Not only do you have to be a high school student, a loyal friend and a respectful son or daughter. Now, you have to be a publicist! To maximize your opportunities in high school (people want to help you now more than ever), it is necessary to take charge of your public relations. You may be asking "What does THAT mean? I'm a teenager not a celebrity!"
Publicity is all around you. Does your school have a newsletter mailed out to parents, students, faculty and community leaders? Is there a school newspaper that runs interesting articles read by the student body? Does your school and school district have a website where student accomplishments are posted? What about the local paper that runs features in its Local and Education sections? Any radio shows or websites dedicated to local issues and education? I'm sure you answered yes to some of these questions if not all of them!
So why is this important? When you appear in these publications, save some copies! You can use these as exhibits to send in with your college and scholarship applications. Seeing that you are a leader in your community and others show interest in your endeavors is an excellent way to convince decision makers that they need you. It gives you credibility.
Note, however, that you don't need to sit around and wait for someone to write a story about you. You should pitch your idea to these media outlets in the form of a short phone call, brief email or even a press release. Make sure you are not self-promoting only; you need to provide a juicy story for the reporter.
If you call to pitch your idea, be sure to be polite and courteous. When you call, ask if the reporter has a moment to an idea for an interest story before jumping right into your pitch.
An added advantage of this publicity is when it comes time to pay for college, you can further leverage that credibility. Approach local businesses and patrons with your information and seek people who will "sponsor your education." This is a great way to offer a tax-deductible donation to a business and earn yourself some free money to defray the college costs. Not too many students try this method, which works to your benefit because potential sponsors are not overwhelmed by requests from kids wanting their money. Be very respectful and show them why supporting you is supporting the development of the community.
Get your name out there. Be known and reap the rewards.
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