Long Island

Education

Graduations

Meet 144 of Long Island's 2019 valedictorians

LFVALS190602_COMP2

Rachel Weiss

Lauren DeMaria first started dancing at age 3. She loved ballet and knew it was her “thing,” even from a young age. Among her family and friends, DeMaria was known as “Lauren, the dancer.” 
She trained more and more intensely as the years went on. Throughout her senior year at Locust Valley High School, she’d hop on the Long Island Rail&nbsp;Road after school and head to the Joffrey Ballet School and Steps on Broadway in Manhattan, four times a week. “It was a big part of my high school life,” she said. 
Despite the rigorous schedule, she graduated as valedictorian in 2009. 
DeMaria’s parents said she could pursue dance as long as she wanted, but advised her to have a backup plan. She comes from a family of health care professionals — her mother is a nurse, her father and brother (another Locust Valley valedictorian, class of 2006) are doctors.&nbsp;DeMaria headed to Columbia University and&nbsp;earned a degree in neuroscience and behavior and completed pre-med courses along the way. 
But the whole time, she said, dance was on her mind. If she wasn’t studying in the library, she was practicing in the studio. 
“All my life was always 50 percent&nbsp;academics, 50 percent&nbsp;dance,” she said. “I was always going back and forth with it. So I wanted to set my mind to one thing and see how it went.” 
DeMaria took a gap year after graduation and leapt onto a different path. She danced professionally with the Eglevsky Ballet and New York Theatre Ballet, cherishing her time in the spotlight. 
“I was culturing the world with my dance, and it was going really well,” she said. 
But “because I had done pre-med and completed all the courses and done my MCATs, my mom was just like, ‘Why don't you apply to med school and see what happens?’” 
While on tour with the New York Theatre Ballet, DeMaria was sitting outside her bus in 2014 when her mother called and told her she had been accepted into SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. 
“Oh my God,” DeMaria remembers thinking to herself. “What am I gonna do?” 
She was conflicted; she loved dancing and being on tour, “but at the same time, there was this opportunity to really find a passion for medicine and eventually medicine would be a very stable, long-standing career that I would always have,” she said. 
“I remember sitting there outside the bus and saying, ‘You know what, I did what I set out to do when I was 6 or 7 years old and decided dance was my thing,’” DeMaria said. “I’m never going to have regrets that I never tried. But I don’t think I’d be completely fulfilled with my life if I kept going with it.” 
Even though she chose to become Lauren, the doctor, the first couple of years of medical school presented a challenge she didn’t expect. 
“I felt like I lost part of my identity,” she said. “Transitioning my mentality of who I was, and the second hard part was figuring out what medicine I would feel fulfilled in.” 
“I thought, well if I can’t directly be a dancer, I want to contribute to the dance community.” 
So she decided to pursue orthopedic surgery. “I wanted to help all those athletes with their weird foot injuries and their hip replacements.” 
But after seeing a hip replacement surgery for the first time, “I thought, ‘This isn’t for me,’” she said with a laugh. 
Finally, DeMaria found ophthalmology. “You’re doing microscopic surgeries on eyes and you’re helping people see again, and it feels so fulfilling,” she said. 
DeMaria is currently in her residency training at NYU&nbsp;to become an ophthalmologist. She says that even though it’s still hard for her to view dance as a hobby rather than her career, she’s beginning to shift that perspective. DeMaria sees dance as always being a part of her life, and has taken hip-hop classes for fun with her friends. 
“I want to always have it as an option, or if I’m 55 and want to be a part-time ophthalmologist and make my own little dance studio or my own little company, I want to keep actively involved still.” 
But for now, “doing surgery is like a performance,” DeMaria said. “Every time I even talk to a patient I feel like I am on stage. As a surgeon, you are fully in control of every movement that happened in the operating room, and you find your own way to guide yourself and everyone else through the surgery. 
I saw it as my chance to finally be that: a prima ballerina.”

