used as a rough mold for what kind of student you are going to be by senior year. Don't slack and enjoy yourself. Take the time to enjoy everything you do throughout high school. The friends, the football games, the parties. Although you will hear it a lot, time really does go by so quickly.
Megan, American University Honors College, Class of 2024: Try an extracurricular you would never expect yourself to enjoy because it might just become something you look forward to every week. Don't do everything and anything just to put it on your college application. Also, sleep is very important.
Pranav, Boston College, Class of 2024: Work as hard as you can so that the process is easier later. Get involved in extracurricular activities as early as possible. Also, it helps if you do things you like so that you stay motivated.
Kyle, The Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University, Class of 2024: While you may feel that it is more important to put all of your efforts and focus into academics, it is important to remember to also try and establish a solid friend group in the process that you can spend time with to alleviate the stress of performing at a high academic level.
Aidan, George Washington University, Class of 2023: Don’t be afraid to try new activities. There are many new experiences that are available to you in high school so embrace that. It’s a whole new part of your life so enjoy it.
Alyssa, Southern Methodist University, Class of 2023: Make sure that you find at least one good extracurricular activity you enjoy and commit to it by taking on a leadership role. If possible, try to relate it back to areas you might be interested in studying so that way you can get somewhat of a feel for whether you like it or not.
Bailey, University of North Carolina, Morehead Cain Scholar, Class of 2023: High school is a time to discover your passions. It is important to take advantage of everything your school and community has to offer. Make sure the extracurriculars and activities you do in high school correlate to each other and your future goals and build a story of who you are.
Connor, University of Virginia, Class of 2023: Find things you are genuinely interested in and get involved in them. Be active and creative — it will take you a long way. Don’t do something just because it is something you will put on your college resume. You won’t like it and it will become a chore for you.
Emma, American University, Class of 2023: Get involved now. High school only gets harder, so use this time to build up your GPA. Most importantly, enjoy your time as a high schooler.
Sarah, University of Arizona, Class of 2023: Go into high school with an open mind. It’s the best time to try different extracurricular activities and discover your academic strengths. Take classes that challenge you, but that also interest you.
Savannah, Tulane University Honors College, Class of 2023. Get involved in sports/ clubs you are passionate about or think you might be passionate about and you will find friends with similar interests! Also work hard right away because if you have a high GPA freshman year it is easier to keep it up throughout high school, vs. starting out with a low GPA and trying to work up to a higher one.
Frances,University of Southern California, Class of 2022: Find what you are truly passionate about and pursue it. That way, even if it becomes challenging, you will still enjoy putting in the time and effort. Don’t be afraid to talk to new people and find new friends who are passionate about the same things you are. Be open to change. High school has been the best years of my life so far, make sure to enjoy them while they last.
Kaitlyn, Oxford University, Class of 2021: Be yourself, explore every opportunity, and pursue your interests. Don’t be afraid to fail and don’t be stuck in senior year regretting that you DIDN’T do something.
Elyse, Barnard University, Class of 2022: Your grades are very important and you should definitely work hard in school but now a GPA only gets you so far. During the next four years, you should also be looking outside of the classroom and even outside of the school because universities want students who are passionate and care about more than just themselves. (The rest of us want that too!)
Haley, The Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University, Class of 2022: Get as involved you can in high school with activities and opportunities that you are passionate about, like Mock Trial, a community youth council, or an original club or organization. Try to say yes to as many things as you can. You will thank yourself later as a senior when you already have lots of experience in an area you’d like to study or explore in college.
Ellie, University of San Francisco, Class of 2022: Don’t be afraid to try out new extracurriculars and activities, and find one you love to stick with. Some of my favorite high school experiences have come from clubs and volunteering, and it has really helped me to figure out what I want to do in college and my career.
Sarah, Tulane University, Altman Program, Class of 2022: The best things that you can do as a freshman to prepare you for college are: 1) Make sure you are taking classes that challenge you. Colleges care about the rigor of the classes you are taking, and it’s much better to actively learn than coast by anyways. 2) Keep up your grades. Starting this year, your transcript is permanent and your grades actually matter. It may seem far away, but colleges will look at your freshman year grades, so even though it’s a transition year, do your best in your classes. 3) Start looking online and through the Fiske book to get a feel of what kinds of schools you might be interested in learning more about, visiting, or applying to. The more clear that your idea of what you want is, the easier your college application process will be.
Tyler, Lewis and Clark College. Class of 2021: It is crucial to take your schoolwork seriously, as this will lay the foundation for your future. However, do not let stress dictate your life. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take a break and reevaluate your situation. Some ways to avoid stress are: do not procrastinate, space out your studies, and find an outlet where you can forget about everything for a while.
Will, University of Southern California, Class of 2021: Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. Whether that means taking a difficult AP course or getting more involved in extracurricular activities, that’s how you’ll experience the most growth. Additionally, form relationships with your teachers. Participate in class and seek help when you need it.
Sienna, University of Puget Sound, Class of 2021: Don't procrastinate! Time management is very important for high school, as your workload will increase greatly. Challenge yourself, and take on every opportunity that you're given. This will help you look better as a student, giving you more opportunities for college. Get involved in clubs and school activities. This will balance out your workload, add to your resume, and will help you enjoy high school and make friends. Think about studying abroad. After studying abroad in Italy for my senior year, college applications were a breeze, as most of my essays were about my experience. .
Reid, Tulane University Honors College, Class of 2021: I think one of the best choices I made as a freshman was joining a sport. I immediately made so many friends, I gained a healthy outlet for stress relief, and I felt so much more confident about myself. Even if you are not a sporty person, join a club; they have the same benefits!
