<p>Most top schools tend to look at grade trends. They realize that freshman year of high school is a transition year. Plus, Rice, like most other top schools, takes a holistic approach to admissions (grades are just one component). I wouldn’t worry too much about your freshman year grades. As long as you continue doing well (getting mostly As), you should be fine. However, your schedule looks very vigorous, so you will have to work very hard. Be careful not to burn yourself out before you get to college… don’t just take extra AP tests (i.e. American History or Econ) just to impress admissions officers (now if you are interested in learning these subjects, go for it).</p>
<p>By the way, most high school freshmen start off in geometry or algebra II during their freshman year of high school. It is EXTREMELY rare for someone at any high school to take AP Calculus during his/her freshman year of high school… you pretty much have to be a genius to do that. There was a math genius in my graduating class (who is currently attending Yale), and even he didn’t take AP Calculus until his sophomore year. Most people take AP Calc their junior or senior year of high school. </p>
<p>I don’t know what your chances are (no one on this thread does, which is why chance threads are meaningless), but I do feel you are a competitive applicant for Rice. All you can do is apply and see… you have a better chance getting in when you apply than when you do not apply.</p>