Five RBHS alumni will return to their old stomping grounds, except this time instead of playing the role of student they’ll be giving advice to students interested in college.
On Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the RBHS PAC lobby five former students will be having a panel discussion based on their experiences at RBHS and their upper level education. Panelist include, Ouma Amadou (2013) Iowa State University, Atreyo Ghosh (2013) University of Illinois, Rasheeq Nizam (2013) University of Missouri, Emily Thomas (2013) Carleton College, and Anchal Sethi (2010) University of Missouri Kansas City six year medical program.
“I don’t have anything in specific I plan to talk about. In general, I’ll be answering any questions the audience has about the application process, college life and college classes,” Ghosh said. “If people are interested, I can talk a bit about studying engineering/STEM in general, but I don’t have a planned speech or talk to give, per se. It all boils down to what the audience asks, really.”
Panelists will give advice on applying for college and the steps of the application process.
“ When it comes to the application process, seniors should try to get their applications in as soon as possible and not skirt around the deadline. Not to mention, the deadline extends into Winter Break, and no one wants to write essays over a break,” Ghosh said. “Plus, if there is one thing you can definitely do to increase your chances of getting into a college, it would be to apply for early action, although that deadline has likely passed at this point.”
Along with advice on the admissions process students can inquire about the change from highschool to college life.
“ To prepare for college, it’s a great idea to become more independent and self-accountable. I recommend investing in a good alarm as well, for the earlier classes,” Ghosh said. “Academically, I’d simply suggest to continue to build good study habits and actually learn in classes.”
Finally panelists and students can reflect on the time spent at RBHS and look forward to the future.
“RBHS did an amazing job of preparing me for college. If you take advantage of all the opportunities that are available to you at Rock Bridge, it’s as seamless a transition as possible,” Ghosh said. “I have friends who’ve come from very rigid high schools that focused heavily on the rules. Coming from Rock Bridge, having free time between classes comes naturally to me because of AUT. And quite frankly, no policy comes closer to a college lifestyle than ‘Freedom with Responsibility.’ I don’t think there’s any other school that could have prepared me better.”
By Graham Ratermann
Have you started the college search yet?
