as a freshman, am I on the right track to Princeton?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Princeton University
1

<p>Hi</p>

<p>I am a freshman, and I am very serious about having a future at Princeton. To give you some more info to work off of, here...</p>

<p>Freshman year:</p>

<p>Advanced English (honors not avail) - A
Advanced English (honors not avail) - A
Honors Geometry - B :(
Honors Bio- A
French 3 (honors next yr) - A+
Italian 1 (skipping to level 3 next yr)- A</p>

<p>For next year, I am scheduled in...</p>

<p>Honors English
AP US history
Honors Algebra 2
Honors Chem
Honors French 4
Italian 3
Student leadership (elective)</p>

<p>As far as extra curriculars, I volunteer at the local museum and I am a junior educator. I also study Arabic. I am a Muslim, but I converted by my own choice. I am very passionate about womens rights particularly in the Middle east (I was inspired after reading The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, and I am searching for an organization in relation to this to join. I am a member of the Model UN club, and I plan on staying all through HS. I pitch/play softball in a travel league outside of school. (I quit the school team- it was crazily demanding and none of the coached understood the importance of my academics bc most of the team is...different...)</p>

<p>My GPA (weighted) this is about a 4.2 ish...I think this is due to the lack of honors available to freshmen.</p>

<p>So, basically I am wondering if I am on the right track and what else I can do to improve my chances. Any advice would mean the world to me!</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>It’s just way too early to tell. Your grades are okay so far… Nothing to sneeze at, but not outstanding. That said, keep getting almost all As. Make sure you study for SAT I and IIs early, because if you procrastinate, they will drive you crazy.
Also, differentiate yourself. It’s great that you have a passion, so get involved. Not only in a local club, but in a nationally-recognized committee.
Come back to CC at the end of your junior year, THEN it will be possible to gauge your prospects at Princeton.
Best of luck.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the response. Obviously, I know its way too early to see my chances now but I meant to ask if I am approaching it correctly and what else can I do.</p>

4

<p>I say keep striving for A’s in the most difficult classes availible. Good luck!! don’t give up!! work hard!!!</p>

5

<p>I’ve recently heard a lot about having to have one particular spike that comes through your application in order to get into an Ivy League university. I am currently studying at a School in South Africa and am in grade 10. My average here is 90% (which on the American system converts to about 96.5%). I am in my schools orchestra, A choir, wind band, flute ensemble and a capella singing group (all of which have an application progress). By the time I leave school I will have a diploma on the piano, grade 8 on flute and grade 8 on organ. I recently attended the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in Brisbane, Australia - and placed 3rd overall for persuasive speaking, placing 28th for all events combined out of 108 participants. I am the president of my schools Public Speaking society, have nationals colors for Public Speaking and debating. I am the vice-president of an academic group called historical bench, the president of my schools Global Issues Network and on my schools debate team. I did IGCSE exams in secret, as I felt they were a better syllabus, when I was 15 years old. I got 100% for physics and 97% for english. All of my other results were A’s. I did this by waking up at 5AM for days a week to teach myself the work using textbooks I bought with my birthday money. I am the president of a charity organisation called M4K which partners with a disadvantaged-youth care home by donating money, clothing, textbooks, easter eggs, christmas presents, old toys… Anything that can be used to brighten the lives of the children within them. I am a member of Equal Education, which strives for the right to education in South Africa and for the next 3 years will be in charge of organizing live entertainment and sponsorship for a charity run that raises about R80 000 for various charities every year (about $16 000). I captained my sports team for 6 years, untill I had to swap to social squash and surfing due to weak knees. I participate in music and art eisteddfods on a regular basis. I have never got less than a diploma for a work I have submitted or performed. I take Maths, Science, Biology, History, Music, English, Afrikaans (2nd language), Life Orientation and AP Maths (my school only offers one advanced placement course and I am currently getting 97% for it - which would be a 5 on the American system) I am the major scholarship holder at my school. Top 5 national public speakers. I am currently co-authoring and creating an investigation into shack fires in Africa which includes distributing home-made fire extinguishers to people living in shacks and several other initiatives for keeping them safe. I will attend the World Individual and Debating Championships another 2 times, am hoping to tour Greece next year with my a Capella group and attend my country’s national science expo. I have received distinction honors from my school 3 times, and about 15 other honors awards such as ties, badges and colors. The way things are now, I should graduate (in terms of academics) in the top 0.00005% of all grade 12’s in South Africa. I am still too young to campaign for a leadership position in my school, though I am already the president of several societies and movements and play a big part in organizing events within my school house (like the houses in Harry Potter) I am also in the process of creating an organization which raises fund for AIDS orphans. I write articles for a national magazine called Simply Green (which looks at how you can green your lifestyle) and have been featured in several local newspapers for achievements in music and speech. I am also in charge of my school’s environmental affairs portfolio. So there’s all this and a couple other small things, but as far as I can see, I don’t have one ‘spike’ or a really compelling story. I’m passionate about everything I do. There’s nothing in my day to day activities that I don’t enjoy. I come from a divorced background within which both of my parents have psychological disorders and had to fight to stay at the school I loved as my father refused to pay for it (so I got a scholarship) but still it seems that I don’t have that one big thing. And I’m an international student who would need to get a full financial aid package to one of the big universities. Plus I can’t exactly go for campus visits or have an interview. One thing is that I plan to write my SAT’s next year. I’ve bought the book and am reading through it in my free time. But other than that I don’t know what to do. Does anyone have any advice they could give me? And an opinion on what my chances are? Thanks so much, and sorry for the really long message!</p>

