What Your High School Graduate Self Wants to be Able to Say

What Your High School Graduate Self Wants to be Able to Say

Each June, high school students all across the country proudly walk across the graduation stage in their caps and gowns and accept a diploma indicating the completion of years of hard work. It’s a major accomplishment and, when it’s your turn, you’ll understand just how exciting and hopefully reflective that moment is. Students who take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by their high school set themselves on a better course to be successful in college than those who don’t.As you prepare to watch your senior friends complete their high school journey, visualize what it will be like when you are in their shoes. What do you hope to be able to say about your experience once it’s over?If you can look back with your diploma in hand and confidently say the following about how you approached high school, you’ll know that you are on your way to achieving even greater things in college.

That You Did Your Best

Unfortunately, too many high school students are comfortable with doing just “good enough” to pass a class or finish an assignment. Without putting in full effort, it’s possible still to get by.But the students that set themselves apart are not content with merely getting by. They challenge themselves to perform at the highest level possible in the classroom and beyond. It doesn’t mean that they are successful all the time or that there aren’t difficult stretches; however, because they are willing to give maximum effort, seek help when needed, and adjust their approach as necessary, they turn setbacks into future success more often than not.Your high school GPA is a major factor in determining how likely you are to complete college and do well while there. You’ll want to be able to say that you did your very best, even in difficult courses.If you aren’t sure that you’d be able to make that statement at graduation, now is the perfect time to start envisioning the changes you want to make before next school year begins.

That You Pushed Yourself Beyond Your Comfort Zone

Don’t play it safe. Take your interests and abilities as far as they naturally lead, especially if that forces you to learn new skills and grow in ways that might be initially uncomfortable. Stretching yourself will give you a greater sense of accomplishment and purpose.Likewise, think about the relationships you have with your peers, teachers, and the community-at-large. Have you made time to get to know people who are different than you? What might you be able to learn from their life experience? What might you be able to share from your own?Students who push themselves beyond their comfort zones develop leadership skills and coping mechanisms that make them more effective later in life. What opportunities exist within your school or neighborhood to lean into discomfort for a greater good?

That You Left a Positive Impact on Your School

When you graduate, you should be able to look back at your high school and identify ways that you helped improve it.Some of these may be tangible—you painted a mural that will last for generations, you founded a club that does good work, you were a courteous and talented member of the theater department, etc. Others may not show up on your activities list but are equally important nonetheless—you tutored struggling students, you regularly picked up lunchtime debris without being asked, you maintained a positive attitude in the classroom regardless of how you were feeling.Conducting yourself with integrity and working to leave your current home better than you found it will keep you on a pathway to success and fulfillment in life. Beyond school, these values will shape your future positively and make you the kind of person everyone wants to work with or for.

That You Were Smart About Your College Process

As bittersweet as graduating from high school may be, you should be excited about the next step of your education. If you were smart and strategic about your college process, there’s so much to look forward to!Only you will know how much work you truly put into your process. Did you do all the research you were supposed to? Did you spend enough time perfecting your essays and finding your voice? Did you seek advice from an admissions expert who could help shepherd your process? Did you start early enough?Give yourself the time and permission to be thorough in your college search. Even if that leads you in an unexpected direction, invest in the process and your results will be better geared toward your success.

That You Discovered Your Passion(s)

Everyone has a passion (or several) that helps make him or her unique. We are all endowed with gifts and talents that deserve to be shared with others.Rather than focusing on being “cool” or blending in, think about how you can stand out. What do you love to do more than others? What gives you a sense of purpose?In the admissions process, there is no one correct passion or hobby. Whether it’s community service, a sport, a business venture, a creative hobby, a scientific endeavor, or something completely off the radar, what matters most is that you are willing to pursue that passion to the fullest extent possible.No one will remember where you sat at lunch after you graduate. But they will remember the way you poured yourself into the things you love and left a mark on the community through them.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Walking across that graduation stage should be one of the proudest moments of your life to date. Knowing that you had an impactful high school career where you embraced and overcame challenge and pushed yourself to new limits will make that a reality.Plan for this success in advance. Think about how you want to feel at the end of your career and set goals for how you’ll go about bringing that to life along the way.The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process—from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.Ready to get started? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute conversation today!Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our newsletter.See what others are saying about us