Advice to Seniors from a Buzz Veteran

Claire says, “I have been sitting on this tree for years when I would run around Rice and stop for a break. It’s really shaded and the surroundings are so pretty. This is part of what made me want to go to Rice.” 

Claire Weddle, a School Buzz veteran, has left her high school days behind now that she is officially a Rice University Owl.  Although she will no longer be writing for The Buzz, it will always be a part of her.

“Writing for School Buzz was such a fun thing my senior year! As a reporter, you get a lot of freedom in choosing what you get to write about, and I loved that,” she said.

Claire was also a reporter for Bellaire High School’s paper The Three Penny Press, but she says the School Buzz “was different than my experience on my school's newspaper because I was always given a story assignment or assigning stories to others. Both experiences were positive in their different ways.”  

As soon as her letter of acceptance to Rice came in December, Claire was an Owl at heart. Then, during her spring semester of senior year, she attended Rice University’s freshman program: Owl Days.

“It was basically this two-day overnight visit to Rice that allowed prospective students to get an idea of what Rice was like by attending classes and participating in school events,” says Claire.

She reflected that she thought “it was a good experience to sit in classes and meet new people, and [her] host student was extremely nice like all the people there.” Overall, she’s really excited to get involved at Rice. She plans on joining intramural or club soccer and writing for the university's newspaper, The Thresher.

“I can't wait to meet my roommates because I've only gotten to message them so far, and they all seem awesome. Also, I'm excited to have a fresh start!” Claire exclaimed. 

Claire Weddle also has some wisdom to share with incoming seniors. Below are some of her best advice and tips. 

• Start applying to college as early as possible. 
• Start your applications, especially the supplemental essays before the school year - it is a huge help
• I would recommend doing early action if a college you're applying to offers it, because it's not binding, and you find out by December! 
• Apply early decision if you know exactly where you want to go because that increases your chances of getting into your number one choice!
• Send all your test scores at once to all the colleges you're applying to because it saves you money instead of sending them all at separate times. 
• Last but not least, do not stress about applying to college. It always turns out to be okay. I promise!

See Claire's School Buzz posts here.