Applying for and starting college is a stressful time. To help ease the stress, the Wolfpacket reached out to several CHS alumni. In this recurring column, CHS alumni Mercer Weis, a Freshman at Stanford; Ruby Raheja, a Sophomore at UC Davis; Rowan Orlijin Rhyne, a Sophomore at Swarthmore; and Tammi Ho, a Junior at San Diego State, discuss their experiences in college.

This Issue’s question: How well did CHS prepare you for college?

Mercer: CHS did an exceptional job in preparing me for college. Not only did Claremont High School teachers and IB/AP curriculum equip me with the skills necessary for college level courses, but it also provided me with an immense amount of extracurricular opportunities that have assisted me in my academic performances at Stanford.

Ruby: Taking AP classes at CHS was really useful to get a head start in terms of GE classes I had to take for my major. I felt more prepared to complete my major in four years since I was able to skip some classes I got AP credit for.

Rowan: The IB program at CHS as well as some AP courses prepared me quite well for college. Having experience with projects including longer form essay writing, presentations, and exams provided me with the necessary skills and strategies to succeed.

Tammi: Well, yes and no. I think CHS did what it could, considering that I really did try to get everything I could out of high school. To be honest, I don’t think any amount of preparation would make anyone fully ready for college academically. But I think CHS definitely helped to bring out the skill set I would need to succeed in college. I think the only thing that was missing was that I didn’t learn how to fail and sit with it. Success is celebrated but no one acknowledged any failure, which I believe is part of the process to succeed.