Preparing for college is an exciting time of life. It can also be a challenging time as you consider the new horizons that lay ahead. There are questions often asked such as: 'where should I apply?' and 'how do I know what school is right for me?', among others. Yet for some the issue is not finding their dream school, but coming up with a competitive strategy to market yourself to that dream school.

To get in to the school of your dreams it takes three key components. First, an excellent standardized test score. Second, a GPA that shows you are dedicated and capable of handling the academic world of university life. And third, a deep and well rounded extracurricular experience.

In all three components it is important to start early. Plan early to take the courses that will best help you to prepare for college. At the same time, don’t stretch yourself so far that your GPA begins to suffer. A healthy balance will help you to best increase your skills and maintain a completive GPA. Find out whether your targeted school uses a weighted GPA or not. This could effect how many honors and AP classes you take.
Likewise, begin to study for your standardized tests well before the few weeks leading up to that dreaded Saturday morning. Start months and maybe even a year in advance. Set goals, and use study courses and practice tests. If you want to score higher than the average high school student, than work smarter than the average high school student. Take advantage of study aids and online resources as you prepare for the big day. 
Finally, diversify and deepen your experiences outside of the classroom. Show the college admissions board that you were not just the senior who began to lead at the end of high school so it would look good on your resume. Start early in volunteer efforts. Get involved and stretch yourself in a variety of activities. These skills and experiences will be of great benefit to you in your college years and in life beyond. As you put your efforts into these three key components, you will feel more confidence in that you are making yourself a more competitive candidate for that school of your choice.

Dear people of the world, 

This is a love letter. This is odd because I do not know you nor will I likely ever meet you in real life. How bold! I am going for it and I have committed. So look out, you rascals, one of us is gonna end up a little attached.....

Here it goes:
Duke Ellington once explained that the greatest compliment paid him was when he was described as beyond category.  I think that's lovely.  As we know from the documentaries on netflix and the evening discussions with my dad, Frank, Duke Ellington was named the Duke due to his eloquence and classy dress from a young age.  Contrary to the common Depression-era racial stereotype, Duke Ellington defied category and christened himself nobility. He played for audiences of all status and color and played music that only he could write. No one could ever replicate him.
(Click here to see a video of Duke Ellington)

It was my junior year of high school. I remember waking up one morning and looking in the mirror. I remember being so confused because I couldn't tell if I was beautiful or ugly.  My nose lost all meaning for me. The relative-ness of beauty had been festering inside me for a while but it all just hit me that morning.  I remember putting on clothes and staring at every part of me. I no longer knew where I fit.  Even my clothes were indifferent to the expectations of the world around me. I was no longer "hot" or "unfortunate looking."  I became Nicolle.  My face was very "Nicolle" and the way I talked immediately became very "Nicolle."  I stopped being a category created by my strange friends and acquaintances.  I became me.

I think too often we allow ourselves to categorize ourselves and each other.  We like to simplify the world in order to understand it better.  Sadly, I think it just cheapens the human experience.  Duke Ellington paid no mind to category and revolutionized the way the world thought about talent and skin color.  I am no revolutionary.  If I were, though, I would revolutionize the way we looked at each other. I would have us all look at each other with our names in mind instead of the type of clothes we are wearing. I would have us look at ourselves as the beautiful and unique faces we are instead of the comparable trends we are matching.

You are all so free and complex (to the point of undefinable). You do not fit small categories like "hipster" or "poser." You are too large in soul and personality to be shrunk to that standard.  I know that if I knew you, if I really knew you, I would be infatuated by your mind and unique ideas.  You are beyond category.

Love,

Nicolle Okoren

We recently had the opportunity to speak to a remarkable group of freshman students at a high school in Arizona. What made them remarkable were not their academic accolades. They were not honors students, nor were they attending a magnet or prep school. In fact, academically as a group, they seemed quite “normal”.

We talked about their futures, their hopes, their dreams. Then we talked about simple steps they could take in their youth to make those dreams a reality. We discussed a few important principles that would help them do just that. The importance of finding mentors and taking time to learn from them was a topic well received. We also talked about knowing how to ask effective questions and how doing so will enhance and create learning opportunities. We also talked about the need for identifying where they wanted to be as an individual at the end of their freshman year, at the end of high school, and even at the end of their lives. I then had them write down specific things they could do daily with that vision in mind . Finally, we talked about how choices really do matter. The seemingly inconsequential decisions they make in their youth will be an investment towards their success in the future and their satisfaction with today.

That is when I first learned just how remarkable were the group of youth sitting in front of me. I expected there to be push back or at least some disinterest. After all, aren't freshmen too young to comprehend some of these principles that many adults are just now figuring out? But I became a renewed believer in the profound potential of America’s youth. Not only did these freshmen pick up on what I was teaching, they ran with it. They were engaged. They lent  thought provoking insights. And though many of them did not have an exact destination in mind for their life’s journey, they already had an idea of a direction they wanted to go and yearned for a vehicle to take them there. Were they the definition of maturity? No, not at all. But they wanted to learn and they caught the vision.

Is it not the responsibility of all those who work with youth to help each of them unlock the potential for greatness? Is that not what you sign up for when you choose to work with the next generation? I believe it is. I believe that’s a passion that most working in education have. And I believe that “greatness” can be defined in many ways. For example, I believe that leaders that lead the masses are admirable. I believe equally admirable is the leader who leads their own life with dignity and integrity as they strive to serve their community while being a good example in the process. Maybe a few kids in that freshmen class will go on to lead major corporations, but it is likely that more will go on to fill the everyday jobs that make up the backbone of our communities. It is paramount that these kids, and other kids just like them around the country, learn to become good leaders in whatever capacity they find themselves in. What struck me most about these freshman students was not that they knew exactly what they wanted to do with an exact plan on how they were going to get there, but rather that they expressed the desire to reach their full potential. It was evident that with a little direction in the way of principles some think too advanced for their years, the glimmer of hope shone brighter in their eyes. The thought that they could not just be good, but great today and in the future became an ever more present reality.