Anxieties about college acceptance...

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>I know it's a little early to be posting about college, but there are some things I want to clear up... please be respectful :)</p>

<p>I'm half way through my Sophomore year in High School. Teachers are starting to talk about college, sat scores, and grades on a weekly basis. As a guy with high anxiety, it naturally makes me, well, anxious. </p>

<p>I'm near the top of class, which has roughly 650 students (it's hard the exact number, because every year people drop out). I have a weighted GPA of approximately 4.6, and an unweighted of 4.0 (perfect). I take all AP and Gifted classes. My PSAT scores are 640 for math, and 630 for critical reading/writing. I still have over a year until I take the SAT, so there's definitely going to be improvement.</p>

<p>I have a lot of interests, but I don't do many "organized" activities, mainly due to anxiety and nervousness. I tend to do my own thing, like play basketball with neighbors or go to small get togethers at a friend's house. Clubs don't interest me because most of them are filled with people who don't care to be there - they're just doing it for acceptance. I'm the same way. I don't care to be in NHS, or Spanish Honors Society. Why would I want to waste my time while a bunch of people sit around doing nothing that's fit to be glorified by College Admins?</p>

<p>I live in Florida, and I'm thinking about two colleges: Georgia Tech and University of Florida. Members of my family have gone to both schools, and they all received engineering majors. I'm planning to do the same. </p>

<p>I read about all these people with so many clubs, activities, and amazing GPA scores, then I look at my own stats and think "well, damn."</p>

<p>Long story short: Am I on track to get into UF and GT, and should I really be worrying this much? My grades are better than almost anyone I know, and the same goes for my PSAT scores, but yet I still feel like I'm not doing well enough to make it into the college(s) I want to.</p>

<p>Thanks ahead of time for any help. I'll be looking at responses for the next hour, and I'll read the rest tomorrow around noon.</p>

<p>Edit - I apologize if this is in the wrong place - it seemed like the best one, but I may be wrong. This is my first day on the website. If it's not, would you mind pointing me towards where I should post it? Thanks.</p>

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<p>You’re definitely on track, and will probably be able to aim at schools more selective than both (as long as you improve your SAT scores and keep up the good grades).</p>

<p>Make sure to write strong essays when you get to that point and be involved in the community and at your school.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the quick response. I try to get involved, but it’s just so difficult. There aren’t any clubs I care to spend time at. I’d rather write a 6 page history essay than attend most of the clubs at my school.</p>

<p>I’m not very athletic, so going out for sports isn’t really a thing, either. I’m a 120 pound, 5’10 kid with a knack for being clumsy.</p>

<p>I guess it has to do with my laziness, too.</p>

<p>When you apply, what’s included on the Common App (GT uses it, and I’m most interested in that college)? Does it have to be organized stuff, or can you include personal hobbies?</p>

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<p>You will want to study for the PSAT for next fall, that is the one that counts for national merit. That can just help a lot in the admissions process. Does your school have a robotics team, or a quiz bowl team, or participate in any kinds of science Olympiads? Those tend to be activities where people care a bit more than some other clubs, and also where being smart (which you seem to be) pays off as well. It probably isn’t too late to join any of them this year if you check them out in the next couple of weeks.</p>

<p>You can include personal hobbies, but it is usually better if there is some organizational component to them. Like one of my kids was involved in entomology, but she entered her collection in the county fair and won some ribbons with it.</p>

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<p>I take an SAT class at my school, and I will continue to study for that. I’m not sure if I will get National Merit, but it’s worth a shot. I haven’t gotten the scores back for the most recent PSAT I took - they come in before winter break or right after. I’ll see my improvement from there.</p>

<p>After reading through other posts, it seems like my GPA isn’t going to be a problem, and my SAT scores are on track to get into both schools. </p>

<p>It’s EC’s I’m most worried about. I just can’t get enough motivation to join any clubs or do any activities. I’d rather be by myself in my room than go to a robotics club or science Olympiad meeting. </p>

<p>Do colleges understand that? Do they realize that some people just aren’t social and would rather no “participate”? Or will that be a serious issue when I start applying for college?</p>

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<p>Colleges prefer students who are active and involved because they want students to contribute to their respective communities as well.</p>

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<p>Quit worrying about grades and scores…. when I was your age (Im a senior right now) I was practicing guitar for hours on end in my room and growing really passionate. My advice to you is to find your passion, get involved in it, and stick with it. Because no offense but right now you sound like a dispassionate snob (sorry) who only cares about getting into the best “ranked” school in the world so they can go to a great business school, get rich, buy a mansion in South Carolina and drink lemonade all day.</p>

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<p>I get that, but it just seems so silly how people go out of their way to join clubs/activities that they don’t care about just to get into college. Don’t colleges realize this?</p>

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<p>Of course they do! They look for passion and commitment. If they see you are parts of all different random clubs what does that say about you? Sure, I guess it could say you have many interests, but it sure as heck doesn’t show you have passion and drive. Also, Fivefour, I wasn’t calling you a snob, I was saying thats what you sound like, and colleges will see that to you. This website is addicting. It makes you anxious. I’m very glad I didn’t sign up until June. The best advice I can give to you right now is GET OFF THIS SITE. Go pick up a guitar and try to play. Maybe you’ll be the next Jimi Hendrix. Go learn some Calculus. Maybe you’ll be the next Feynman or Newton. Go find yourself.</p>

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<p>That’s the nature of some people out there, and it definitely is terrible and annoyingly insincere. </p>

<p>Like eps said, find your passion!</p>

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<p>Eps96 - my most recent post was posted without having seen your response. I was writing mine when you posted yours.</p>

<p>I have no intention of staying on this website. I will most likely leave wit this being my only thread. I just had some questions I wanted to be resolved.</p>

<p>About being a “dispassionate snob”… I, for one, do not care to make it into the best of the universities, or become rich. I care to go to a decent school, and get a job in Engineering. </p>

<p>To say I’m a snob is wrong. I hate the super rich, business-oriented snobs. </p>

<p>You can, however, say I’m dispassionate. I don’t really have much of a passion in anything, much less anything that’s laudable. I enjoy playing video games and being by myself - two activities that are frowned upon by all colleges. </p>

<p>I’m lazy, I get bored around other people, and I have little to no interests. Some of my friends even call me a misanthrope. I can’t stand 95 percent of people.</p>

<p>I’m not joking when I say that I can’t bring myself to doing Extracurriculars.</p>

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<p>I wasn’t calling you a snob my friend! I said you sound like one. Why not turn you interest in video games into something engineering oriented? Maybe try coding your own computer game, or taking apart your console and putting it back together? And then maybe you can start a little business fixing peoples cars or computers something (not sure what type of engineer you want to be). And calculus definitely helps with engineering. Why not start learning early?</p>

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<p>I just don’t have the motivation. Anyway, thanks for the replies. I’m going to bed now, and I’m not sure if I’ll get back to responding soon. </p>

<p>I’ll try to put the advice into use. It’s just difficult for me to get into activities.</p>