Hannah, American University, Class of 2020: High school seems scary, and I can’t lie it’s going to be more work than middle school, but don’t let it consume you. Work hard for sure… just make sure you also take some classes that make you excited. Take photography or theater or join a club that just makes waffles. Whatever you do, make sure you have fun!
Advice for rising 12th Graders:
Alyssa, Southern Methodist University, Class of 2023: Get your Common App essay done over the summer! Listen to Jill when she says this is very important; when school starts, you will be busier than you think, and it’s important to finish your applications in a decent amount of time before the deadline (just don’t rush it, still do quality work) so that way you aren’t stressed about meeting the deadline on time and your quality of the essays doesn’t suffer.
Connor, University of Virginia, Class of 2023: Get everything done as early as you can. The longer you wait, the more you will struggle. Listen to Jill and never doubt her unless you have a clear reason to. College is not the end all be all, so don’t get caught up in the competition and where everyone else is going. Find a place that is good for YOU.
Emma, American University, Class of 2023: It’s not too late to get involved! Don’t get senioritis- it never works out in the end. Enjoy your last year of high school and minimal responsibilities.
Sarah, University of Arizona, Class of 2023: College apps are stressful, but everything ends up working out. When you are deciding where to go to college at the end of the year, follow your gut feeling. Don’t let the opinions of others interfere with your decision. Make the decision that is best for you.
Savannah, Tulane University Honors College, Class of 2023: Don’t try to pretend like you are someone you’re not in your college applications because then you might not end up at the school that is perfect for you. Finding the right fit is what is most important, so don’t give into the competitive conversations about who’s applying where and what schools other people are getting accepted into.
Ellie, University of San Francisco, Class of 2022: Really think about what you want in a college, look at size, location, majors, and extracurriculars, and apply to colleges that you feel would be the right fit. If you have the option, Early Action is always best and be sure to get all of your applications done early in the year so you don’t have to stress over deadlines.
Kaitlyn, Oxford University, Class of 2021: Stick to your gut and be the truest version of yourself. Don’t be someone else to try and get a college acceptance.
Elyse, Barnard University, Class of 2022: As rising 12th graders now is the time, before all of the deadlines and pressure, to think about the experiences/people/classes/places/values that impacted and shaped you so that you can start to find your message. Then, when you apply, you can make the prompts work for you and your message rather than reshaping your message for the prompts. Your answers will come across as much more genuine and the readers get a more cohesive message.
Haley, The Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University, Class of 2022: Do everything early. Study early for standardized tests, apply early to scholarships, stay on top of important deadlines during your junior year, create a college list, and think about ideas for your college essays. You will save yourself so much time, energy, and stress during senior year when you have all of those things already taken care of. It’s very distracting during the college application process when you have to worry about tasks you could have completed a year in advance.
Frances, University of Southern California, Class of 2022: To my lovely rising seniors, rally your effort for the beginning of the year during college application season. During second semester, when you’re really trying to maximize your time at high school and with your friends, you’ll be able to coast off of such a strong foundation. Listen to Jill; she knows best. Spend time with your friends. Spend time with your family. They’re the ones that have gotten you this far and will continue to support you later on.
Sarah, Tulane University, Altman Program, Class of 2022: You have a long year coming up, and it’s going to seem hard to balance school work, college applications, and all of the fun social things that senior year brings. My best advice is to get as much of your college applications (common app, supplemental prompts for schools, etc) as you can done over the summer. If you finish your common application essay over the summer, you will have much more time over the school year to ensure your supplemental prompts are as good as they can be and to apply for merit scholarships. Additionally, when I was working on all of my various essays for different schools, I found it very helpful to get super excited about the particular school I was writing essays for. I would watch YouTube videos about fun traditions or read student interviews about their classes. This helped my essays seem passionate and helped me find ideas to include in my essays about why I wanted to attend a certain school. Along the same boat, always write more than one draft of each essay. Your writing can ALWAYS be improved and nothing is perfect on the first try. And finally, make sure you take some time to enjoy your senior year and see your friends. You need some social time to stay sane, and you will certainly regret not making memories your last year of high school.
Hannah, American University, Class of 2020: This close to the end of high school, you are probably worried about the future. This is easier said than done: please don’t be. Finish your applications. Listen to Jill. The work you’ve done so far in high school already laid the groundwork, and you are going to wind up in a wonderful place. Stay positive and enjoy your last year because you deserve it.
Reid, Tulane University Honors College, Class of 2021: Try your hardest to appreciate your last year of high school. The second you start having a negative attitude is the second senioritis kicks in and high school is not fun anymore. This is your final year! Make it a fond memory.
Will, University of Southern California, Class of 2021: Plan ahead. Set your own deadlines and know that you will get the best results when you have time to brainstorm, revise, edit, and sometimes completely start over. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of your teacher recommendations. Choose teachers who know you on a personal level and will speak to who you are. Finally, visit the schools you apply to. Your preconceived idea of a school is often totally different than what the school is really like. Pay close attention to the types of students who go there and the feeling you get on campus.
Sienna, University of Puget Sound, Class of 2021: Keep studying! Just because you're a senior doesn't mean you can slack off with school. Colleges still look at your final grades. Apply early to college and stay organized. The more time you procrastinate on college essays, the less time you will have to think about them, write them, edit them, rethink them, rewrite them, and edit them again. Essays are the most important part of applications, and getting them done as soon as possible gives you time for revisions. Stay calm and enjoy your last year! This is your last year at home, with your family, and with your friends. Remember to spend time with them, have fun, and don't work yourself too hard.
Tyler, Lewis and Clark College, Class of 2021: The end is in sight, but it is still an upward battle. When weighing your options, it is most important to think about if the school fits you as an individual. Do not get caught up on the name or ranking of the college. I highly recommend visiting the schools you apply to because it is challenging to truly gauge if it is right for you until you see it in person.