Words of Wisdom: Class of '25

The best wisdom is often learned through experience. A diverse group of four seniors who have just made their university selections provide their best advice for high school underclassmen:

Sofia Schubert, German living in Dubai

University Pick: University of Southern California

• Managing Stress: I prioritized my personal life. I put a lot of work into my studies, but at the end of the day, I always made time for my friends, did what I love, and had hobbies outside of academics.

• Best Advice: ⁠⁠I'd recommend applying to as many universities as possible. I did early action (EA) to Notre Dame because I didn’t want to be bound to a school that I wasn’t 100 percent sure of. Also, don’t let one bad grade give you a negative mindset. It’s not the end of the world! I had a C+ in AP Calculus my senior year and still got into my dream schools.

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Rhea Lamba, Indian-American living in Hong Kong

University Pick: Northeastern University, Honors Program

• Managing Stress: Start the application process early (especially for US applicants, or art students who, like me, have many supplemental essays to write and portfolios to compile). Doing this helped me free up as much time as possible to then focus on my studies. I also tried to get most of my school work done during the week, so that I could dedicate more of the weekends and holidays to working on applications. 

• Best Advice: I applied EA to all of the US schools that offered it, and unitized both ED1 and ED2 to different schools. I definitely recommend this as it not only allows you to submit early and free up time for a busy senior year ahead, but also hear back early and hence have more time to make decisions and explore options.

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Ghanem Al Ramahi

Emirati living in Abu Dhabi, UAE

University Pick: University of Edinburgh

• Managing Stress: I found the college application process quite fun and exciting: discussing universities, writing the personal statement, and visualizing my life at a university.

• Best Advice: I only applied in the UK, so I could only apply to five universities via UCAS. It was essential that my choices were a balance between reach, target, and safety schools. Don’t let the fear of failure or rejection stop you from applying to schools you truly love. Rejection is a natural part of life, and often, it's a sign that you're pushing your limits and aiming high. If you never face setbacks, you're probably not challenging yourself enough.

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Talya Demirbas, Turkish living in Lisbon, Portugal

University Pick: University of St. Andrews, Scotland

• Managing Stress: Time management is key, so make a schedule for yourself and stick with it. I made sure that my essay revisions started well before my tests, which helped relieve my stress during exam season. I also took moments during study leave to dance and listen to music! 

• Best Advice: Use the summer before senior year to make your UCAS statement as strong and completed as you can. Your future self will really thank you. I felt much more at ease, and my application processes went much smoother because of this, especially with all the work needed during senior year.