liDEMARIA190514

How this LIer danced her way to her passion

LI valedictorian went from ballerina to doctor

LFVALS190602_photos

It took 32 hours in Hollywood to create one of the most memorable 30 seconds of Mike Young’s life — but that’s just showbiz. 
If you’ve seen the Season 4 finale of “Glee” you might have caught the 2009 Commack valedictorian singing in the background. 
Young, and the rest of the Yale Whiffenpoofs — the oldest college a cappella singing group in the country — took a year off from school in 2013 and traveled to 40 countries to perform full-time. They made an appearance on the popular FOX comedy show, spending two 16-hour days filming on set for what became their cameo. 
“Keep an open mind about the world and about yourself. Don’t ever get yourself too set on any one path. Be ready to learn and go with the flow. Enjoy the ride,” he said. 
The Long Island native thought of theater as a side hobby in high school, but “I felt really lucky to be able to do it and explore it more in college.” 
“It was really special to be a part of this century-long tradition that dates before your time,” he said of the group, which was founded in 1909. He sang baritone and tenor 2 for the group. 
It was also in theater at Yale where he met his sweetheart Lily Lewis-McNeil and got engaged last October.
<figure class="image2 image" data-attr-f="default" data-attr-img-credits="" data-attr-img-height="" data-attr-img-width="" data-attr-show-caption="true" data-href="#/content/contentid/image.1.30775051" data-onecms-id="contentid/image.1.30775051" data-onecms-type="image">
 <img alt="" src="/image-service/alias/contentid/image.1.30775051/1.30775051.jpg?f=default"> 
 <figcaption></figcaption> 
</figure>
 
Young graduated from Yale University in 2014 with a degree in political science. After that, he joined global management consulting firm Bain &amp; Company as a consultant. He took a six-month leave from Bain for an externship at Facebook where&nbsp;he helped build products for local and small businesses. One of the products he helped to roll out was the job posting function of the social networking site, he said. 
Last summer, Young interned at Bessemer Venture Partners, a venture capital firm, where he helped to evaluate investments in technology companies. 
“Looking ahead to the next decade and beyond, the world is going to have to reckon with some massive existential challenges, from climate change to increasing economic inequality,” he said. “I believe that new technologies will have a major role to play in solving these problems, and I want to help bring these technologies to life.” 
He’s currently finishing his MBA at Harvard Business School and will graduate next month, adding that he’s “retired for now” from singing. 
After graduation, he plans to move to New York City to be closer to Long Island. 
“You can’t get good pizza or bagels here in Boston.”

LFYOUNG190602

LFYOUNG190602_photos

From Commack valedictorian to Whiffenpoof to 'Glee'

From LI valedictorian to Whiffenpoof to 'Glee'

Alicia Keys, Conan O'Brien and more people with fame and brains. Find out which stars graduated at the top of their class, either in high school or college.

Entertainment

Celebrities

Celebrities who were valedictorians

David Duchovny 

Tiffani Thiessen

Mare Winningham

Bette Midler 

Troian Bellisario

Cody Simpson 

Jeff Bezos

Cindy Crawford 

Conan O'Brien

Conan OBrien

Alicia Keys

alicia keys

Weird Al Yankovic

Jodie Foster

Jodie foster

Chevy Chase

Emmylou Harris 

Ben Stein

16 celebrities who were valedictorians

Sandra Bullock says she worked hard for hers, Robin Williams won more than one, and Sylvester Stallone was voted... what? See what these stars' classmates and teachers had to say about them back in the day with these superlatives from their school yearbooks.

Celebrities' high school superlatives

J.P. Rosenbaum

Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell superlatives pl

Eddie Murphy

murphy cropped superlatives pl

Kate McKinnon

Kevin Connolly

 Sandra Bullock

Tom Cruise

Robin Williams

Patti Lupone

Lorraine Bracco

bracco

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis CROPPED

Amy Schumer

Sylvester Stallone

Celebrities' superlatives

Which high school superlatives did these celebrities win?

