Ranked second in the state, our school has a lot of confidence in the way we  prepare students for college. Does West Side live up to its great reputation?

We asked West Side alumni from a variety of colleges and teachers for their opinions.

Sameer Mishra ’12, a valedictorian last year at West Side,  attends the Ivy League School, Columbia University. He said, “West Side has prepared me tremendously well for college, especially in math and the sciences.”

Mishra was a committed policy debater during his high school career and believes that the skills he learned from the program have enabled him to easily present his opinions with confidence to his professors and peers.

Other alumni, like Beau Westbrook  ’12, agreed and stated that the academic atmosphere created by the students of our school is comparable to the colleges they attend. Westbrook  now attends American University, a private liberal arts college in Washington D.C.  She stated, “College and high school are two different environments when it comes to work, but the academic atmosphere of West Side was definitely beneficial in coming to college.”

She added that she is among the few at her college that come from a more competitive environment in high school.

Mr. Watson said that the success lies in how much the students at West Side challenge themselves through their choice of classes balanced with their extracurricular activity choices.

 Mr. Overley said the main reason for our success is that “West Side allows its students to succeed; whether it’s in sports, academics, or art.” 

TIPS:

-Challenge yourself with difficult classes.

-Focus on learning the material.

-Read the textbook.

-Do not cheat.

-Come to class prepared and ready to ask questions.