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times-shamrock community newspapers 149 Penn Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: (570) 207-3473 Fax: (570) 207-3448 e-mail: triborobanner@ timesshamrock.com
July 2, 2015
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Harvard Bound
ON THe iNSide The lastest happenings in our area Page 2
BANNER
Riverside valedictorian heads to Ivy League by Stephanie Longo CNG EDITOR
For Sal DeFrancesco, the Riverside High School Class of 2015 valedictorian, applying to the schools in the Ivy League when it came time for college applications was just something he wanted to give a whirl. “It all started with standardized tests, like the SATs and the AP tests,” he said. “I always got good grades in high school and nothing was particularly difficult. I scored fairly high on the standardized tests and comparing my score to what these schools were looking for in terms of students they would accept, I realized I had a shot at being accepted.” DeFrancesco will matriculate at Harvard University this fall as either an economics or government major. He said that the University of Pennsylvania was his first choice but when he set foot on the iconic Massachusetts campus, the decision made itself. “When I visited Harvard, the environment up there, the research abilities that they had, the professors and the social studies program—where it brings in government,economics, sociology and anthropology together in one program — it was exactly what I was looking for. I just knew.” According to Riverside officials, DeFrancesco is the only 2015 high school graduate in the Triboro area that will go on to further his education at an Ivy League school. During his time at Riverside, DeFrancesco was the president of the National Honor Society and student council, the team captain for the scholastic bowl team, as well as the captain of the varsity baseball, golf and Envirothon teams. He also participated in the Spanish
Riverside High School Class of 2015 valedictorian Sal DeFrancesco is headed to Harvard, making him the only graduate in the Triboro area headed to the Ivy League this fall. PHOTO BOB KOLVECK
and math clubs, the school’s gifted program, Tomorrow’s Leaders Today and state Sen. John Blake’s student ambassador program. He is also an Eagle Scout with Troop No. 16. DeFrancesco offered some advice to his peers who might be thinking of applying to schools in the Ivy League in the future.
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“Just do it,” he said. “If you have even a shred of confidence that you could get in, then you should go for it. It’s not all about the grades or numbers or test scores. It is about who you are as a person and how well you will be able to fit in in that environment.”
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