Advice for Freshman

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>I'm a freshman in high school (please don't tell me not to worry about college at this point), and my school is starting scheduling. I would like to get accepted to Harvard, or a comparable Ivy League school. So I'm look for some advice on what to take in the future, etc.</p>

<p>Current GPA: 4.25 (highest possible for a freshman at my school), 4.0 UW
School: Pretty prestigious all girl, private high school
Current Rank: 1/114</p>

<p>Classes Taken This Year:
Honors English (A+)
Honors Geometry (A+)
Honors Chemistry (A+)
Honors Modern Civilizations (A+)
Honors Spanish II (A+)
Honors Latin II (A+)
-My school made a special exception and allowed me to take Latin I
over the summer. I'm the only kid in school who's taking two language
Graphic Design/Art (A, A+ not possible)</p>

<p>These are the classes that I want to take in the future. Are they good choices? Am I lacking anything? </p>

<p>Sophmore Year:
Honors Algebra II and Trigonometry
Honors English
Honors Latin III
Honors Spanish III
AP United States Government/AP Comparitive Politics (Semester classes)
AP Chemistry
AP Computer Science AB
-I have been allowed to skip the two prerequisites for this course.</p>

<p>Junior Year:
Honors Pre-Calculus
Some sort of elective, probably an arts elective because my transcript is lacking in fine arts (is this wise?)
AP English Language
AP Latin-Vergil
AP Spanish Language
AP Biology
AP United States History</p>

<p>Senior Year:
AP Calculus BC
AP English Literature
AP Latin Literature
AP Spanish Literature
AP Physics C
AP Modern European History
AP Art History</p>

<p>I also have some questions about extracurriculars and the related:</p>

<p>Freshman Extracurriculars:
Math Club
Model UN
-First Conference: Best delegate in committee and invited to the<br>
national model UN conference in New York
Class Secretary
Yearbook
Science Olympiad
Varsity Bowling</p>

<p>Outside of School Activities:
Horseback riding
Early advanced flautist
Beginning-Intermediate pianist (just began this fall)
Will begin guitar in the summer
With the classes I take in school, I know four languages: English, Romanian, Spanish, and Latin (the first two fluently) and will begin to take French over the summer</p>

<p>*I have almost no community service hours up to this point and am wishing to start so I can collect a considerable number by the time I have to apply. How many does a top tier college usually expect?
*I also don't really have a strong sport. Varsity Bowling isn't exactly what I consider too much of one. I probably won't have the time on my schedule or the physical ability to be on a varsity team. Would trying to do something such as Junior Varsity Soccer help?
*How much do summer programs (such as Duke TIP, Mathcamp, etc.) assist your application?
*How much do online classes (such as EPGY) help?
*I've recently become very interested in Math Olympiads. If I ever make it to the USAMO, how could this impact my application?</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your help! I'm sorry for the length of the post. I have many questions and a poor college counselor.</p>

2

<p>
[quote]
I've recently become very interested in Math Olympiads. If I ever make it to the USAMO, how could this impact my application?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Any girl who makes USAMO is a standout among girls who like math. That wouldn't be a guarantee of admission (nothing is), and that wouldn't be easy to do, for anyone, but if you enjoy that it would be a worthwhile goal to aim for. There is at least one girl I am aware of who did qualify for USAMO and who later was happy to accept an offer of admission to Harvard.</p>

3

<p>i have a feeling that you got your life all planned out just for college. go have fun. drop a couple of ap's to make more time for the stuff you really really love; unless the love of your life is taking lots of ap's.
knowing exactly what makes you happy is an important accomplishment that would impress anybody more than knowing how to ace ap's. you can probly go on with that schedule, and you'll probly maintain 4.0, but all that shows is that you're good with ap's, but then so's everybody else. you don't need that many ap's to show that you are academically mature.
i think that to be a bright young person, you need to experiment with and experience all kinds of stuff. that kind of attitude exposes you to new stimulus and makes you grow faster.
your ec's could get some more direction; i think tokenadult's advice is great.
That language thing is kinda scary. i don't know how, but you should definitely use that to your advantage.</p>

