The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

Expecting Emptiness

Members of the school community reflect on the various emotions and pressures they experienced after sending off their older siblings to university.

Hailey Kramar and Angel Song
September 2, 2025

Zoe Vourgourakis ’26 pushes open her front door, expecting to discover her older brother strumming on his guitar or sitting on his piano stool. The buzzing of music had once filled the house and warmly...

What your university decision says about you

Barbara Satire, Assistant Satire Editor
May 28, 2025

It’s the end of the school year, and that means that Harvard-Westlake seniors are getting ready to leave home for the colleges that they worked so hard to get into. As everyone knows, there is nothing...

Education Over Executives

Assistant Opinion Editor Eila Shokravi ’26 argues that elite colleges should prioritize the education and financial stability of their community while President Trump freezes funds.

Eila Shokravi, Assistant Opinion Editor
May 8, 2025

When I toured colleges, I picked up each school’s newspaper and flipped through the pages to further my understanding of the life on each campus. As I read more and more, I noticed a common thread: rioting...

Funding the Future

Students and faculty discuss the impact of how financial aid can limit certain students’ choices in choosing a college of their choice.

Lydia Gugsa, Assistant Features Editor
February 12, 2025

Sitting alone at a table on the Quad, Kamari McNeely ’24 sat at a table at school and prepared to open her decision letter to her dream school, Tufts University. Bracing herself for the worst, she read...

Outcomes from Early Decision for the Class of 2025

Erin Ryu, Assistant News Editor
February 12, 2025

The Class of 2025 received their early admissions decisions last December, with 223 students applying through Early Decision (ED) and Single Choice Early Action (SCEA), according to the administration....

An Ocean Apart: Navigating the Transition to College Relationships

Sienna Dall’Olmo and Alden Detmer
February 11, 2025

In her pitch-black bedroom at 5 a.m., Sunny Lu ’25 sits crisscross in front of her laptop. Her eyes are glued to the screen as the Harvard University mens water polo team’s game begins. Squinting to...

University Protests: Rising Tensions

The school community reflects on the rise of campus protest and activism regarding Israel, Palestine and the ongoing war in Gaza.

Alex Dinh and Connor Tang
May 29, 2024

A couple days after the Palestinian militant group Hamas led terrorist attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, Jewish Harvard student Violet Barron ’22 read a letter signed by over 30 Harvard student organizations,...

Prefect Council postpones College Sweatshirt Day due to FAFSA delays

Erin Ryu, Staff Writer
May 14, 2024

The Senior Prefects postponed College Sweatshirt Day, a tradition where seniors wear merchandise from the college or university they will attend, from May 1 to May 20 due to delays in the Free Application...

Students and counselors discuss independent college counseling

Students and counselors discuss the benefits and disadvantages of private college counselors.

Zoe Goor
March 20, 2024

Afternoon light floods the room as Ben Boateng '25 logs on to a Zoom meeting. An iced coffee sits on a coaster next to the computer. The characteristic Zoom chime sounds as he joins the meeting room, and...

Early Decision Insights

An inside look into how the Class of 2024 performed during the early round of college admissions compared to previous years.

Hannah Shahidi, Assistant News Editor
February 1, 2024

The Class of 2024 received their early admissions decisions last December, with 51 percent of the students who applied early applying to the same 14 schools, according to the Deans’ Office. There were...

Dreading Decision Day

Members of the community discuss the emotional pressure connected with the release of early decision results and the differences in applying regular decision.

Alden Detmer and Hannah Shahidi
December 13, 2023

Walking onto the Quad on a December morning, Ava Weinrot ’23 could feel the tension among her classmates. It was the day her early decision (ED) result would come out. Only two days away from winter...

Bar Charts vs. Liberal Arts

Zoe Goor
August 26, 2023

As Lauren Park '25 made her course selections last March, she scrolled through the curriculum guide, seeing offerings like Slam! Spoken Word Poetry and Mass Entertainment in America and Principles of Engineering....