Advice for an Ambitious Freshman?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello, CC. I have had an extremely strong desire to go to Harvard since a couple years back, and especially since I visited Harvard this summer. Currently, I'm just a freshman at a new high school in California. In fact, our school is having its first graduating class this year. </p>

<pre><code> My reason for making a thread like this while I'm just a freshman is that I'm daunted regarding the difficulty of getting into such prestigious schools like Harvard, Columbia, Yale, and Stanford. I even saw a thread in the Harvard category where a hopeful with the most amazing credentials I've ever seen was told that he just had "very good" chances. He was president of around 6 clubs, had perfect scores on an array of tests, and had straight A's in the most difficult classes. This scares me, because if someone like that is only "likely," I'm worried I'll end up in the category of "longshot."

With the first semester of high school wrapping up in a couple weeks, I think that I'm at a very good start, except that I possibly might not have joined enough clubs. I realize that in terms of EC's and clubs, it's quality not quantity, but my theory is that if I don't start out in clubs as a freshman, there's going to be a diminished chance for attaining a high status in any club.

Anyways, my current credentials are as follows:
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<p>1: Taking all the available pre-AP classes (math, english, biology)
2: In Geometry pre-AP for math
3: Have Straight-A's
4: Have highest or close to highest grade in all classes
5: Helped found speech and debate team
6: Out of two speech competitions so far, placed 1st and 2nd personally
7: We might make it to state if we keep doing well
8: President/Captain of speech and debate team
9: Only freshman to make the mock trial team
10: Not only that, I sealed a position as a prosecuting attorney
11: My teachers love me :D</p>

<pre><code> So I'm really proud of myself to have done this well just in my first semester, but I still think I should've joined a couple more clubs to better my chances at becoming president in future years. Also, I regret not playing soccer, since the coach wanted me to play JV. I could also be playing tennis this season; I would be on varsity, since we only have one team. But I'm apprehensive to play tennis since I would have to carry a tennis racket around and I know I'm going to get made fun of because tennis isn't "cool." I know that sounds petty, but if you were in high school, you wouldn't want to get made fun of hahah. I have a pretty good amount of friends and I'm nice to people, but even still, people are jerks and mock me already if I say anything about tennis.

Anyways, I keep rambling on about myself.... Please don't take anything I said to have stemmed from cockiness... I would never brag about things like this in real life, so please don't think I'm being immodest.

I guess what I'm really asking is: What advice do you have for me specifically, as well as for anyone who wants to get into a top university that's just starting out in high school?
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2

<p>Any insights? Bump</p>

3

<p>Find something you like doing and innovate in its field.</p>

4

<p>I don’t mean to sound rude, but doing these things for college apps seems to be really shallow and pointless. Worrying that you “didn’t join enough clubs” isn’t going to help you out at all. You need to find a unique obsession and change/innovate/do something amazing in it, not just blindly joining random unrelated clubs for presidencies. Adcoms will be able to see your intent if you list out a bunch</p>

5

<p>Colleges love well-rounded and well-lopsided students. Clubs are great, but as they mentioned before, find your love and develope that. Colleges will be able to see why you did certain activities. Following your passionate will not only be more enjoyable, but it will also increase the chance that you become recognized on a regional or national level, chich looks really good to colleges.</p>

6

<p>Is this really what college admissions and our education system have come to?</p>

<p>Live a little, explore new things, make some friends, and enjoy yourself. The details will fall into place over time if you only explore your passions. There’s no need to stress out about college admissions as a Freshman. In fact, I’d argue that it could make you less competitive.</p>

<p>Just explore things that you enjoy and engage in your community. It will all fall into place.</p>

7

<p>Don’t try to join clubs for the sake of being president of them. Admissions officers will see right through a laundry list. Instead, explore what you’re truly interested in. From what you wrote, it sounds like you really like debate and mock trial, so perhaps look for more activities like that, such as Model UN or JSA. Only do a sport if you’re really interested in it - not just for the sake of putting it on your resume. </p>

<p>Top colleges like students with great ECs, yes, but that’s because they want truly interesting and diverse people, not kids who join every club available and claw their way to presidency so they can put it on their app. You sound like you have some awesome interests (are you interested in being a lawyer? it sounds like you might be), and you should focus on pursuing those.</p>

8

<p>My advise:

  1. Win an Intel Science Talent Seach.
  2. Write a book
  3. Start a business
  4. Save a few kids from the street.</p>

<p>Many kids with great GPA’s and near perfect SAT/ACT’s don’t get in. Make yourself stand out.</p>

9

<p>Okay, clearly you’re pretty intelligent, and you work hard. So my advice: stop thinking about college. Stop doing things for college. The kids I know who were most successful in the admissions process (including one who got into Yale, Princeton, Brown, Vassar, and Wesleyan) didn’t do ANYTHING for college, but instead did things because they wanted to. If you do what you want, you’ll end up with qualifications that stand out, and you’ll fare much better in the process. If you like speech/debate/mock trial, keep doing it, and you’ll end up with impressive ECs. Don’t worry about this stuff in 9th grade – you’re not going to get in if you join clubs JUST for the college process.</p>

10

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<p>Maybe I came across differently than I meant to. I’m not trying to join tons of clubs just for presidencies or to have tons of EC’s on a list, but at the same time I think it’s ridiculous to say that admissions officers will think that being president of any club is bad. Personally… I’ve been interested in a lot of stuff over the years. I used to play poker all the time and I got really good, and me and my friends were formulating an idea for a “poker club” but I don’t think that a club with the connotation of gambling would ever be allowed in school. Over the summer what I want to do is find a way to become involved in local government, but I don’t know how I’ll do that. My passion is poker, politics, writing, speaking. I have been successful in a lot of different sports, but they have all just dropped by the wayside.</p>

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<p>No need to be on the offensive. I don’t know what bad connotation my post reveals about the entire education system; I only represent myself. And foremost I was asking you guys what your advice for me was, so calm yourself. And besides that, I think it’s sort of funny that doing well in school and doing all these activities gives people the feeling that you have no life, constantly slave over a book studying, and never have fun. Personally, I’m far from that description. I have many friends, am extremely happy with my life, and certainly don’t study much at all currently. I’m not some kid with “tiger” parents… I’m self-motivated, and yet still socialize a lot and am outgoing rather than a reserved loner.
So thanks for your derogatory post, sir.</p>