From astronauts to musicians, Long Island high schools have produced some rather notable alumni through the years.

notableHS190220

etbay_17   0717 /hj

HawkinsAlumni /el

Notable alum Sal Valentinetti / mg

notableHS- frank viola

NotableAlum Alan Zweibel George W. Hewlett High School 1968 / mg

NotableALum Carol Leifer Wheatley School 1974 / mg

NotableAlum_Tobias Harris Half Hollow Hills West 2010 / mg

62 NotableAlum_LorraineBracco_HicksvilleHS / mg

c7cw14.JPG

0MXMEW7S.JPG

64 NotableAlum_LoriLaughlin_HauppaugeHS / mg

larry brown/kb

163185601/mcv/kb

BaldwinAlumniNew/kb

144. Mick Foley / jcm

141. Paul Scheer / jcm

140. Dan Lauria/lt

134. Judd Apatow / mg

133. Larry Miller /lii 

75 NotableAlum_Ashanti_GlenCoveHS / mg

130. Bob Iger/cem

128. Jeff Wilpon/cem

127. Edward Burns / mg

122. Steven Matz / jcm

Steve Buscemi

9 NotableAlum_SteveBuscemi_ValleyStreamCentralHS / mg

3 NotableAlum_KevinJames_Ward MelvilleHS / mg

61 NotableAlum_JennaUshkowitz_HolyTrinityHS / mg

56 NotableAlum_AshleyMassaro_JohnGlenHS / mg

jcm / 114 NotableAlum_BrianDennehy_ChaminadeHighSchool

113  NotableAlum_FredArmisen _ValleyStreamCentralHighSchool / mg

112  NotableAlum_ChuckD_RooseveltHighSchool / mg

110 NotableAlum_MichaelMcKean_NorthShoreHS / mg

107 NotableAlum_BobCostas_CommackHighSchoolSouth / mg

106 NotableAlum_DarrelYoung_AmityvilleHS / mg

105 NotableAlum_GeraldoRivera_BabylonWestHS / mg

104 NotableAlum_HaroldDieterle_BabylonWestHS / mg

103 NotableAlum_LeslieWunderman_BaldwinHS / mg

100 NotableAlum_LouisUccellini_BethpageHS / mg

96 NotableAlum_CarlYastrzemski_BridgehamptonHS / mg

Bill O'Reilly

95 NotableAlum_BillOReilly_ChaminadeHS / mg

93 NotableAlum_MegWhitman_ColdSpringHarbor / mg

91 NotableAlum_RosieODonnell_CommackHS / mg

90 NotableAlum_CarlyAquilino_CommackHS / mg

89 NotableAlum_ClintonKelly_ComsewogueHS / mg

87 NotableAlum_MoiraKelly_ConnetquotHS / mg

86 NotableAlum_KathleenHerles_DeerParkHS / mg

85 NotableAlum_RossGload_EastHamptonHS / mg

83 NotableAlum_NelsonDeMille_ElmontHS / mg

Notable Long Island high school alumni

Meet some of LI's notable high school alumni

What happens when the smartest person in the room is every person in the room? 
Dozens of Long Island's valedictorians from the class of 2019 came to Newsday headquarters in Melville on Friday, May 17. They shared their high school experiences, career goals and outlooks on the future of Long Island. 
Here are some of the best moments from the day.

LIVALS190518_gallery

LI's 2019 valedictorians come to Newsday

What happens when everyone in the room is a valedictorian?

LFAWARDS190609

Long Island high school students' achievements in science, music and more

LI high school students' achievements in science, music

LFAWARDS190609_photos

These high school seniors were named to Newsday's All-Long Island teams in the 2018-19 academic year.&nbsp; 
Note: The All-Long Island teams for baseball, golf,&nbsp;lacrosse, softball, boys tennis, and&nbsp;track will be announced later this month. 
Basketball, boys 
Sean Braithwaite, Center Moriches HS 
Aidan Igiehon, Lawrence-Woodmere HS 
Tavin Pierre-Philippe, Baldwin HS 
Micah Snowden, Center Moriches HS 
Tyler Stephenson-Moore, Long Island Lutheran HS 
Jarell White, Bellport HS
<figure class="image2 image" data-attr-f="default" data-attr-img-credits="" data-attr-img-height="" data-attr-img-width="" data-attr-show-caption="true" data-href="#/content/contentid/image.1.31975155" data-onecms-id="contentid/image.1.31975155" data-onecms-type="image">
 <img alt="" src="/image-service/alias/contentid/image.1.31975155/1.31975155.jpg?f=default"> 
 <figcaption></figcaption> 
</figure>
 
