Am I On The Right Track

Applying to College
1

Here are the classes that I’ve taken so far and the grades I’ve got. Our school does this weird thing where it places all the hardest AP’s with the underclassmen and the easiest AP’s with the upperclassmen?? LOL

Freshman Year
AP Biology - A both semesters (AP: 3)
AP Human Geography - A BS (AP: 4)
Honors English 9 - A BS
Honors Algebra II Trigonometry - A first semester, B second semester
Yearbook - A BS
Spanish 1 - A BS
P.E. - A BS

Sophomore Year
Regular Chemistry - A BS
AP European History - A BS (AP: 3)
Honors English 10 - A BS
Honors Pre-Calc - A BS
Yearbook - A BS
Spanish 2 - A BS

Took Spanish 3 at local community college, got A

Junior Year (Tentative)
AP Calculus BC
AP Studio Art
AP US History
AP Lang & Comp
AP Environmental Science
Yearbook

Taking Chemistry at local community college (Tentative)
Taking American Government at local community college (Tentative)

Senior Year (Tentative)
Yearbook
AP Statistics
AP Physics
AP Psychology

Here are my SAT Subject Test Scores:
Biology - 690 (I cry a little inside, every time)

I’m also taking Math 2. Additionally, I might take Korean, USH, or Lit? Not sure yet. Probably will go with USH.

Here are my extracurriculars:

  • Yearbook (Clubs Editor)
  • Art Movement - (Co-Founder)
  • LINK (President)
  • US-Korean Alliance (Officer)
  • Pasadena Art Center Programs

I reallyyyy want to get, like, a job soon? Maybe as a waitress. Also, I just sent in an application for a higher officer position at US-Korean Alliance and (to be honest) I’m gonna get it. :wink: Also, I want to try to get an interneship at a local art gallery or hotel because I’m interested in the arts and management. Maybe I’ll pick up tutoring again because I also like education. Also, my friends and I are planning to found a musical trio to perform at local elder’s homes or children center’s or churches for free because I quit cello some time ago and I feel bad that all that money has gone to waste and is just sitting there, rotting away. Also, I’m going to start entering art and writing competitions soon because mom…

Am I on the right track??

  1. Should I be taking Physics in junior year instead?
  2. If I’m not interested in science/engineering, should I just take AP Calculus AB?
  3. My Bio SAT II Score kinda sucks. Is it going to hurt my chances?
  4. How are my extracurriculars?
  5. Do colleges look down on taking classes at community colleges?
  6. Will the B I got in my math class, second semester, freshman year hurt my chances?
  7. Okay, this is the big one… So lately, I’ve been considering going to community college FIRST and get all my general education requirements out of the way. I was hoping to do this and then take the chance to learn more about myself and what I’m interested in. Then I was hoping to transfer out to a better college and finish up there, getting my graduation certificate there, too. This way, I save SOOOOOOOO MUCH MONEY, I am a little more prepared for college life than the rest of my classmates, and I get to take some time to myself. Not a bad idea, right? If I do this, should I still continue to work hard in high school? I mean, is there even a point if I’m going to community college anyways? When I transfer out to a better college, would I send in my high school transcript???

Thanks,
Typical Nervous Junior

2
  1. Doesn't really matter when you take it.
  2. Probably. If you think you'll receive a worse grade by taking BC, it's better to stick with AB since you aren't applying to an engineering school or anything. Also, consider if by taking BC you'll have less time to study for other classes. If you take BC, will your other grades suffer?
  3. You can retake it or just not send the score in if the college doesn't require SAT II's.
  4. No one on a forum can be sure how your activities will be viewed. That's up to the admissions officer at each individual school. It looks like you are very involved in your community and you are doing activities you enjoy. Keep that up.
  5. No.
  6. Most likely not. Not worth worrying about.
  7. I'm not sure how the transfer process works, someone else here can answer that for you. However, I think it's good to keep working hard because A) You want to keep your options open if you change your mind and want to go to a 4 year and B) Just because they're community college classes doesn't mean they won't be hard. You still want to be as prepared as possible so that you can maintain a high GPA for when you transfer.
3

The best aid goes to freshmen, not transfers. Can your family afford to pay for a 4-year school out-of-pocket? If not, you may want to focus on colleges where you can get good merit aid for your stats as a freshman.