Winnie Wilson

“I am currently a freshman at the University of Virginia and I graduated in 2023. I think that in some ways the OHS curriculum prepared me for college, however in many ways I felt extremely unprepared throughout the first few months of classes. On the first day of class, I was assigned a 10 page research paper in my pre-modern art class to be submitted following the APA format. I had never had to write anything more than a 5 paragraph essay that closely followed the rubric of the AP exam at OHS. I felt extremely unprepared with the freedom and leniency of college professors and administrators. While the whole philosophy behind much of what OHS does is prepare students for their future endeavors, the discipline levels of college are so loose, and forcing students to put away phones, take structured notes, and become accustomed to having someone of authority tell them what to do at every moment provided for quite the shock in college. I feel like the requirements such as economics, government, CCR, and other courses aren’t given the same seriousness as other core classes like they should, which I think put me behind my peers. I think the biggest change needs to be within the policies passed through the school board regarding course scheduling, how long classes are, what classes are or aren’t a semester, and what the purpose of these classes are. I think the mindset needs to be shifted from achieving certain rankings by altering course curriculum and length of courses to preparing students to succeed after graduation.”

Noah Amidon

“I am a freshman at Dartmouth College and I graduated from OHS in 2023. I feel no less prepared than the other students from other schools. I feel like I am able to keep up with those students who went to private schools and other fancy high schools. I think I was most unprepared for the sheer amount of reading required in college. Also I think if there was more focus on independent studies forcing people to read more and prepare themselves for class it would be very beneficial.”

Fikir Beyene

“I graduated OHS in 2023 and I am currently a freshman at Princeton University. I think in some ways the curriculum definitely did, from AP Literature to AP Calculus, heavier homework assignments and more independent work helped me develop the skills I need. Content and pacing-wise, it’s definitely been an adjustment, but that’s a learning curve most students face as they enter college. I think more diversity in types of rigorous courses offered, as well as more of a focus on cultivating crucial skills like time management would be very beneficial to help better prepare students for college.”

Keerthin Karthikeyan

“I graduated OHS in 2023 and am currently a freshman at the University of Mississippi. I took 9 AP classes at Oxford and an assortment of dual credit classes at Ole Miss. The OHS curriculum, particularly the AP classes, definitely prepared me because the content taught was more similar to the content of college classes than other classes, and the difficulty of those classes were also similar to university classes. Basically, AP classes were helpful because they acted as a bridge between high school and college curriculum. Even the AP classes, despite being more difficult than non-AP classes at OHS, still aren’t quite as time-consuming and difficult as most Ole Miss classes. While these classes are a bridge, they don’t quite portray college classes. There are some minor additions the school could add, such as the IB system, which may help bridge the minor gap between AP and college classes as they introduce work with peers that you’re not close with, often from different states and countries. Working with peers you’ve never met before and individuals who have completely different experiences than you is an often occurrence here at Ole Miss.”