Hi Leigh! I was wondering if you had any advice for juniors and seniors in Highschool who want to go to big schools. You know, since you went to Yale and all :) Did you work your butt off in HS and get really good grades? What were some subjects you strugg

First of all, I still remember the stress of applying to schools, so hugs and cookies (or fire and blood, whatever gets you through) to all those in the trenches. 

My grades were good, but I certainly wasn’t at the top of my class. Not surprisingly, I excelled at history and English. I struggled with math and science. I was terrible about doing things at the last minute and always found myself cramming for exams and writing papers the night before they were due. It was miserable.

What I think helped in the application process was that I pursued my passions inside and outside of school—I petitioned to create my own fiction writing elective. I participated in the ESU’s Shakespeare Competition, the Princeton Poetry competition, a young playwrights competition, etc. For the record, I had a gift for making it to the finals and then LOSING. But that’s kind of the point I want to make. Those things didn’t matter because they got me into college. They mattered because they helped me figure out who I was and what I loved and what I wanted to do. (Honestly, I don’t know if any of it would be enough to get into the “big” schools these days.)

I know it’s a crazy, competitive time, so now I will put on my Wisdom Hat (it’s made of felt, very ennobling) and dole out some more advice:

If you don’t get into your dream school, try to remember that it’s the dream that’s important, not the school. This is where pursuing your passions (see above) comes into play. Those passions and your dedication to them will be what sustains you wherever you attend school and beyond. You can pursue the things you love in a lot of different places and college isn’t the ultimate destination. It’s a stop you make on the road to something bigger.

Now I will remove the Wisdom Hat. It sits ill upon my noggin, and I look far more fetching in the Goofball Tiara.

Hope this is a tiny bit helpful. And good luck