Last Tuesday, seniors at Townsend Harris High School, as well as those around the country, wore apparel from the college they will attend in the fall in celebration of College Decision Day. This year, the top four most popular schools in which THHS seniors enrolled are Stony Brook University, St. John’s University, CUNY Baruch, and New York University. Ivy league acceptance rates were rather high as well, as four students will attend Yale University, six will go to Cornell University, one student will attend Harvard University, and one student will attend Princeton University.
“I feel very fortunate to be a school counselor at Townsend Harris High School. Our students are among the top in the New York City,” Guidance counselor Jeremy Wang said. “I don’t know of any other high school that can brag about the 100% graduation rate and 100% four-year college going rate. In addition to Ms. York, the school counselors and all supporting staff at the guidance office, the entire school community, including all teachers, administrators, parents, and alumni association are committed to the well-being and academic success of our students.”
Part of attending college is experiencing more freedom and independence, which many seniors look forward to in order to step out of their comfort zones and find out more about who they are. Senior Josselyn Navas, who will attend the University of Chicago this fall, said, “Since I won’t be taking as many classes a week, I’ll have more time to pursue other interests.” She did, however, go on to acknowledge possible concerns. “At the same time, I think that the most difficult part will be using that free time productively. Finding the right balance between academics and social activities will definitely take some time to figure out.”
As the college application process comes to an end, seniors now have valuable experiences and advice to share with younger students. Senior Udipto Chowdhury advised, “Start your Naviance and common-app in summer, do POSSE, and try not to write something vague on your personal essay or short-response prompt.”
Senior Josselyn Navas agreed.,“Be proactive; go online to research your colleges, keep up with deadlines, look for outside scholarships, and talk to your recommenders,” she said. It all makes a difference in the end.” Senior Valerie Shum, who will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall, added, “Portray your fullest self. I know it’s easy to get caught up in [what] you think a school wants out of you, but a lot of these schools are looking for people, not just a GPA or a list of extracurricular activities. If they just wanted your activities, they wouldn’t ask for an essay.”
“Trust in the process,” Valerie continued. “I know, it sounds wishy-washy to say, ‘You’ll end up where you need to be,’ but chances are that you’ll be amazing regardless of where you end up going.”
