<p>I am a straight A freshman and I go to a Sacramento suburb high school. Most people attend either local colleges or UCs. The past two valedictorians have attended Harvard and UC Berkeley, with most other people going to UCLA. My freshman schedule is ridiculous: I have to take computer applications/health for a whole year, PE for two years, my Spanish 3 class is progressing very slowly (I will take AP next year so that I can challenge myself), and I am only in Algebra II. I want to take Pre-Calculus before next year (sophomore year) so that I can take AP Calc. AB, and though I will take AP BIO, CHEM, and PHYSICS before Junior year, I want to do so much more. I feel like, if I would have been challenged more in elementary and middle school, I could be taking Calculus now. I have the opportunity to take many other APs, but I still feel like I should be two years ahead of where I am now.</p>
<p>So, I am resolute in this: I will take Calculus III and other physics and mathematics related courses my senior year at Sac State (like linear algebra, quantum physics, and advanced differential equations related to science and engineering) in addition to attending pre-college programs that deal with my interest in astrophysics and cosmology (SSP, RSI, and others). I will definitely take AP Physics C, most likely through EPGY, and partake in research through the programs that I want to do. This is my how I see my life at the moment: I want to learn calculus in a single summer, learn more about the universe and physics, and be in an environment in which I can be pushed to my limits! But I hate the fact that no one at my school shares the same enthusiasm.</p>
<p>Inisde of me, I feel like I am following a to-do-list, in which I check things off and make reminders about what I should do next. It makes me feel like I am on track for everything that I want to accomplish, that is, to go to MIT or Princeton and study astrophysics, but I know that I am only wasting time dwelling on it.</p>
<p>The reason I am writing this thread is to simply see what sort of feedback I will get. I want to excel, and I have the mind and heart to do it. If I do what I want to do and pursue my passion eagerly, do you think I can get into MIT, Princeton, or CalTech. I think that if I show to the admissions officers that I have done all that I can to succeed, I will be alright. What advice, if any, can you give me?</p>