Name: Tess

Graduation Year: 2026

Middle School: Chinese American International School

Hometown: San Francisco

 

What advice would you give to 8th graders applying to high school? You do not need to embellish yourself to get in. Just show your true self. College Prep will choose you for you, not a perfect fictional version. Show your passion and vigor, no need to fake it.

 

What is your favorite place on campus? My favorite place on campus is the gym. It's where the entire school comes together for fun games and challenges. It is a fun place to hang out with my friends and relax during school, whether we play volleyball, do homework together or just chill.

 

What are you involved in on campus? I am in two clubs: rubik's cubing and anime club. Both of them gave me a nice place to relax and get away from the stress of school. Clubs can also help you connect with your upperclassmen who you don't always have a lot of chances to talk to. I’m also on the Girls Soccer team and the Volleyball team. Both teams are really great as they gave me a smaller community to connect with inside of the larger College Prep community. I am also in the Language Legion, which gives me a chance to give back to my community by helping tutor other students in languages. Last year I helped plan CPS Day which was really amazing because I got to see how College Prep approaches tough topics and how to raise awareness among the students.

 

What has been your favorite class so far? I love both stagecraft and Chinese. I am very passionate about crafting whether it be wood, metal, or even glass. When I came to this school I was not expecting much from the art department. Stagecraft gave me a chance to do what I love and learn more crafts. The Chinese teacher is amazing because she puts an emphasis on what you need help with, not just giving all the students the same lessons, but individualizing class for each of us. When I started, I was good at writing and reading but my pronunciation has never been amazing. Together, we focus on that and she has conversations with me in Chinese to help me work on it.

 

What is your favorite thing about College Prep? My favorite thing about College Prep is the community. I joined the Girls Soccer team with no experience whatsoever, and I was immediately accepted and taught new skills. You will be welcomed into any club, common classroom, or meeting even with no prior knowledge of the subject. My advisory group also really helped because it gave me a chance to get to know other ninth graders on a more personal level, all talking about our transition to college prep.

 

What is your favorite character from a movie/book/television series? I like the Koro Sensei from Assassination Classroom because he is a funny but really kind and caring character.

 

1. My family does not own a car, so I’ve been taking public transportation since I was young.

2. I have both Hawaiian and Chinese heritage leading my full name to be a combination of those two languages and English.

3. I have never broken or sprained anything.