Becoming Confident About College

Hey everyone! Now that it is mid April, seniors at Laguna Hills High are busy deciding which of their college options they should attend.  At the same time, colleges and universities are busy trying to persuade the students they admitted to commit to their school over another one.  Once a college admits you, they want to make sure you choose to go there!  

My friend at the Georgetown Admit weekend

At the USC Admit weekend

During April the colleges hold many events to “meet and greet” their accepted students.  One type of event is a local reception held in cities around the US (and internationally) for accepted students.  This past Saturday I was invited to 4 receptions in Orange County where I live!  Another type of event is the “Admit Weekend”, which is held at the University for prospective students to experience the campus and meet faculty and other prospective students.  I went to an Admit weekend a few weeks ago and am going to another one at the end of April.

The invitation to the Stanford meet and greet

At the Stanford Meet and Greet

April is an exciting time for me to get to know the colleges and find out which one is right for me!  May 1^st is when all students need to submit their final commitment to the college they will attend, but my friends have already begun to send in their commitments to the college of their choice!

What would you do to find the right college choice? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Events and Education

Hey everyone! Although AP tests are just around the corner, the seniors of Laguna Hills High School can still have fun and stay involved on campus. Three big events have happened on my campus recently that all the students are loving taking part in!

The first event was International Week. Students from all four grades represented different countries from around the world. At lunch, there were dances and music from countries along with a booth set up to display food from that country that students could eat! It was a great way for students to learn more about foreign nations while staying at school and eating yummy food! Check out the pictures below of some of the booths. There was even a Norway one!

The Peru booth that I worked

The Mexico booth

The Norway Booth

Next was the Powderpuff football game. This is where the girls of the oldest grade (the seniors) play the 2nd oldest grade (the juniors) in a flag football game. It is a great way for all the girls in one class to bond, increase school spirit, and learn good leadership and sportsmanship. Plus, it is so fun to run around the field with girls from your school. Of course, the seniors always want to beat the juniors and there is a big rivalry the entire week of school leading up to the game. This year, my grade the seniors won! It was great to win because it is the last Powderpuff game I will ever play in! Check out some pictures below!

Official Jersey Shirts

Finally is the API dance. When our school does really well on state testing at the end of each school year, our school rewards us with a free casual dance! Casual dances are always fun because everyone dresses up according to a theme and dances the night away in the school gym. This year the theme was Tropic Like It's Hot (drop it like it's hot pun, clever I know) so all the students dressed in rainforest attire! My friends and I dressed as rainforest animals. Check out the pictures below!

The Theme Poster

As you can tell, school has been keeping me busy, both socially and academically. I can't wait to move onto the next academic aspect of my life, college!

How do you socialize during a busy week? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

A Student's Selection

My online acceptance to Stanford

Hey everyone! Now that the April 1st date has past, I have heard back from all my colleges, public and private. It is going to be hard trying to decide which school I want to attend for the next for years! Many private school decisions came out this week. One I was accepted to is the University of Southern California. I love this school because it is in sunny Los Angeles with a fun school and sports environment. It is also close enough to home where I could drive home on a weekend to visit my family. Another private school I got into in California is Stanford University. This is a gorgeous school in Palo Alto, near San Francisco and is known for its prestigious academics. However, I also got into some private schools not in California! I was accepted to Georgetown University which is in American's capital, Washington DC and Washington University in St. Louis. These are both appealing schools that offer aspects I would not receive attending a college in my home state. Either way, I have a big decision on my hands! I am just very fortunate and happy that I have so many wonderful options. If you are applying to schools in the United States, I recommend you apply to a variety of schools in different locations and with different academic rigor so you will end up in a school you love.

My acceptance letter to USC

To learn more about the best public and private colleges in the United States like their location, class size, and atmosphere click here!

The next step for me is admitted student weekend trips! This is where I spend a day or two at the college I was accepted into and learn about the different programs and activities offered at the campus. After these visits, I will be one step closer to making my decision!

Where in the United States would you like to attend college? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Countdown to Choosing a College

My mom and I at UC Los Angeles

Hey everyone! Now that April 1st is approaching fast, seniors are starting to hear back from potential colleges. All colleges must inform their applicants by April 1st and all students must commit to a college by May 1st. Fortunately for me, I have already heard back from all the University of California schools I applied to. To learn more about these schools check out my old post about public Californian colleges by clicking here. I have gotten accepted to every UC school I applied to: UC Berkeley, UC Los Angeles, UC Santa Barbara, and UC San Diego! I am extremely excited because all of these schools are great in their own ways and I am looking forward to touring them and learning more about each campus. Most of the schools I have already seen, but it is always more fun to observe as an potential student!

