High School Survival Guide - Junior Year (P2)

A final example that I’m thinking of is someone who creates a journalism website. The website features writings from students at her school initially, but as she starts to gain more traction and attract more readers, she decides to expand submissions to people all over the world. By doing this, she is able to showcase voices and perspectives from many different individuals globally. Her contribution to raising awareness of diverse voices ultimately wins her international awards for journalism. These are just some examples that I made up in about five minutes, but you get the idea: if you want to create something significant and impactful, you have to promote your initiative. Don’t be shy or hesitate to ask people to support your project. Don’t be afraid to cold-email individuals to spread the word about your initiative to a broader audience. These are just a few ways to approach making your project impactful. Try your best, work as hard as you can, and trust me, it will be worth it in the long run—especially when you’re applying to colleges.

The next point I believe is crucial, yet many high school seniors don’t focus enough on it, is understanding how the college application process works in your country or the country where you plan to attend school. This is actually very simple. For example, create a spam account on the Common App to get an idea of how the college application process in the U.S. works. It also depends on the country you are entering, so make sure to figure out the application pathways for the country where you plan to study. This is important because you don’t want to be late in preparing your college applications.

The next topic I want to discuss is particularly true for the U.S. and its higher education system, but it can also apply to other countries. The college application essay is a crucial component that admissions committees really take into consideration. So, definitely learn how to write, especially essays. Writing college essays is not the same as writing essays for school, where you have to adhere to strict formats without a wide range of expression. In college applications, you can write more freely to impress the admissions officers. The unique nature of these essays, which diverges from traditional formats, means you should prepare yourself in advance. There are many guidelines online that teach you how to write a college essay, so I highly recommend checking those out. There are also paid services available, so if you prefer that route, consider looking into them. I believe that investing in courses to learn how to write a college essay will be beneficial for you in the long run. Even after you get into college, you’ll still need to write numerous emails and essays that may follow similar formats to those used in U.S. college applications.

This is also the year when you should engage more with your college counselor at school. I understand that many schools don't have college counselors, so you may either want to pay for services or try to find information yourself. I won’t lie; this can be quite a bit of work, given that college counselors are professionals with extensive databases on colleges. However, another free and valuable option is to seek advice from older students—those who have already gone through the college application process. By asking them for advice, I strongly believe they can provide you with meaningful resources and insights for writing your essays, filling out your extracurriculars, and applying for scholarships or financial aid.

That’s why I have emphasized so many times in previous posts the importance of building relationships with older students—those who are juniors or seniors when you’re a freshman or sophomore. These connections will help you immensely when it comes to writing college essays and filling out applications, and best of all, they’re free! So, if you are still in 9th or 10th grade, do try to make connections with older students at your high school.