6

<p>Hey, A fellow South African!
SA113, where in SA are you based?</p>

<p>I got into Princeton this year from South Africa, and I took the same subjects that you’re doing (Except Music. I did Accounting instead, and did Music through UNISA outside of School), and I also did Debating. But beyond that, your resume makes me feel absolutely and terribly inferior! ;)</p>

<p>Do well on your SAT’s, write good essays, and you’ve got an excellent chance.</p>

<p>PM me if you’ve got any questions you’d like answered from a South African. :)</p>

7

<p>@JAupiais
Hey! :slight_smile:
Wow, it’s fantastic to find someone here I can relate to in some way!!
I was born in Joey’s, but am currently studying at Bishops in Cape Town as my mom lives there.
What about you? - where were you at school?
And congratulations - that’s amazing! What are you studying??
And did you get much financial aid? Sorry, (I’m just a little excited right now) but can you tell me a bit about how you applied, where else you applied to and how you went about the application process - that would be amazing! And maybe I’ll see you at Princeton (or NJ) one of these days soon :stuck_out_tongue:
BTW, my name is Joe, just in case you were wondering, and thanks for the encouragement!</p>

8

<p>Hey! :slight_smile:
Wow, it’s fantastic to find someone here I can relate to in some way!!
I was born in Joey’s, but am currently studying at Bishops in Cape Town as my mom lives there.
What about you? - where were you at school?
And congratulations - that’s amazing! What are you studying??
And did you get much financial aid? Sorry, (I’m just a little excited right now) but can you tell me a bit about how you applied, where else you applied to and how you went about the application process - that would be amazing! And maybe I’ll see you at Princeton (or NJ) one of these days soon :stuck_out_tongue:
BTW, my name is Joe, just in case you were wondering, and thanks for the encouragement! Is there some way I can give you my email address so I can get yours and ask you a couple questions?? :)</p>

9

<p>I don’t really seem to have a spike, but I am truly passionate about everything I do! I come from a divorced background within which both of my parents have clinical psychological disorders (but they’re both still really clever – my dad has a PhD in Quantum Physics so…) which was really hard to grow up with and has probably shaped me as a person, but I can only be stronger for it. My father refused to send me to the school I loved when I was 13, so I put my heart into winning a scholarship (and got it). I know attend that school. My family life is seriously, seriously messed up, but that doesn’t really make for a compelling story.</p>

<p>Anyway,</p>

<p>This is a rough CV. Please give me any feedback you have on what I’ve got, what I need, and what you would do to achieve that! Thanks so much! </p>

<p>Misc:
• South African
• Grade 10
• Would need full financial aid
• Interested in International Policy Law, Theoretical and Quantum Physics, Applied Economics and Public Relations (Lobbyist)
• White
• Male
• Middle-income ($70 000 per year)</p>

