By Jacqueline Risch
Just a few weeks ago, TPA’s high school students were lucky enough to be given the opportunity to ask a panel of recent graduates about how their college application process went. These alumni, including Emma Moriarty, Rachel Dinn, and Cameron Pickard, are each attending elite universities or have their out-of-state tuition completely paid for by the university. The colleges these students are attending this fall range from Princeton, to Northwestern, to UCLA, all very competitive and difficult to get into.
The panel was held during lunch in the Zelman and provided useful insight on how to be admitted to these universities. A common question among rising seniors is what is the best thing to have on a resume. Emma Moriarty, who attends Princeton, states: “There isn’t ever one thing that can get you into college.” However, Notre Dame attendee Rachel Dinh recommends having summer programs on resumes as they “make you stand out because they show that you spent your summer trying to enrich yourself.” She also encourages these activities as “it’s a good way to discover your interests.” These programs are offered at a variety of colleges across the US, and are great ways to help students decide on majors without a lot of commitment.
Another daunting part of the application process is taking and submitting SAT scores. The alums all confirmed they studied for the SAT, as it is a test that relies more on logic than pure intelligence. Dinh recommends utilizing Khan Academy and connecting it to your previous PSAT/SAT scores so the website will provide you with the types of questions you struggled with the most. She also advocates for “[taking] a practice test every weekend.” Taking these practice tests “gives you exposure to all the types of questions, as [well] as [familiarizes] you with the test so you know what to expect when the real test comes.” Keep in mind the PSAT is also an important scholarship opportunity for juniors. The test will be administered on Oct. 24, so do not procrastinate on the chance of becoming a National Merit Scholar.
Good luck to all the seniors and juniors who are entering the process of attending college! We know you will make Tempe Prep proud. Go Knights!