Admissions Process into Top-Tier Universities

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey,</p>

<p>I am a freshman in a high school located in California, and I have some questions for people who were accepted into universities such as Princeton, MIT, CalTech, Stanford, Harvard, U of Chicago, and other prestigious universities of the sort. What sort of classes did you take in preparation for these colleges? Obviously, they look at the rigor of your academic schedule in the admissions process. Right now, I feel like I am being held back in a way this freshman year. I know that in the future I will take AP: Spanish, English, possibly French, Chem., Bio., Physics B, Psychology, U.S. History, Calculus AB, and Calculus BC. If I want to attend a top-notch physics school, would they care if my school does not offer AP Physics C? Should I take classes at the local university for physics and mathematics if I am not completely satisfied with what I do at high school? If I expect to gain admission to these schools AND DO WELL, what should I do to show that I am an exceptional student who strives to do all that he can to learn and grow as an individual and, possibly, a future scientist?</p>

<p>What have you guys done? Have you won any great awards (science fairs, contests, scholarships), done pre-college programs, worked under the tutelage of any college professors, etc.? Now, not all people have those opportunities, and not all people that gain admission into Princeton or MIT are like this, but does it truly help?</p>

<p>I am hoping for some personal testimonies so that I can gain a better understanding of how I can prepare myself for the road. I am very interested in physics, cosmology, and astronomy at the moment. In that area is where I hope to pursue my education in college. I play basketball and hope to pursue debate throughout my high school years. I plan on getting as involved as I possibly can, and if that means showing admissions counselors I can do college work while still in high school, then I am up to the task. I know what I want to do and what I want to strive for, but I need some help finding out how I can be recognized (science contests, scholarships, high school research opportunities, school debate/science/moot court team). How much can any one person do and hope to go to the universities that I want to attend?</p>

<p>Also, if anyone can shed some light on the "which is the best science school to go to?" debate, I will gladly accept the input. Princeton over MIT? MIT over CalTech? And also, I am starting to gather that it does not matter which school I attend as an undergraduate (if the colleges I am choosing are the best in the country) as long as I go to a major graduate school that specializes in the field I desire. Is this an accurate viewpoint given the possible circumstances?</p>

<p>Am I on the right track? Please enlighten me.</p>

<p>Thanks a ton for the help.</p>

2

<p>99% of the time, what you're interested in freshman year will not be what you're interested in senior year. Take as many APs as possible. No, they will not hold it against you if an AP is not offered at your school. Get a broad education. Enjoy high school, seriously. RELAX. You are a freshman. You have plenty of time.</p>

3

<p>"Would they care if my school does not offer AP Physics C?"</p>

<p>Candidates for top schools like the ones you mentioned will have taken some or mostly honors or AP classes for the most part, but it really depends on how your school curriculum works. These schools want to see two things on your transcript: that you have undertaken courses that are the most rigorous offered at your school, and second, that you have done considerably well in them. As for what courses those are, most colleges give very general recommendations because of the immense variance in course offerings, especially when it comes to AP-level courses. Most expect you to take 4 years of English, 3 years of history or other social science, 3 years of a foreign language, 3-4 years of maths, and 3-4 years of a science. Stanford and the Wharton School of Business at UPenn specifically require that all applicants take at least one year of Single-Variable Calculus, AB or BC. You can easily look these things up on practically any college admissions website. </p>

<p>To get down to it, no school you mentioned will care that you didn't take AP Physics C, because when they examine your school information, they will become aware that your school doesn't offer the course. Another option would be to self-study the Physics C curriculum on your own and take the test elsewhere. Actually, the only thing that colleges specifically have guidelines about with AP-level courses is the AP-credit they can offer. This varies from college to college, some might give more AP credit for taking Physics C than Physics B, some might treat them equally, and some might refuse both. All AP Credit does is allow you to pass out of introductory college courses in certain subjects, but at top schools this is often something departments warn students against doing, especially in hard sciences like chemistry and physics. Therefore, if you take the courses you say you will, and that is a lot of AP courses by the way, you should be in great shape provided you get good marks. </p>

<p>As for extracurricular activities and other interests you have, its definitely a matter of quality over quantity. Its not a question of how many things you can do, but how deep and involved you become in one or a few interests, and how productive you are in pursuing those interests. In that case, I think you're on the right track. Find a local observatory at a university or museum and ask about becoming a volunteer. Having high-school students volunteer is a good community outreach PR boost for educational institutions, and usually they are happy to have you help out. Of course, there are established programs in which you can participate, but they are usually selective. </p>

<p>Finally, among the schools you mentioned, you are going to get a great astronomy or astrophysics program no matter what, so there is really not a big difference there. What will matter to you, as a prospective student, is all of the other things: the location, how the curriculum works, the residential life, research opportunities, etc. </p>

<p>If you have any more questions, you can PM me. Also, if you have any specific questions about Princeton, I am a student there and I can answer some. </p>

<p>Good luck,</p>

<p>tokyo</p>

<p>P.S. I agree with salpert. Freshman year is a great time to explore your interests, so be open-minded. For me, however, I became interested in ecology and evolution my freshman year of HS, and nothing else seemed to best it, although my history courses came close. I guess I was just that 1% of the time.</p>

4

<p>My school does not offer AP Physics C, only B. It was my choice to register for the C test and study the material that isn't covered.</p>

5

<p>My analysis of those who have applied to the schools you mentioned had a combination of 15 total Honors/AP courses by the time they graduated.</p>