News 12 The Bronx revisited a high school in Claremont that put a fun spin on the college application process to see where its seniors are heading in the fall.
News 12 first visited Validus Preparatory Academy in December to see how the school gets students excited to fill out college applications. For the past two years, the school has thrown a pep rally to make the usually grueling process more fun. Principal Javier Ocampo says the students get to cheer their classmates on, and are then excited to be a part of it when they are seniors.
Students say they liked having the pep rally and appreciate the help they get from the school.
"It was helpful because it was different and it made me proud of how many acceptances I've gotten and all the people who helped me because it was a difficult process," says Gizel Aponte. The senior is heading to LaGuardia Community College in the fall to become a physician's assistant.
The school's counselor says 85 percent of the senior class will either be heading to college or going into the military.