<p>Hello, I'm posting because I would like to know if I still have a chance of admission toward a top-ranked science and engineering school such as MIT or CalTech. I'll just give a brief explanation of my status.</p>
<p>I'm a freshman and I slacked off A LOT in my first semester in terms of my work and study habits (I did some procrastinating and socialized more than studied). My class was given a report when we began the second semester. I'm in all honors courses and got a 3.71UW GPA and a 4.22W GPA, giving me a class rank of 10 out of 393 students. This just gives an idea how I'm doing so far in high school. This is definitely nothing to complain about and I'm very satisfied with this, even though I know for a fact I could have done much better. </p>
<p>Anyways, my class just recently signed up for sophomore classes. I chose to take honors algebra II and biology, but not honors English II and civics, because I strongly hate literature and social studies classes. I made this decision because I am only passionate about math and science and I want to focus a lot of my time independently studying physics, instead of wasting my time on subjects that I can't stand. I'm only 16-years-old and I taught myself trigonometry and calculus when I was 14, if that gives an idea of how much I love math and science.</p>
<p>I know that I'm thinking way ahead, but better sooner than later. I would really like to study physics or aeronautical engineering in college and would like to be an Air Force pilot someday. </p>
<p>With that said:
1) Without all honors courses, would showing science and engineering colleges on how much I really love math and science benefit me in any way?</p>
<p>2) Am I automatically screwed because I didn't take all honors, even assuming I pull a perfect GPA for the rest of my high school career?</p>
<p>3) My school offers AP courses for English (AP Lit) and AP courses for social studies (AP Euro History, AP American History, AP World History). I will definitely take AP Calculus and AP Physics, but should I also take any of these courses, even though I'll hate my life? Saving money on tuition would be awesome, but I'm not sure if it's worth hating myself.</p>
<p>Maybe you shouldn’t do things you don’t enjoy, but keep in mind that in life (especially at MIT), you’ll have to do things you don’t like. If you go to MIT, chances are there will be semesters when you’ll hate some or even all of your classes, and yet you’ll have spend most of your waking hours working through them in pursuit of greater understanding of a subject that MIT thinks it’s important for you to know. The HASS requirements also require you to take eight semester-long humanities, arts, and social science classes while you’re here, and some of those will be writing intensive classes.</p>
<p>I’m very aware that I’ll have to do many things in life that I don’t want to do and that I’ll take many college courses that I won’t enjoy at all. I thought that if I took it easy in high school, I might not be so burnt out in college, where your GPA and other things REALLY count, especially towards getting a job and grad school.</p>
<p>Remember that MIT and most of the top colleges will be looking for students that challenged themselves in high school and did well. After all, a top college is a big challenge and the colleges want the proven track record to show them that you can succeed there also.</p>
Your GPA matters quite a bit more for post-high school opportunities than it does for post-college opportunities. And, more fundamentally, if you “take it easy” in high school, what evidence does MIT or any other school have that you will work hard in college?</p>
<p>You may not like humanities classes or want to take AP versions of their courses, but you’re not doing yourself any favors in the long run by going to college unprepared – skills in writing and arguing a point are necessary for success in college, even at MIT or Caltech, and even in science and engineering courses.</p>
<p>I may have made a mistake for signing up for my sophomore classes, but oh well! I’m not a total slacker and I know my GPA won’t go down the toilet, especially with easier classes for next year. I will also be sure to look into those AP courses and ask others that have taken those classes what they thought of them.</p>
<p>More thoughts and ideas from others would be greatly appreciated! :)</p>
<p>You hate literature and social science, and you also want to take it easy in high school. The problem is with the second half of this sentence, as other posters have pointed out. It’s hard to believe that a student who needs to take things easy in high school could handle the challenge of a top school like MIT. </p>
<p>If you hate literature and social science, then you’ll also hate the regular versions of those classes, not just the honors and AP versions. Yet by avoiding the more challenging versions, you’ll also lose out on the chance to engage in writing and discussion at a more advanced level. You’re guaranteeing that you’ll continue to hate those subjects, because now you’ll be taking them at a level beneath your ability.</p>
<p>I never really thought of the situation that way, hahaa.</p>
<p>Eh…I may have made a mistake with my selection. It’s too late to change my course schedule, but I’ll make sure that I take all honors and work very hard, especially on my weaker subjects.</p>
<p>I plan on independently studying abstract algebra and physics, simply because I want to. If anything, would this show colleges that I kept myself busy during my easy year and challenged myself with subjects that are advanced for my age? </p>
<p>That’s a good idea, but it’s even better to have tangible results from your independent studies. Maybe consider self-studying a few APs or finding work in a lab at a local university?</p>
<p>I should have some nice results from independent studies because I’m a geek when it comes to my maths, hahaha. As for AP’s, I suppose I could give it a try and see what happens. I already took care of calculus from around the time I finished the 7th grade. </p>
<p>I also could try and talk to the my school’s counselor (who conveniently is my neighbor) and see if she can try and put me back into honors.</p>
<p>I can’t say I’m too sure about doing some research at a university. It sounds interesting and I would be willing to try it out, but I’m not sure how to get into it (especially as a freshman) or if I could afford it because my mom and I are suffering some financial issues. :</p>