Basketball, girls 
Alyssa Adomaites, Elwood-Glenn HS 
Carly Bolivar, Sewanhaka HS 
Lauren Hansen, Ward Melville HS 
Kaia Harrison, Baldwin HS 
Nyia Longford, Longwood HS 
Rachel Mahler, Syosset HS 
Lauren Romito, Hauppauge HS 
Gabby Sartori, Mount Sinai HS 
Celeste Taylor, Long Island Lutheran HS 
Sydney Taylor, St. Anthony’s HS 
Bowling,&nbsp;boys 
Nicholas Giovanniello, West Babylon HS 
Frank Iemma, Plainedge HS 
Avery Lugares, Commack HS 
Aaron Rice, East Islip HS 
Bowling, girls 
Julia Bocamazo, East Islip HS 
Julianna Spina, East Islip HS 
Cheerleading 
Jenna Beuchert, Hauppauge HS 
Joliene Ewan, West Babylon HS 
Samantha Ferrara, Rocky Point HS 
Vittoria Legaspi, Mount Sinai HS 
Mary Mileo, Freeport HS 
Isabella Takacs, Mount Sinai HS 
Chelsea Welsch, Bethpage HS 
Madison Wruck, Sachem HS North 
Cross country, boys 
Kevin Cawley, Smithtown HS East 
Daniel Czop, Commack&nbsp;HS&nbsp; 
Nicholas DeFelice, Smithtown&nbsp;HS West&nbsp; 
Matthew Payamps, St. Anthony’s&nbsp;HS 
Jack Rosencrans, North Shore&nbsp;HS 
Sean Ryan, Northport&nbsp;HS 
Cross country, girls 
Jordyn McDonnell, Sachem&nbsp;HS North&nbsp; 
Field hockey 
Emily Berlinghof, Cold Spring Harbor&nbsp;HS 
Kasey Choma, Eastport-South Manor&nbsp;HS 
Caitlin Cook, Garden City&nbsp;HS 
Lily Fox, Northport&nbsp;HS 
Charlotte Johnson, Pierson Middle-HS 
Grace Kelly, Garden City&nbsp;HS 
Sophia Little, Northport&nbsp;HS 
Liana McDonnell, Garden City&nbsp;HS 
Fencing, boys 
Jake Hempe, Newfield HS 
Ben Rogak, Ward Melville HS 
Jonathan Sheng, Jericho HS 
Fencing, girls 
Mary Ye, Great Neck South HS 
Football 
Gary Anderson, William Floyd HS 
Greg Campisi, St. Anthony’s HS 
Jovani Duran, Malverne HS 
Gerald Filardi, Half Hollow Hills West HS 
Matt Goncalves, Eastport-South Manor HS 
Kevon Hall, Roosevelt HS 
Colin Hart, Garden City HS 
Jordan Jackson, Freeport HS 
Aidan Kaler, Sayville HS 
J.J. Laap, Ward Melville HS 
Mike LaDonna, West Islip, HS 
Jake Lazzaro, Oceanside HS 
Justin Lescouflair, Freeport HS 
Liam McIntyre, Westhampton Beach&nbsp;HS 
Vincenzo Milione, Carey HS 
Tyler Nemecek, Farmingdale HS 
Tyler Pederson, Northport HS 
Nick Silva, William Floyd HS 
Matt Sluka, Kellenberg Memorial HS 
Gerard Smikle, Freeport HS 
Keith Winfrey, William Floyd HS 
Deyvon Wright, Half Hollow Hills West HS 
Trevor Yeboah-Kodie, Garden City HS 
Gymnastics, girls 
Joanna Signorile, Carle Place HS 
Soccer, boys 
James Basile, Garden City&nbsp;HS 
Jevon Burke, St. Anthony’s&nbsp;HS 
Matt Cozetti, Commack&nbsp;HS 
Rolman Guardado, Amityville&nbsp;HS 
Kymani Hines, Amityville&nbsp;HS 
Henry Martinez, Amityville&nbsp;HS 
Lorenzo Selini, Newfield&nbsp;HS 
Brendan Slattery, Chaminade&nbsp;HS 
Ben Szemerenyi, Chaminade&nbsp;HS 
Erick Turcios, Westbury&nbsp;HS 
Andrew Weiner, Mepham&nbsp;HS 
Soccer, girls 
Cubby Biscardi, Sacred Heart&nbsp;HS 
Dominique Bono, Islip&nbsp;HS 
Jess Garziano, Half Hollow Hills East&nbsp;HS 
Kayla Leary, East Meadow&nbsp;HS 
Sydney Moore, Farmingdale&nbsp;HS 
Brianna Passaro, St. Anthony’s&nbsp;HS 
Lindsey Smith, Valley Stream South&nbsp;HS 
Swimming, boys 
Trenton Burr, Hauppauge HS 
Dylan Champagne, St. Anthony’s HS 
Andy Lee, Great Neck South HS 
Christopher Lei, Great Neck South HS 
Joshua Liu, Great Neck South HS 
Jason Louser, Shoreham-Wading River HS 
Justin Meyn, St. Anthony’s HS 
Swimming, girls 
Lauryn Johnson, Sacred Heart HS 
Jessica Whang, Great Neck South HS
<figure class="image2 image" data-attr-f="default" data-attr-img-credits="" data-attr-img-height="" data-attr-img-width="" data-attr-show-caption="true" data-href="#/content/contentid/image.1.31975158" data-onecms-id="contentid/image.1.31975158" data-onecms-type="image">
 <img alt="" src="/image-service/alias/contentid/image.1.31975158/1.31975158.jpg?f=default"> 
 <figcaption></figcaption> 
</figure>
 
