WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW before your last year of high school // college apps, senioritis, adulting

helloooo future seniors. i'm proud of y'all for getting this far. good luck with everything this year, and cherish it while it lasts. much love from ur local college student ♡

here's my advice for surviving your senior year of high school. it's a tough one. you've been through so much since you were a freshman. now it's time for college applications, adulting, having fun with friends one last time, graduation... and whatever lies beyond. here are my top tips for getting through this roller coaster of a year. here's the advice i wish i knew when i was 18 years old and just starting this process. i wish all y'all seniors the best of luck this back to school season :)

ps, let me know if you can see English captioning on this video. i tried to edit and upload the auto-captions but idk if it worked bc youtube studio has a bizarre new update

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[hvyi]

time stamps
1:10 learn to read faster
1:51 learn how to talk to adults / start talking to adults
2:57 tips about college applications
3:59 how to: put together a college list
(1) 4:12 be flexible with your college list
(2) don’t put too many colleges or safety colleges
5:25 tips on writing a personal statement
(1) 6:10 simulate interviewing yourself (say stuff out loud. record, then transcribe)
(2) 6:49 lean into embellishing your achievements
8:27 look for university outreach programs
8:44 have fun along the way
10:21 let yourself have senioritis
12:01 stay on top of AP tests and community college courses for college credits
13:01 you do not need to choose your major or career yet.
13:54 get work experience (also saves up money)
14:52 start your retirement account
15:30 create a goodbye ritual (reflect on your past and welcome a new phase of your life)

[artlieli]

The first tip about the emails is SO TRUE. The emails just. Won’t. STOP.

[kbartlett]

I still don't think I've emotionally processed that I'm going into my senior year like??? This is my last first day of school??? A year from now I won't have those bell sounds ringing through my head all day again???? Some of the people that I grew up with I just... might never see again????

[varshapatibandla]

The way she was sponsored by collegeboard and then the first tip is DON'T LET COLLEGEBOARD EMAIL YOU had me dead

[doritobandito_]

I said yes to that email thing on my first PSAT sophomore year and I've never known peace since

[merismce]

still can’t believe i’ll be a senior this fall 😭😭 it came a lil too fast

[casillus]

the college board advice would've been helpful last year 😭 my email is FILLED with spam

[najuno]

rule of thumb for your personal statement/activities section: don't be arrogant. embellish your achievements only to the extent of truth. you're your biggest advocate and only you are vouching for yourself. but if you cross the line from vouching to gloating, no one likes that. ever.

[olivianeukam]

I remember when this video first came out and I was years away from needing it. Feels so weird that I belong here now. Wishing my fellow classmen of 2025 all the best!

[iterumm]

i’m a college junior and the best advice one of my teachers gave me in my senior year of high school was “sometimes, you have to take the L”
even as an overachiever, you have to pick your battles. it’s not always worth it to go above and beyond, in some cases it’s better to just let it go.

[isaniart]

It’s so strange that our last full year of in person school (for me at least) was freshman year and now we’ll be seniors. Yikes

[mariasipes]

also sliding in here to recommend the "inside the yale admissions office" podcast!! they're surprisingly transparent about what actually goes on in the admissions room and it's been super helpful to put things into perspective :)

[sosenalemma]

Let's class of '24!!! We can do it!

[randomnormalperson]

class of 2023/2024 you've got this!!!

[torifyi]

as class of ‘22 tysm like oml i’ve been stressing out sm that i find myself crying everytime i think about senior year and all

[amandaxu]

CLASS OF 2022 WE GOT See yall on the other side ;D

[syzikiy]

talking to people in the first place is scary enough, talking to adults is something that... will take me a very long time to figure out. especially since like half of all adults seem to think i have attitude problems

[janellecarlos]

"learn how to talk to adults"
me: starting small by joining ambassador programs to be able to talk to children first :D

[beaestudia]

Since college doesn't work like that where I live, to me is so interesting how you seem to have a culture of "you can change your mind, don't stress yourself too much about your major". Here when we enter school is direct to our major and usually change it is super expensive, I wish we had those kinds of thoughts so people around my age (16) wouldn't have to stay up all night thinking what are we gonna do with our lives

[haniakhan]

watchinf this the night i found out my summer before senior year ends in a week and im STRESSINGGG