High School Student Spotlight: Riki Gross, Boulder High

Name: Riki Gross
Hometown: Erie, Colorado
High School: Boulder High School
Year: Senior
Age: 17
Career Aspiration: Political Journalist

What is your plan to find the right college? 
When I began my college search, the first thing I took into account was the school’s academic reputation. Academics are very important to me, and I want to ensure that I am receiving the best education I possibly can.

The amount of students –  as well as the location –  also played a large factor in my college research. I know I want to be amongst a relatively large student body, but also have the option of exploring my surroundings off-campus. I think a big city would provide that for me. I also looked at the specific departments that I’m interested in, taking into account their reputation as well as their diversity. I want to make sure I will have plenty of room for exploration and not be constricted to study subjects solely pertaining to my major. I also visited quite a few campuses, attended many information sessions, met with current students of the respective universities and tried to get a general feel of each school.

How are you planning to pay for college? 
Paying for college is not something that is easy for most families, especially with the current state of the economy. I do not have a college fund or any large sum of money dedicated to my education. My parents will be paying for college, and I plan on filling out the necessary forms for financial aid. I also looked at schools that pride themselves on their generosity with grants and loans.

Do you have tips for students just starting to look at colleges?
Do not limit yourself! Explore colleges that your friends aren’t interested in. Don’t get caught up in the fancy names of schools … look for a school that is right for you. Don’t tell everyone in the world where you’re interested in applying, because it’s your personal business. Don’t let other peoples’ judgements hinder your interests.

What year in high school did you start thinking about college?
I started thinking about college my sophomore year of high school, around the age of 15. I started looking at various schools and thinking about what I wanted to do after high school. While many things have changed – and colleges have been added to and removed from the application list – my general interests have remained the same.

What is your favorite high school class?
My favorite high school class was my Advanced Placement United States history class. What I loved particularly about this class was that a lot of the history was political – I enjoyed learning about the progression of our country’s political system and how the development of the United States has contributed to the country’s current state.

I also loved this class because my teacher treated us as equals and treated the class as a college course. His dedication to the subject and his charisma while teaching were inspirational. Junior year was a very difficult year, so it was helpful to know that I had a teacher I could trust. It is because of him that I am strongly considering majoring in history in college.

Are you involved in any high school clubs or activities?
I am a member of a group called the Unity Council at my school. The council brings together students of many different races, ethnicities, religions and cultures to implement a united front in the school.

How did you prepare for the SAT?
I first took the SAT in May of last year – without much preparation – in order to get a general idea of the formatting of the test and see how well I would score. I was dissatisfied with my first score, so I took an intensive course on how to master the SAT during the months of September and October, and took a practice test almost every week. My score improved around 90 points each week. I just took the SAT again last week and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that all that hard work paid off!

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