Tennis, girls 
Lauren Cherkin, Half Hollow Hills East HS 
Julia Gentile, South Side HS 
Calista Sha, Friends Academy 
Volleyball, boys 
Tyler Anderson, Bellmore JFK HS 
Trey Cole, Connetquot HS 
Robert Copozzi, Center Moriches HS 
Jack Driscoll, Sachem HS North 
Nick Galasso, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK 
Josh George, Ward Melville HS 
Will Kropp, Eastport-South Manor HS 
Andrew Watts, Northport HS 
Matt Wertheim, Smithtown East HS 
Patrick Wing, Massapequa HS 
Gordon Wong, Jericho HS 
Volleyball, girls 
Melena Aldoriso, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK HS 
Emily Barry, Sacred Heart HS 
Mia Cergol, Elwood-John Glenn HS 
Abbey Dummler, Commack HS 
Cathleen Farrell, Bayport-Blue Point HS 
Molly Jandris, Sachem East HS 
Caroline LaMacchia, South Side HS 
Emma McGovern, Long Beach HS 
Grace Riddle, Wantagh HS 
Grace Rosenberg, Long Beach HS 
Lauren Weir, Kings Park HS
<figure class="image2 image" data-attr-f="default" data-attr-img-credits="" data-attr-img-height="" data-attr-img-width="" data-attr-show-caption="true" data-href="#/content/contentid/image.1.31975159" data-onecms-id="contentid/image.1.31975159" data-onecms-type="image">
 <img alt="" src="/image-service/alias/contentid/image.1.31975159/1.31975159.jpg?f=default"> 
 <figcaption></figcaption> 
</figure>
 
Wrestling 
Adam Busiello, Eastport-South Manor HS 
Sean Carter, North Babylon HS 
Joe Gannone, Eastport-South Manor HS 
Liam McIntyre, Westhampton Beach HS 
Kyle Mosher, South Side HS 
Joey Slackman, Commack HS 
Jonathan Spadafora, Half Hollow Hills East HS

