Am I Going In The Right Direction? Focused on UCSD

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi there!</p>

<p>I'm new to this website, figured I would make my first post here.</p>

<p>I'm currently an incoming/current Junior, graduating class of 2014, and my ideal college after high school would be UCSD.</p>

<p>First off, I'm leaving out Freshmen year since those don't really count.</p>

<p>Sophomore year:</p>

<ol>
<li>MYP English 5: S1- A S2- A</li>
<li>Pre Calculus: S1- B S2- B</li>
<li>MYP Japanese 2: S1-A S2-A</li>
<li>Honors Physics: S1- B S2- A</li>
<li>MYP Global Art: S1- A S2- A</li>
<li>MYP Honors US History 5: S1-A S2-A</li>
</ol>

<p>Junior Year I Am Taking These Classes:</p>

<ol>
<li>IB 1 Math Studies</li>
<li>IB Biology 1</li>
<li>IB History of America</li>
<li>MYP Japanese 3</li>
<li>IB English 1 </li>
<li>IB Physics</li>
</ol>

<p>Clubs I Am In, Note: I am not an Officer in any of these:</p>

<ol>
<li>Key Club
2.ROC (Bboy Club): Possibly an Officer Position Senior Year</li>
<li>Vietnamese Cultural Club: Possibly an Officer Position Senior Year
4.Speech and Debate: Fair Decorated, Several (7+) Undefeated Trophies for me and Partner in Public Forum, Qualified for States, Possibly a Senior Year Officer Position</li>
</ol>

<p>Extracurricular:</p>

<ol>
<li>Violin</li>
<li>Creek Day (Mandatory of IB Program, counts as a Science Credit so might not be extracurricular)</li>
<li>Community Service 100+ Hours</li>
<li>Volunteer at Two Hospitals: Kaiser Permanente and Mercy Hospital</li>
<li>Youth Group Leader at Church </li>
</ol>

<p>SAT Scores (As of My Last Practice SAT Test in July)
Writing: 700
Math: 750
Critical Reading: 710</p>

<p>Class Position
88 out of 462</p>

<p>That is top 19%. Note, I am from a competitive High School, Mira Loma High School.</p>

<p>I'm hoping to get into the premed program at UCSD. So am i going in the right direction? What areas should I be focusing on? Where can I STILL IMPROVE. I am aware that it is Junior year and might be too late to add any extracurricular. I took an extra lab science class to bring my total of lab sciences to 6 Semesters of Lab Sciences. Oh, and I'm a IB Diploma student.</p>

<p>Quick question, how much impact does having an IB Diploma have? Or is it relatively useless =P </p>

<p>Also, if you know any medical programs focused on high school students my age in the Sacramento Area, please PM me, I'm relatively ignorant on these type of things =P</p>

2

<p>I’d say you’re on track. It’s a common misconception that freshman grades do not matter, but they do. It will be part of you’re GPA</p>

3

<p>Freshmen grades DO count because they influence your class rank.</p>

<p>UCs care more about GPA/SAT than Extracurriculars.</p>

<p>You can basically improve everywhere.
Grades - Get all As. Just because its a competitive school doesn’t mean you can’t get all As, all you have to do is really try, learn to control your time wisely.</p>

<p>SAT - If its not 2400, theres always room to improve. Considering how you go to a competitive school, you’ll have to score higher than 75% of applicants.</p>

<p>Extracurriculars - DO SOMETHING WITH THEM. Go to an outside orchestra, hold a benefit concert, talk to people at hospitals to build connections so they can write recs for you</p>

<p>Medical Programs - You work in a hospital. Either talk to people and find out or google it yourself.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the replies~</p>

<p>One more question.</p>

<p>I’m considering replacing my IB Physics class with an IB Economy class.</p>

<p>The Economy class is much easier and would guarantee a higher GPA.</p>

<p>IB Physics offers an extra year of lab science.</p>

<p>Any recommendations?</p>

5

<p>It depends, what major do you want at UCSD? I’m actually attending there this fall as a Human Bio Major and attending on being pre-med. </p>

<p>But it’s hard to chance when there’s no junior year grades or test scores to go off, but you’re on a good track.</p>

<p>I would try and get some leadership roles in the clubs you’re in. Personally, none of your EC’s stick out in particular.</p>

<p>And you should know there’s no such thing as a PREMED program in UCSD. You can be in any major and still take the pre-med courses needed for med school and still get it. I just wanted a Bio major since that’s what I like XD.</p>

<p>Try and raise your class rank to the top 10% and you’ll have higher chances and good luck studying junior year!</p>