Well, I can now call myself a Cherry Creek High School alum, which is a little weird to think about. Creek has meant and given so much to me these past four years that it is a little odd saying goodbye. But my excitement for the next four years makes it easier to do so. (more…)

Subject-matter (such as advanced placement) tests start Monday. So for the next two weeks, students will experience a whirlwind of last-minute studying, test-taking, and then relief at being finished with a year’s worth of college-level material. (more…)

During this past week, my school held graduation performance auditions. Because our school is so large, we do not have a valedictorian. Instead, our school has the principal’s “top ten students” for academic distinction and anyone can audition for a chance to speak or perform at graduation. Eight student speeches or performances are chosen to be given on graduation, and I auditioned for one of those spots with a speech I wrote for the occasion. The purpose of the speech is to highlight the importance of participation and not perfection as a goal. (more…)

The biggest day in the college admissions process for most seniors is April 1st. This is the day students who applied regular decision will hear back from their schools. With this date having come and gone, the college admissions torch has now been passed on to a new class: the college graduating class of 2015. (more…)

Over the next couple weeks, most seniors will begin to hear back from the schools they applied to under regular decision programs. As the decisions come in, seniors will have to make the very big decision of where to spend the next four years of their lives. I hope that by going through my reasons for choosing to attend Dartmouth, I can aid those seniors hearing from schools in their process of choosing where to go.
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I’m no college admissions officer, but I do believe I’ve picked up some helpful ideas during my time writing college essays. Hopefully you will find them helpful too: (more…)

Each morning during my third-period class, the school announcements begin. Last week, a new announcement was added to the traditional list of sporting events and club meetings — next year’s scheduling sheets are now available in the registrar’s office for current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
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It’s like I’m watching the same movie scene over and over again each time one of my friends gets into college. Immediately, he or she is understandably overcome with excitement; after all, four years of hard work has been leading up to this very moment. Then, deserved congratulations come from most everyone who hears about the acceptance. It’s not until later, after the exhilaration subsides (which can take days, even weeks!) that a realization hits — how am I going to pay for this amazing school I just got into?
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Second semester started today at my school, and with it came the relief of the senior class. College applications were out, 1st semester grades were in, and all anyone seemed to be talking about was this ubiquitous disease called, “senioritis,” which apparently infects the senior class starting about this time.
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Two p.m. MST on December 8th, 2009, is a date and time I will never forget; nor will I forget the series of events which led up to and followed that point in time. Let me explain. I’ll start at the beginning.
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