LFSPORTS190609

LFSPORTS190609_photos

High school seniors named to Newsday's All-Long Island teams

High school seniors named to All-Long Island teams

Beth Whitehouse

If you’ve been seeing a lot of social media posts lately of high school seniors sitting on their beds surrounded by swag from a college, it’s because their friends have thrown a “commitment party” or “bed party” to celebrate their selection of the school they’ll attend in the fall. 
May 1 is college decision day, the deadline by which students must put down a deposit on their chosen institution of higher learning. And as kids make their choices, they are feted by their best friends surprising them with their college's clothing, decorated cupcakes or cake, and&nbsp;balloons and snack food in the colors of their school-to-be. Parents help to facilitate the surprise factor to varying degrees, letting friends in the house, making sure the teen isn’t home during the decorating, and&nbsp;in some cases helping to pay for the swag. 
"It was very exciting," says Stephanie Zovich, 17, of New Hyde Park, who is a senior at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens and plans to attend Amherst College in Massachusetts in the fall. "I opened my door and my closest friends were there to support me."
<figure class="image2 image" data-attr-f="default" data-attr-img-credits="" data-attr-img-height="" data-attr-img-width="" data-attr-show-caption="true" data-href="#/content/contentid/image.1.30228974" data-onecms-id="contentid/image.1.30228974" data-onecms-type="image">
 <img alt="" src="/image-service/alias/contentid/image.1.30228974/1.30228974.jpg?f=default"> 
 <figcaption></figcaption> 
</figure>
 
Part of the fun, of course, is posting a photo of the&nbsp;party to announce your choice on Instagram (or, if mom or dad is sharing the photo, more likely Facebook). “That’s how I posted my college I committed to,” says Jen&nbsp;Chen, 17, of Roslyn, a senior at Herricks High School who will attend the University of Minnesota in the fall. 
“Most of the time you’re on the bed and you take a picture. It’s a social media thing mostly,” says Emma Podell, 17, of North Hills, a fellow senior at Herricks High who is planning to attend Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. 
“It’s very popular now,” agrees Corin Lund, 17, a senior at Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School who is committed to attend Rochester Institute of Technology in the fall. She says it’s primarily girls who throw the parties and post their photos. 
“It’s a real Long Island phenomenon,” says Elizabeth Comen-Kessler of Plainview, the mom of&nbsp;Hallie Kessler, 17, whose&nbsp;friends threw her a party to mark her commitment to attend Ithaca College. Comen-Kessler says she’s in a Facebook group called College Bound, and parents from other states seem to be unaware of this New York area trend. 
“Her friends were so adorable,” says Comen-Kessler. “They hid inside her room. She opened the door and they yelled surprise and congratulated her. I ordered some pizzas. It was a great night.”

Things to Do

Family

kidaily190429

kidaily190429_photos

LI teens mark the choice of a college with a 'commitment party' or 'bed party' 

LI teens announce college picks with 'bed parties'

Congratulations! Your child has been accepted, agonized (or maybe not!) over which school to attend, and finally decided on a college. 
Now what? 
Newsday asked high school counselors for their best advice on what high school seniors should do over the summer to ensure a successful freshman year on campus. Don’t want to nag your kids (like you probably did when they were writing their application essays)? Text them this checklist. 
1.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Start religiously reading email. Students should sign up for their&nbsp;.edu email with the university and check email daily. That’s how colleges communicate, says Martha Tuthill, school counselor at Shelter Island High School. “They’re not used to checking email, and they need to make that a priority,” she says. 
2.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Join the school’s freshman class Facebook group.&nbsp;Many students find their roommates through school-specific social media groups instead of being randomly assigned by their college, says Elizabeth Hammer, chair of guidance at General&nbsp;Douglas MacArthur High School in Levittown. 
3.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Check again for scholarships. Colleges may have offered another student a merit or niche scholarship, but that student has decided not to attend, freeing up that money, says Antoinette Shervington, school counselor at Brentwood High School. “Reintroduce” yourself to the admissions/financial aid&nbsp;office and ask if any scholarships have reopened, she says. 
4.&nbsp; &nbsp; Visit campus again — or for the first time. Many students have visited multiple campuses and their memory may be a blur, says Jonathan Macaluso, director of guidance for the Connetquot Central School District. “The more familiar you are with your surroundings, the more comfortable you’re going to feel once you walk on that campus,” Macaluso says.
<figure class="image2 image" data-attr-f="default" data-attr-img-credits="" data-attr-img-height="" data-attr-img-width="" data-attr-show-caption="true" data-href="#/content/contentid/image.1.30236439" data-onecms-id="contentid/image.1.30236439" data-onecms-type="image">
 <img alt="" src="/image-service/alias/contentid/image.1.30236439/1.30236439.jpg?f=default"> 
 <figcaption></figcaption> 
</figure>
 
