Am I on the right track?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>I've been lurking around this forum for a while so I thought I would finally join. </p>

<p>I'm going into grade 10 this fall and I just wanted to know if I'm the right track to stand a chance at being admitted to a school like Harvard. I understand that this process is completely unpredictable but I would still appreciate some advice from all of you. I know some people find it weird to be thinking about university when you have two years until you apply but hey, I'm a weird kid. :P </p>

<p>Ok, about me: </p>

<p>I'm a white female Canadian at a small private school. Many people from my school end up at American universities. This year people were accepted to schools like Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Georgetown, UPenn, and Columbia. </p>

<p>Academics:
- straight As all year
- I averaged 95% on my final exams this year.
- I have received honours with distinction the past two years
- As far as APs go, I know I will be doing AP French and I plan to take more but I choose those later.
- I start Biology 11 this year (my school offers it early) </p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
- I play saxophone in a concert band and jazz band
- I have started rowing (crew) this summer and I plan on continuing. By grade 12, I hope to be quite good and continue rowing in university as well.
- I have always wanted to play cello so I have started this summer
- I'm in the sailing club at my school
- I really want to join Model UN once I'm old enough
- I am running for class president this fall
- I will run for a position on the student council in grade 12
- I volunteer with various organizations (ex. tutoring kids at risk, spending time at a nursing home)
- I will be doing a volunteer trip to Africa next summer
- I will start working part time this year at a grocery store </p>

<p>Awards:
Canada doesn't seem to have these big awards I see people from the states talking about on the forum. But I am working to complete the gold Duke of Edinburgh award. (an award given to those who accumulate x number of volunteer hours along with x hours of physical activity, a skill (ex. saxophone), and an outdoor ed. trip)</p>

<p>Oh, and I consider myself a pretty good writer so I hope my essays will be good. I got 98% on my English exam and 96% overall this year. </p>

<p>So what are areas I can improve on? Do you have any recommendations? I know with a lot of my ECs I say 'I will' but I have only recently figured out what I really enjoy and for other things I was just too young to start earlier.</p>

2

<p>No, you should get off this site for a year and enjoy yourself.
Then come back and worry about this stuff. That is the right
track.</p>

3

<p>^ Amen.</p>

<p>Enjoy yourself and don’t stress it. High school isn’t boot camp for college. Keep your grades up and do what you love. Seriously. </p>

<p>Then come back next year when you (hopefully) discover where your interests lie. I’m sure there will be more than enough CCers willing to advise you then. </p>

<p>So in summary, find the activities that excite you, then let your interests lead you from there.</p>

<p>Good luck. Enjoy grade ten.</p>

4

<p>Ask your peers who’ve been accepted! Most of them will likely be more than happy to help you out. </p>

<p>Look into Royal Canadian Air Cadets if there’s a squadron in your area. It’s one of those awesome Canadian-only unique experiences. It might take a while though and it’s definitely not for everyone. Most people join in gr 7 though.</p>

5

<p>Hey, I’m in air cadets! <em>cough</em> Sergeant <em>cough</em> Anyway, it is great for Duke of Ed awards, you have physical activity, community involvement and skill, they have marching bands but I don’t think saxophone is part of it. I play trumpet. You can still join though. </p>

<p>OP: You don’t happen to be in or near Toronto, do you?</p>

6

<p>Havergal College to be specific?</p>

<p>Sorry if I sound stalkerish, but with crew as an EC and early biology 11, you sound like a Havergal student. (Havergalian?)</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all the advice. :slight_smile: Woah I looked on the cadets website. It looks very intense! I’ll look into it. Ahaha nope. I’m not a havergalian (?) and I don’t live anywhere close to Toronto either. :slight_smile: </p>

<p>WHat? High school isn’t boot camp for college??? :stuck_out_tongue: Ok, ok I’ll stop worrying about all of this… it’s just that a lot of people in my family are off to university so I couldn’t help but think about it all. But thank you. I will stop stressing about this now.</p>