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Going to college marks a major milestone in the life of a student, but the journey to college can be complex. To make the transition easier for prospective students, five current college students share their best advice on how to succeed at school.


1.


Start preparing in high school


Getting good grades is important but involvement in extra- curricular activities is as well. Ryan Whitehead attended a small high school and partici- pated in everything he could—baseball, basketball, yearbook and student offices. Now a sophomore at Western Oklahoma State College, a community college located in Altus, Okla., he says his involvement strengthened his college application.


“Students who stand out in the college application process


are involved in high school,” says Whitehead, a Harmon Electric Association member. “From charity work, to sports, to student elected offices—anything you do that shows you put in extra effort to do something for your school or to make a change in the community will help your application.”


Participation in clubs, sports, and volunteer activities is


also a great way for a student to hone in on a possible career path and to develop leadership and communication skills. “I participated in a lot of clubs and organizations in high


school,” says Amanda Adney, a sophomore at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) in Weatherford, Okla. “If I was interested in something as a potential career, I’d find a club or team to see if I liked it.” Among others, she participated in a psychology club—


which she decided was not a good fit for her—and legal team. Then she tried out the robotics club and loved it. Her interest in robotics guided her decision to study engineering technol- ogy in college. Adney became president of Students Against Destructive


Decisions her sophomore year in high school, a position that developed her leadership and public speaking skills. She credits this experience with helping her in the Youth Tour selection process. Kiwash Electric Cooperative chose Adney to go on the weeklong, all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. She says being chosen for this program—or any other award or recognition—will benefit a student’s college application.


2.


Invest in the college application process


When it comes time to apply for college, scoring well on entrance exams, writing stand-out essays, and seeking out good recommendation letters are all ways to strengthen one’s application. Whitehead recommends taking time to prepare for the ACT or SAT. He went through an ACT preparation course at his high school as well as an additional ACT workshop. The courses taught him test-taking strategies and helped him improve his score by four points. For some, essay writing may be a daunting aspect of the application process—but it is important. It helps the college to understand who the person behind the grades and test scores is. Wesley Coburn is a sophomore media studies major at Northeastern State University (NSU) in Tahlequah, Okla. The East Central Oklahoma Electric Cooperative member recommends students write an essay and go over it several times. Having another person read through it—like a teacher or friend—is beneficial as well. “Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. You can always polish it slightly more,” he says.


“Try to find some aspect you can really connect with the essay topic and write honestly. As far as the mechanics, write slightly more formal than usual and be extra careful of spacing and formatting.” Recommendation letters are another significant piece of the college ap- plication. Whitehead says it’s important for a student to choose someone who knows them well—a teacher, boss, coach, or counselor—and someone who writes well. Give the writer plenty of advance notice and follow up before the due date to make sure they have submitted the recommendation.


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“From charity work, to sports, to student elected offices—anything you do that shows you put in extra effort to do something for your school or to make a change in the


community will help your application.” - Ryan Whitehead, Harmon Electric member and sophomore at Western Oklahoma State College


MARCH 2014 19


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