5.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Explore the college’s website. Email the adviser or the club president now for groups you want to join. “Setting yourself up for social success before you get to campus is a good idea,” says Paul Weber, executive assistant for guidance for the Massapequa School District.&nbsp;Peruse courses to have an idea of which ones&nbsp;are appealing before registration, says Laurie Levy, supervisor of guidance and student support services at South Side High School in Rockville Centre. 
6.&nbsp; &nbsp;Consider a pre-college experience. A lot of colleges&nbsp;offer “freshman experience” programs before school officially starts — for instance an outdoor adventure or an honors program. “You bond with people right away,” says Jillian Tammany, school counselor at West Hempstead High School. 
7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Get to know roommate/s. Agree on parameters. Discuss study habits —&nbsp;for instance, some students&nbsp;like music on when they study, others don’t. Talk about sleep habits and about who will bring what for the room. “If these things are set before moving in, it will really make it a more enjoyable experience once you step into the dorm room,” says Chris Ruffini, assistant principal and former guidance counselor at Syosset High School. 
8.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Practice self-advocating. In high school, parents take care of&nbsp;phone calls to make medical and other appointments. “We’ll actually dial the phone and hand it to them and say, ‘Why don’t you speak to this person, because you’re going to have to do it eventually,’” says Lynn Castellano, school counselor at Division Avenue High School in Levittown. 
9.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Choose an organization system. “There are students who are successful in high school with a lot of support from parents and teachers who help them organize their lives and get through it no matter what,” says Greg Sloan, director of guidance at Jericho High School. College professors may not extend deadlines or make accommodations. Students won’t be in a classroom every day; they won’t have constant reminders. Test physical or digital agenda options, Sloan says. 
10.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Look for a work study job. To get a plum position, applying early may give students an advantage, says Brentwood’s Shervington. She recommends a job in the school library, so students can study if there is down time on the job. 
11.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Get credit for AP and other eligible courses. It’s the student’s responsibility to send AP test scores and grades for classes taken in conjunction with a local college to the chosen institution to credit, says Shelter Island’s Tuthill. 
12.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Address special needs. Colleges have offices of student services or student disabilities to help with accommodations needed due to physical or psychological issues. Find out the steps needed to qualify, says Rockville Centre’s Levy. Colleges also will help students address dietary needs. “Most institutions have a plan for students who have a peanut allergy, for instance,” Levy says. 
13.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Consider health, tuition and dorm-room insurance. Many colleges automatically include health insurance as part of the cost, but if you have insurance you can have that waived, says Shelter Island’s Tuthill. Companies also offer optional tuition insurance, which protects a percentage of a semester’s tuition cost if a child has to drop out for a medical reason. There’s also insurance that protects items in the student’s dorm, such as phones and laptops. While those things may be covered under parents’ general homeowner’s insurance, the additional insurance may offer a much lower deductible and avoid the need to file a claim under the parents’ policies. 
14.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Know emotional and academic resources. Students should know where the health office is, and who to turn to if they are feeling anxious or depressed. They also should know where to get extra help academically. “Almost every college will have a writing center,” says West Hempstead’s Tammany. “Knowing that you have that available from the beginning gives you a leg up freshman year.” 
15.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Tackle privacy laws. Parents may be footing a chunk of the bill, but they don’t have rights to know about students’ grades or health issues. Colleges may allow students to sign a form giving parents the right to talk to the school, says Gerilyn Smith, director of guidance with the Roosevelt School District. Consider having a health care proxy signed by the child to give the parents legal rights to make medical decisions if the student is incapacitated. 
16.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Make hotel reservations. Do it now for accepted students' days, move-in, orientation and fall parents' weekends. Hotels around campus&nbsp;fill up quickly during those times due to high demand, says Jason Miller, school counselor for the Plainview old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School. 
17.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Learn to do laundry. Enough said.&nbsp;

KIDAILY190501

kidaily190501

17 steps high school seniors should take this summer to be ready for campus in the fall

LI counselors share insider tips for acing college

Long Island 2019 high school graduations

Newsday

Most Popular

Latest videos

Education video slot

NewsdayTV's Macy Egeland speaks to actor Gary Sinise about the Wantagh Union Free School District partnering with his foundation to raise money for field trips to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, as well as a commemorative 9/11 statue in front of Wantagh High School.

