(06/28) One of SolutionSkills’ very own, Josh Daughtry, recently graduated from the prestigious

Duke University. In offering advice for high school seniors on what to prioritize during their last
year to give themselves the best chance of getting into a competitive university, Josh had only a
few pieces of crucial advice:
1. Know your options. What’s the best fit for you and why? If you can, tour your potential
colleges and universities. Your guidance counselors at school are also a great source of
information.
2. Write out your plan after you make one. What are the application deadlines? What about
financial aid? Track your progress. Have these dates in a secure place to help you stay on
course.
3. Apply for scholarships. Do this early and often. There is no reason to not try and get
some free money for your college expenses. Many scholarships are available to anyone
who applies!
4. For many applications, SAT and ACT scores are super-scored. This means that only the
highest scores of both are considered, and the total points (if both have been taken) from
those scores is the number admissions officers are looking at. This means that they will
not care about the number of attempts, or your worst score. If you have the means, there
is no reason to not try as many times as you can to pump up your score!
5. Senior grades still count. Colleges may rescind their acceptance of you if your grades fall
off the cliff at the end.
6. Finally, enjoy your senior year. You only get one of them!