Ein Sel,DAIS Class of 2024
- Hometown: Seoul, South Korea; California, USA
- Academics: Class of 2024 Valedictorian, 13 APs, 1590 SAT
- Awards: U.S. Presidential Scholar Semifinalist, National Merit Nominee
- Major Extracurriculars: DAIS Model UN Secretary-General, Our Home(Home Improvements Non-Profit) Executive, Varsity Volleyball Team Captain
- College Offers: NYU Stern (attending), Georgetown, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Emory, UNC
- College Major: Business and Political Economy
- Total Merit Scholarships: 145,000 USD
Hey! I’m Ein and I just graduated as part of the DAIS Class of 2024. Before I leave Dalian and the DAIS Sea Dragons behind for college, I wanted to leave some of the tips I’ve gained as I ventured through high school.
High school can be a somewhat mysterious journey, but I think the best way to develop a sense of the road you will take is to take advice from people who’ve already traveled that path. So instead of really going over my life’s story and who I am, I’d like to leave a couple of tips that hopefully will help you out a little bit during that journey and set you up for success.
Advice #1
Studying for good grades is not everything in your high school experience. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t study. Throughout high school, I think your life should have a good balance of fun and work.
Personally, I made a rule for myself that I don’t play any computer games Monday-Thursday. This reminds me that I should be working on a “workday” whether that be participating in community service or just doing homework. But this also doesn’t mean I don’t have fun on weekdays. I still go out to grab food, play volleyball, hold “board game nights,” or even just go on a walk. Just remember that going out to hangout doesn’t give you an excuse to skip out on homework.
ACAMIS Volleyball
Advice #2
Homework is super important. To be honest, I don’t “study” in the sense that I sit down with a textbook and read over it. Instead, I focus on optimizing my time in school and at home. At school, put your computer and TikTok down - you don’t need it. My first tip to get high grades is just listening to your teachers and really taking in what they have to say. Ask questions in class to understand what they are teaching you, and you should already have a good understanding of the course.
Then, when they assign you homework, take that homework home and finish it to the best of your ability. Later, you can turn that homework in and learn from your mistakes after your teacher grades it. Feel free to ask them if you don’t understand something on the homework too.
DAISMUN
Really, this is the most effective way of learning content - whether that’s an AP course or a generic SBG course. Also, this way, you won’t be stressed by the weeks leading up to your exams because you won’t be cramming anything. With good work and study habits, you should be well on your way to a good grade and still have time to enjoy the things you like.
Advice #3
Pursue hobbies and things you enjoy! My high school path is the one I took, but it isn’t the only path to success. People shouldn’t try to copy someone else’s path just because of their results. I took my path because it was what I enjoyed. All of my extracurriculars were things I just enjoyed throughout high school, and they became very developed because I enjoyed spending time on them.
If you spend time to develop the couple of things you really like, it will help you develop “good extracurriculars” that you can talk about during your college application process. So, here’s a tip for everyone preparing to apply to a US college: they ask for a story. Through your hobbies and passions, I’m sure you’ll experience hundreds of things you’d be excited to write an essay about.
Advice #4
Try new things. You’d be amazed at the number of new things you find to be super awesome after just giving it a try. Some of my favorite hobbies, foods, and even friends, are very recent because I never went out of my way to try the waters. Don’t be afraid to just take a chance to try something new or meet a new person. Who knows - maybe they will become your new favorite hobby and your next best friend. This is probably one of my biggest regrets - and wish someone told me this earlier.
High School Prom
If you can, try to make some friends in grades above you. At DAIS/DHS, you have a lot of opportunities to spend time with people out of your grade, whether that’s through a class like PE or MUN, or through an extracurricular activity. These upperclassmen have already gone through what you’re going through now and would be happy to give you some pointers and help you out. Some will probably go out of their way to help you out in a certain subject, or even introduce you to other opportunities. Who knows, some might even become one of your closest friends.
Perhaps you knew none of my tips, or already knew all of them. Whatever the case might be, I’d like to say my final goodbyes with my biggest tip: “Just be yourself. That’s what we love about you, and that’s what everyone else will love about you as well.” (from my valedictorian speech)
Written by: Ein Sel
