<p>Hey everyone. I was just wondering if I am on the right track if I want to get into Brown University or another school of this sort. I am only a freshman in high school but I want to be sure I am moving in the right direction. I am not posting this to boast in any way as some may do. I really just want some opinions. Any thoughts, comments or suggestions would be very much appreciated!</p>
<p>Freshman Year: Honors Biology, Honors Geometry, Honors English 9, French IV, American History, Honors Economics, and Chinese 1. I ended up with all As so far. My sophomore schedule is already planned out.</p>
<p>Sophomore Year: Honors Chemistry, Honors Algebra 2, AP Economics, AP Art History, Ceramics, World History, Honors Middle Eastern Studies, Honors Philosophy, and Honors English 10.</p>
<p>Current ACT: 33 composite</p>
<p>ECs: -Along with English, I fluently speak French, Turkish, Farsi, and Italian. I can understand Spanish</p>
<pre><code> -I do what is called reining on horses and I have won a few competitions
-Founder and Chief Editor of the School Newspaper
-Founder of school's ski/snowboard club
-Class President and member of student council
-Academic Team
-Started my own online business and I hope to expand it and make it successful
-Varsity tennis and golf
-Play piano every other weekend at local nursing home
-Full scholarship from state department on a summer abroad trip to turkey
-Altar server and lector at local church
<p>Frankly, I’m a bit confused by your myriad of extracurriculars. Are you really, truly passionate about <em>all</em> of these activities? Or are you just doing it for the college app? If you actually love every single one of these activities, I admire your wide range of interests and ability to excel in, well…everything. </p>
<p>I think you’re on the right track, although I do think that it would be better to focus in on certain ECs more than others as high school continues.</p>
<p>Founder and Chief Editor of the School Newspaper</p>
<p>You’re a freshman, five months into HS and your telling us your HS has never had an operating schools newspaper and you’re the magical “Founder”. I call BS alert here.</p>
<p>Sorry for some of the confusion. @T26E4 my school is extremely small and there has never been a school newspaper in its short history. I started it up over the summer going into my freshman year and because nothing (even a school newspaper) goes on here, it was a big hit. It is just a perk of living in a small town. @i<em>wanna</em>be_Brown Men’s tennis just started and the varsity team has been decided as it is a spring sport at my school. Golf is a fall sport for us. @bod I took high school language classes (French 1, 2, 3, and 4 as well as Spanish 1, 3, and AP) starting in 6th grade so I got the credits. Thank you @elpiano for the feedback. I truly am passionate about all of those ECs, but do you think I should still narrow them down a bit?</p>
<p>Hi! Great stats, congratulations on your hard work
I would encourage you to focus on what you like, now that you have a wide and strong base.
Secondly, I’d encourage you to think hard about what you want and need (two different things) to get out of a college degree and college experience. This is key.
What kind of school is “this sort”? (You ask if your stats are good for “Brown or any school of its sort”) Do you want the prestige of an ivy league? Do you want a school that is tucked in somewhere, rather small? Do you want an East coast school?
Find out what kind of student you are: totally self guided, needs some external pressure, wants a good athletic experience along academics, prefers to stay relatively close to home, knows what to do and how to get there, and already planned what you are going to be working at 10 years from now and made job contacts, wants a top notch university that will match his top notch abilities and potential, wants just a general well rounded experience, wants a college that will feed and strengthen his entrepreneurship through theory and practice, intends to stay grounded in his faith through faith organizations and student groups, retreats, etc. (if so, Brown is not the place)
Also, beware that colleges will put your numbers and accolades against similar type of schools. It is not the same to be at the top 1% of a class of 900 students, than it is to be in a class of 50, and they know it.
On the other hand, regardless of that, some colleges also may need exactly your demographics to fit the bill, whether you are of Asian or Hispanic descent, or are applying for a language school that they just opened, etc. </p>
<p>So ask yourself 1st what you want to achieve (a generic college experience, a pass into an ivy league, a good philosophy or language school, a fun time?) and then research, research, research. This website is absolutely the best to start and end the search. A visit to the college is important when you are done with that, but in my experience with 3, it didn’t tell us even 1% of what the college would deliver.
Hope this helps!</p>