4

<p>I sense troll, but I could be wrong</p>

5

<p>Can someone explain what's a "troll"?</p>

6

<p>Go for it. I think you should try to balance your planned course load with ECs. There are definitely times, even with a heavy load, to enjoy life and that should be through your ECs. Try to pick activities you can tie together---like your language skills with tutoring someone a language (volunteering). Run with it from there.</p>

7

<p>i'm not sure, but is it like a fake resume just to see how people will respond? dang, what a waste of my time. should've known those A pluses were too perfect. and where do you go learn romanian?</p>

8

<p>Actually, I'm being completely honest. It would be stupid to lie. And I learned Romanian because I was BORN there and I lived there before coming to the States.</p>

9

<p>I missed the part about the Romanian language the first time I read your post, but, yes, I believe you are real and I believe that if you enjoy "competition math" that that will be a good path for you to follow. Perhaps you have heard that Princeton's math department LOVES Romanian students. This is the Harvard Forum, and here I would say that your plan makes sense if you enjoy pursuing it for the sake of what you learn.</p>

10

<p>because being perfect, with 4 languages, 3 instruments, ALL advanced classes as a freshman, just seems over the top -</p>

11

<p>and living your life for an application is sad imo- seems all you do things for is to get into harvard- doing community service shouldn't JUST be to look good for an admin person</p>

<p>getting into harvard is a crap shoot for even the most perfect applicant</p>

12

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<p>Don't worry about college at this point.</p>

13

<p>My opinion is that you are wise for thinking about college at this point. There's nothing wrong with wanting to make sure you are on the right track, and this is the right place to ask. I'd say that you should probably find one passion to focus on...you seem to be scattered in your extracurriculars. If you really, really love yearbook and horseback riding and model UN, then of course, continue with all of them. But if you are just trying to do as many activities as possible to put on your transcript, Harvard would rather see you go really far with one extracurricular. You seem really into languages and music, so I would suggest pursuing those interests. But just doing JV soccer so that you have a sport to write down will be pointless--it doesn't reflect you or your passions.</p>

14

<p>I'm most bothered by people who tailor their entire lives into a college application. Do community service not to watch the numbers add up but to actually help people if you've got any sense of compassion whatsoever. </p>

<p>Sheesh. Get in touch with the big picture... what will you do in the grand scheme of things? I'm not going to tell you stop thinking about college. I'm telling you to think beyond college.</p>

15

<p>Damn....that is crazy.</p>

<p>Don't forget to schedule fun and happiness into your life!</p>

16

<p>I know you're right. I try to tell myself that. But whenever there's a time period like this one (scheduling), I can become paranoid. I guess it's because I've always really wanted to go here (dream ever since I came to the states you know). And I hear these stories about applicants who have great scores and all but who end up getting deferred. Why does that happen (the deferrals I mean)?</p>

17

<p>All the great colleges in the United States have more great applicants than they have spaces in their entering classes. And the admission committees are building classes, not just choosing students in a top-down, rank-order manner, so there are great students every year who don't get into their first-choice college--but who thrive at their last-choice college. That's why no one should spend all of high school worrying about what college to get into.</p>

18

<p>at least you dont have to worry about being deferred, harvard got rid of early applications :P</p>

19

<p>Haha... you're not going to want to take 7 APs in your senior year. I'm taking 6, and after getting into college it's just annoying.</p>

<p>Don't worry about any particular amount of community service. Service is just like any other activity: do it if you enjoy it. If you hate community service and like MUN, devote your time to that. It doesn't make a difference either way, as long as you're doing something productive with your time.</p>

20

<p>So, from what you guys have said, it's more about doing what you love and doing it as well as possible? That as opposed to planning out everything "you need to do" to make a strong application?</p>