<p>I had a great first year of high school, good grades, ECs, etc... I was just wondering if any upperclassmen had any advice for how to get the most out of the rest of high school? Whether how to survive AP classes, balance school and ECs, or tips regarding the college application process, anything would be appreciated.
Thank you.</p>
<p>Buy your AP prep books early, and study them along with your courses. I unfortunately postponed AP exam studying until the week before, and it caused me a great deal of stress. Avoid that headache and study year-round.</p>
<p>If you’re taking precalculus next year (or have already taken it), take the Math II Subject Test in May. Use the Barron’s book to study. I did, and it went very well (I got an 800). If you’re taking an AP course that corresponds to another subject test, you could try taking that in June as well. I did so with Bio, and it went well yesterday. </p>
<p>Good luck with your sophomore year!</p>
<p>I just finished my sophomore year, and pretty much all I can say is do not procrastinate AP studying. Make sure to give it your all in your AP classes, open your prep books at least a month in advance, and time yourself while studying (do a certain amount of studying each day).</p>
<p>Try your best, and don’t let problems (social, academic, anything) get in the way of your goal. Good luck! :)</p>
<p>StudiosMaximus has some good points But I would like to add
- Study PSAT
- Read as much as possible
- Volunteer
- Don’t go on CC so much. It has a tendency to stress people out.
- Get involved in clubs
- If you can get leadership positions
- Continue relationships you formed with your freshmen teachers.
- Most Importantly, HAVE FUN!</p>
<p>Go hard in da paint</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice. I have another question about leadership positions in clubs and stuff: I have an idea for a program/club I’d like to start at school, how important do you think being a founder of a club would be on college applications?</p>
<p>It depends. </p>
<p>Please, please only start the club if you have a true interest in getting yourself more involved in that area and exposing people to that area. Do NOT do it just to be able to put on your college apps that you founded a club. Colleges see right through that on your application.</p>
<p>You can’t just say that you founded a club at school. You have to show meaning and depth. You have to show that you really, truly care about that club and what it means and portrays. If you feel like you can go far with this club, you have a true interest, and even get that club involved in your community OUTSIDE of school, go for it! If it’s just for the name, don’t do it.</p>
<p>My plan was to start a students-helping-students program, where the group of people who excel in school can serve as tutors to those that don’t. My school has a real problem in that there is a large separation between the students who get very high grades and the students who fail. The students that fail make up a very large portion of our population and because of this, we have been put on probationary status, which could affect the quality of education for all students. Starting a program to help get us off PI and also improve the number of our students who get into college is something that I’m really interested in doing, because I am sick and tired of people from other schools looking down on us because we go to the “stupid school.” We can be as good as them; people just need to realize it. The people at my school assume that just because they go to a “bad” school, they have to be a genius to get into college. They don’t realize that there is so much more they can shoot for. I was just wondering about the weight of the founder role because, other than the essays, the extracurriculars are really the only way I can think of that applicants can communicate who they are to colleges. Showing that I started a club to help the students at my school seems like a good way to demonstrate my passion for helping people, which I want to be a focus of my future life and career.</p>
<p>Well you obviously do have a passion for this program, and by simply saying you were the “founder” of this is not enough. Just make sure you’re very active in what you’re aiming for (obviously it seems that you will be!), and make sure to flourish this field in your application when the time comes. :)</p>
<p>That explanation of why you want to start a club is what admissions officers are looking for. I say go for it!</p>
<p>Sorry, I know I’m not giving you a direct answer, but if you do put on your college apps that you founded this, there obviously has to be more to it, like what you did in this club and how it impacted your community, which I’m sure it will.</p>
<p>Yeah, I would obviously try to talk about it in my essays and tie it in to the things I’m trying to do with the FBLA chapter at my school, which I’ll be president of next year, and also the things I’m trying to do with my volunteer work both with school organizations and with the community library. My main goal throughout my high school career (and eventually, life) is to not just float through my environment and leave it how I found it, but to improve it as much or more as it has and will improve my life. I want to do something with my time here; why not try to improve the lives of others?</p>
<p>take more AP classes earlier. Remember to study for PSAT junior year. Take your subject SAT tests <6 months after taking an AP course in that subject or such. Also, taking tests before junior year summer means less stress and more concentration on essays/apps etc.</p>
<p>also, make sure to have community service and volunteering currently. </p>
<p>make friends with teachers you like.</p>
<p>I didn’t read any responses but here are my two tips:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Use AP prep books to study way before you start worrying about exams. This year I promised I would start doing this, and even though I didn’t hold true to that promise, I saw all the potential that studying early could have brought. </p></li>
<li><p>If you do take AP exams next year and master the respective subject(s) thoroughly, sign up early for sat 2’s the month of the AP exams. Already in my sophomore year I had to push the date 1 month back (due to late signup) and by then I had already forgotten enough to reduce my score. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Other than that just do well and always challenge yourself.</p>
<p>bumppppppp</p>
<p>Do not procrastinate</p>