Hello CC people,
I’m a freshman in a big public hs in California.
I have big dreams and I really want to attend a prestigious university. I know that I’m gonna be needing a high score for the SAT/ACT so I’ve started studying ACT Grammer, SAT Vocab Barrons, and I read every single day. I read science articles and a lot of other things.
Am I in the right path??
Should I start with somethings else?
Can you good people share some tips with me?
Thanks:)
Keep reading every day, that’s key.
Are you in low-performing school (inner city, rural)? Or rather high-performing school, where almost all students go to a 4-year college.
Are you part of AVID, TRIO, UPWARD BOUND?
Make sure you have a schedule that’s rigorous, but not overwhelming. 4 years each of English, Social Science/history, and Science, plus up to level 4 in a foreign language and up to Precalculus Honors or Calculus; all three of Bio, chem, physics; an art class, perhaps 2; something that genuinely interests you and that you pursue as far as you’re able,showing initiative.
Get to know your teachers. If there’s a student representative to the School Board, get elected. Or work fo Habitat for Humanity. Or try to get selected for Rotary Year Abroad or CBX.
http://www.usagermanyscholarship.org/
Use your free time productively - read How to be a high school superstar by Cal Newport.
Borrow from your library Colleges that Change Lives and write down the names of the colleges you really like, then go to their website, fill out the “request information” form, and run the NPC (net price calculator). You have to run the NPC for each. Bring the results to your parents. Have a discussion about the costs of college with your parents even if they themselves have been (not long ago, public universities were well-funded by their states and cost very little. THis has changed.)
Refocus, from “prestigious” university to “great fit for me”. Many universities aren’t famous but are plenty well-known to the people who matter, offer excellent learning conditions, career centers, and opportunities, and are affordable. Borrow from your library, or buy, Princeton Review’s Best Colleges. Put post notes nex to the ones you like. Fill out the Request INfo form for those, too (this counts as “interest”).
Later on:
Practice for standardized testing using Khan Academy. The key moment will be PSAT, October junior year. If you complete a class sophomore year that could be a subject test, take the subject tst. Look into Questbridge, Posse.
@MYOS1634 Thank you so much it was really helpful!
Are you taking practice tests? Analyze your practice tests and tackle your weaknesses.