<p>Academics:
• 90% aggregate (equivalent to about 96.5% on the American System
• School only offers one AP class (Maths) which I am getting 97% for
• I did IGCSE exams in secret, as I felt they were a better syllabus than the South African 1 when I was 15 years old. I got 100% for physics and 97% for English Language. All of my other results were A’s. I did this by waking up at 5AM four days a week to teach myself the work using textbooks I’d bought with my birthday money before school.
• I take Maths, English, Afrikaans (2nd Language), Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Music, History, Life Orientation and AP Maths.
• As things are going I should graduate in the top 0.0005% of all South African Grade 12’s in 2013.
• As of yet I have not taken SAT’s, but I plan on taking them at the end of this year (teaching myself the syllabus and strategies from books and the internet).
• SAT II’s I will do in Math II, Physics, Chemistry, World History and maybe a 5th. That will be in June next year.
• The major scholarship holder at my school</p>

<p>Music:
• By the time I leave school I will have a Diploma on the piano, Grade 8 organ and Grade 8 flute (ABRSM)
• I do a lot of accompaniment work on the piano for other soloists and ensembles and have some experience as a conductor.
• I frequently enter competitions and consistently achieve Gold/Diplomas on all 3 of my instruments.
• I am in my schools Orchestra, A Choir, Wind Band, a Capella group (difficult to get into) and Flute Ensemble. I am 1st flute in the Orchestra, Wind Band and Flute Ensemble, a baritone for voice and in the top few school level pianists in South Africa.</p>

<p>Speech:
• Recently attended the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championship in Brisbane and placed 3rd for Persuasive Speech, 20th for Impromptu and 27th (out of 108) overall. I will attend the competition twice more before I leave school.
• I am top 5 Public Speakers in South Africa
• I am President of my school’s Public Speaking society and Vice President of the debating team and society (where I consistently am awarded best speaker in provincial (state) and inter-school debates as a 1st or 3rd speaker)
• I have National Colours for Public Speaking</p>

<p>Volunteer Work:
• I volunteer at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town where the work ranges from hands-on (like cleaning oil off of penguins) to motivational (like raising awareness about the sea and the endangered life within it, the importance of water etc etc…)
• I am on the committee of A charity run which raises around $16 000 per year for various charities. On that committee I am the head of the entertainment and sponsorship portfolios.
• I am the president and founder of the charity called M4K which is partnered with a crèche in the slums of Cape Town. For this youth-home we raise funds, donate money, clothing, presents, Easter eggs, old toys, text books, appliances – anything that can be used to brighten the lives of the children within the slum. We also organise for groups of boys to go to the home and play with the children within it. This is something I am very passionate about.
• I am a member of Equal Education (a youth movement in South Africa which campaigns for a Democratic view on education in my country)
• I am currently in the process of creating a drive between my school and an AIDS orphans charity through which I would be able to raise a large sum of money for that charity per year – though this has not yet come to fruition.
• I am currently co-authoring and creating an investigation into shack fires in Africa which includes distributing home-made fire extinguishers to people living in shacks and several other initiatives for keeping them safe.</p>

<p>Work Experience:
• I write articles for a nationally printed magazine called Simply Green (which looks at how you can green your lifestyle)
• Have been involved in marketing my mother’s business since she started it and have organised many entrepreneurial events such as fund-raising concerts and drives.</p>

<p>Other EC:
• President of my school’s Global Issues Network (an international network of students and young adults who explore the world’s issues and create projects, write articles and start initiatives to combating these issues.
• Vice president of Historical Bench which looks at today’s issues by analysing them and comparing them to those of the past
• Captained my rugby team for 6 years until I had to stop due to weak knees.
• I now play social squash, surf and climb.
• In charge of Cultural and Environmental portfolios at my school</p>

<p>Awards:
• National Colours
• Distinction from my school in Speech, Music and Academics
• Around 15 other school awards for all roundedness and excellence in various activities
• International recognition for Public Speaking</p>

<p>In the future:
• Plan to attend WIDPSC twice more.
• Hope to make National (if not International expo) for my science project on shack fires
• Write SAT’s
• Tour Greece with the a Capella group I am a member of
• Win my country’s national public speaking tournament
• Win a MAJOR music competition
• Campaign for proper leadership positions within my school (as I am currently too young to do so)
• Pursue the gain of knowledge by studying A2 Levels even if I don’t get to write the exams…
• Apply to Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Cornell, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Georgetown, Dartmouth etc… (The Ivy Leagues and a couple private safety schools too! )</p>