Actor Gary Sinise partners with LI district on 9/11 education

The case illustrates how costly and time consuming it can be for districts to terminate tenured educators under state law. Newsday investigative Associate Editor Paul LaRocco has more.

'This is strictly a disciplinary case'

Long Island's Head Start programs are facing financial headwinds. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'Not knowing how important this program is'

Child advocates say many students and parents don't know they can file formal complaints or are afraid to come forward due to fear of retaliation or alienation. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn has more.

'I dealt with bullying ... early on'

Sign up for The Classroom newsletter

Education Newsletter Widget

Education Article Bottom Module

Education Video Playlist

A 2023 Farmingdale High School crash led to New York mandating seat belts in charter buses, but enforcement remains challenging. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

'This law is difficult to enforce'

There is a new push to look into the effect of screen time in classrooms. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn spoke to Newsday state reporter Keshia Clukey and other experts on the topic.

'I don't advocate for one blanket policy'

Two months into the state's "bell-to-bell" ban on electronic devices in schools, some districts are reporting positive changes in the classroom. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'Students are much more talkative to one another'

NewsdayTV's Jasmine Anderson and Newsday education reporter Dandan Zou talk to Long Island school administrators about how the school cellphone ban is going so far.

'Kids are outside. They're playing. They're laughing together.'

Former Holy Trinity lineman Lance Swift spoke with Newsday high school sports reporter Jared Valluzzi after the Titans suspended their football program.

'Honestly, I was hurt'

Magdalyn Abcug, who recently graduated from Longwood High School, alleges the district failed to accommodate her disability when she was a student. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'I felt very judged'

The best friends, who are known at South Side High School as the "Dynamic Duo," are among Newsday's 2026 Extraordinary Seniors.

'They are both perfection in their own right, but together they are extraordinary'

Nick Cannon, host of the Wild 'N Out Live show at Barclays Center, visited Roosevelt High School on Friday.

'Excited about entertainment'

12-year-old Cesar Albarracin Guncay, a 6th grader in Sag Harbor, died during a rafting field trip in the Poconos after the raft overturned in the river.

'Cesar was a cherished member of our school family'

Sara Lopez Garcia recorded an address to her class from her native Colombia. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'Never underestimate your strength'

Hofstra seniors Jaime Yoos and Riana Kamath speak about the difficulties college graduates face in the competitive job market on LI.

'It felt like my resume went into a dark hole'

Chaminade twins John and Joseph Gomes were named valedictorian and salutatorian, a first for the all-boys Catholic school in Mineloa.

Twins make val and sal history

NEWSDAY TV SHORTS

Vertical videos

FDNY firefighter Ronnie Gies, of Merrick, was killed on Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, his three sons have honored his legacy by becoming firefighters themselves. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

'I still grieve every day'

Steel beams from the World Trade Center have become memorials to those who were lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and can now be found scattered throughout Long Island. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

'It's a beautiful testament'

NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn looks at how Long Island schools are using first-person memories and immersive experiences to teach about 9/11, 25 years later.

How LI schools are teaching 9/11 to those who didn't experience it

NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa checks out this viral social media hit that has customers flocking to Chefs Corner in Mineola.

Trendy Bites: Lemon curd pancakes in Mineola 

The Jets find themselves with a lot to prove as they prepare to open the season in Tennessee, facing off against former head coach Robet Saleh and with the return of former quarterback Geno Smith. Newsday's Jets beat writer Al Iannazzone has the story.

Jets face their old coach in Week 1

The proposed Amazon warehouse and distribution center in Holbrook would be one of Amazon's largest facilities in the U.S. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

Residents oppose proposed Amazon warehouse