My friend touring UC Berkeley

I am also very happy about my acceptance to the UC schools because they have everything I am looking for in an university. I want a school with warm weather, good social student body, rigorous academics, and exciting sports. Everyone is looking for different things in their university, so make sure you research all the different schools before you apply! I guarantee you will find the right school for you.
As I start to hear back from more and more schools, I will post after April 1st and let you all know which university I will be attending. It is such an exciting time! I will tell you all what colleges I am deciding between and during the month of April I will be posting about the visits I make to different colleges when trying to decide the one that is right for me.

What do you look for in your school/future university? Let me know in the comments!


xoxo

Working Warriors

Hey everyone! Although school is a very important part of any American teen's life, there are many other things that students are involved in outside of the classroom. Many teenagers spend their time working a part time job. In the United States, once you are 16 you can legally work a certain amount of hours a week outside of school. Having a job is a exciting way that many teenagers increase their independence and resonsiblity. If you make your own money you can spend it any way you want! But having a job isn't always as easy and fun as it sounds. Working teenagers must balance their schedules with sports and homework and they might even miss out on events with their friends. However, I think that the positives of having a job outweigh the negatives, but you must find a balance that works for you! Since students have a lot of free time during summer vacation, its the perfect time to get a job. I worked as a tennis instructor over the summer, teaching little kids tennis. It was a win win for me, since I got payed to teach others about the sport I love.

My friends are working in numerous different fields. My friend Emily works in a clothing boutique called Heavenly Couture. She loves it because she is interested in fashion. However, it is stressful when she has to close up the shop late at night all by herself. She has to put the alarm on and lock all the doors and get out all in 60 seconds! It definitely took some practice. My other friend Tyler works in the movie theatre. He has basic duties like collecting tickets and serving popcorn, but he also gets cool perks like counting the amount of people in a movie theater and then getting to watch the movie for free after! It is the perfect incentive for a movie-lover. One of my friends, Molly, is a barista at Starbucks. I always go to her to make my favorite drinks and they are delicious! Whatever your interests are, or if you just want to make money and build your resume, there is a job out there for every teenager who wants one. Just make sure you have time for it! My friends have to make sure they manage their time wisely and plan all other extracurricular actives around their jobs. With a great job comes great responsibility!

Would you want to work in high school? Where would you want to work for your first job? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Spring Stress

An example acceptance letter

Hey everyone! Now that the month of March is in full swing, seniors who applied to colleges are starting to hear answers. Some students have heard from specific schools already, but most college decisions will come by April 1st or around that time. It is an exciting and nerve-wracking time because seniors are on the edge of their seats hoping for that big envelope in the mail with an acceptance letter inside. It will be interesting and exciting to see where all my fellow classmates end up going! Everyone must choose their college by May 1st, so the months of March and April will be filled with acceptances, rejections, and decisions. However, there are so many amazing colleges that I know everyone will end up somewhere perfect for them!
Even though this is a stressful time for many students, seniors are the only ones who have to deal with college applications. Everyone else in high school has other stresses to deal with, like exams and SAT and ACT tests. It seems like every grade will always have hard work, but it all pays off when you get that acceptance from your dream college! Students will get a much needed vacation in three weeks for Spring Break. This is a week off from school right before another stress starts: AP Testing! For more about AP testing check out my past blog by clicking here!

My friend and I relaxing with some pizza

Although this is a stressful time, I try to take some time out of my busy schedule to spend with family and friends. It is the perfect "study break" or "de-stresser" to put me in a good mood and ready to tackle whatever comes my way.

What stressful event do you have coming up? How do you keep positive? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo

Laker Lunatics

The Lakers playing the Hawks

Supporting the team with a sign

Hey everyone! As I have mentioned before, the winter season is the prime time for basketball. However, high schoolers aren't the only ones hitting the courts, professional basketball is also happening this winter and spring season. Basketball is a crazy and exciting sport to watch because something is always occurring like a turnover, personal foul, or slam dunk. (click the words if you don't know their meanings!) It's one thing to watch this action on your TV at home, but its even more thrilling to watch it live in an arena!

Celebrating with streamers

Last weekend, my friends and I traveled to Los Angeles to support the basketball team from that city, the Lakers! It was an intense game, and the Lakers ended up winning by only two points. Talk about a close call! After the Lakers won, streamers were dropped on all the fans to celebrate. It was so cool! That does not happen when you watch at home. Overall, it was such a fun experience to watch the professional game live. I definitely recommend it! Watching any sport live, whether its indoor or outdoor, professional or high school, makes it a fun and exciting event.

What sports do you like to watch? Have you ever been to a live sporting game? Let me know in the comments!

My friends and I at the game

xoxo