<p>All the top engineering schools, Yea really ambitious. I am a Sophomore getting all B's this semester, except Possibility of a couple "A"s and MIGHT still have a "C" on AP Comp... Still got finals to take... But I really want to get into those colleges, I got a pretty good base on EC stuff, Football, Track and Field and Robotics, and Church, I guess would count... LOL but seriously, any advice? I still got 2.5 years of school left, I got SATs to take and stuff, IDK seems like child abuse to freaking base the rest of your life on the 4 years of your life, especially when they are hormone driven and all crazy.... Im going to talk to my councillor tomorrow, but I think she will laugh at me, seriously... Im a "Jock" you can say, but Im a geek at heart, HTML in 5th grade and C++ ever sine I was 12, LOL even before I picked up lifting... </p>
<p>Any General Advice? I have emailed the CalTech Admissions people and they said that
"We look at all of your grades to see that you are taking challenging classes and doing well in them. As long as you have been raising the lower ones, you should be fine."
I sense euphemism...
but I do know I have a chance, even though its school for the best of the best, I can become the Bestest of the best</p>
<p>You have to be very involved in science and math. You have to be taking all the math classes possible available to you and also all the science classes. IB or AP are a must for these schools or even comm. college classes. You have to also have top SATs in math and SAT II’s have to be in math or science too. Just sign up for math and science coursework along with other units you have to take. Just do well and then get into all science programs. </p>
<p>Im planning on taking all the way up to AP Calc and AP Physics, Im in chem right now, so AP Physics next year and something else the next year, IDK what to take though, and I have messed up in middleschool so Im 1 year behind than I was supposed to be(still at or above average class) so I have to catch up with summer school, but I will have to take precalc next year… I will have to discuss it with the councillor, but I was thinking of taking Programming classes at CC, but I heard that its basically the same thing as my AP Comp Sci Class, so kinda pointless since I already know it, but I am very involved in Robotics, its my first year in the club but I have a pretty big role I guess, thats good rec letters</p>
<p>also planning on taking SAT 2 for Physics and Math and Korean (im korean) next year</p>
<p>Ok, for MIT they reject those with 2400 SATs 4.0 with AP Scholar Distinctions and really high amounts of ec’s. But you have a grasp if you do well since you are in athletics. But add more ec’s!!! they will help. Stanford will be a reach too, but I am confident you will pass your APs and then it will be a low reach/match. Cal tech you should have a decent chance should you do well again on your coursework and your tests. Be confident and everything will be ok, but remember you have a 50:50 at MIT and that is for everyone who applies. Just advice, I did my MIT interview a month ago (ended up not applying since I don’t match MIT’s standards) you have to talk a lot about yourself and find creative ways to distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicants that will boost you ahead.</p>
<p>CalTech, I really want because its literally 15 minutes away from my house and I want to work at JPL someday, (when Im like 50 and not “Hip” enough for the Gaming industry) I do realize MIT is way more competitive than Cal, but still I think I have a chance. Who know what will happen in 2.5 years, I can rise to #1 in the school or something. But I have no Idea on EC, I dont want to join the Science and Medicine Academy, even if my teacher was pushing me to join since freshman year, I just dont have time to squeeze that in, its impossible. I can try making a lifting club, but I doubt MIT cares about lifters…</p>
<p>Yeah, and I am saying you do have a chance so just keep at it and you will be all right. Those are high goals, but your work ethic sound like will achieve them and someday work at JPL…</p>
<p>I learned a bad news today with my counsellor, she said that the district is contemplating on making summer school remedial only, so I might not have a chance to take trig in the summer to get into precalc next year… that means precalc my senior year, thats not good AT ALL… I totally ****ed up in middle school, damn it, I regret it so much now…</p>
<p>so there is a chance I WONT be in Precalc next year, that throws me off so much… and Can I take SAT 2 my senior year? Because I dont think its a good idea to take physics SAT2 when Im taking it, so I want to do it the year after I do it</p>
<p>Hmm, you might not be able to get into precalc but I think there is another idea you can go for too. Just a thought even though I don’t think everyone will necessarily agree with me, but if I were you, I would take the trig next year, and self study for the AP Calculus test. The reason I am saying this is because I have noticed that while precalc teaches you new stuff that could help a lot during Calc, you won’t miss out on too much if you just skip it. The few concepts you’re missing (such as algebraic long division or some other small precalc concept thats necessary for calc), you could easily look up and learn within a few minutes. I am in Calc 3 at the moment in my senior year and I’ve noticed that precalc concepts didn’t come back too much in Calc AB/BC but they do reemerge in Calc 3 (Cross products and the z plane and whatnot). Don’t however go for this option if you don’t think you can or don’t want to do it though, and definitely shoot for a 5 seeing the schools you are going for. Who knows, you pass the AP exam, they might let you skip Precalc and AP Calc and let you PSEO Calc 3 or Diff eq at a community college nearby. Just a thought…</p>
<p>EDIT* Missed the part about the SAT 2, honestly I don’t suggest taking it senior year. It seems a bit late and you definitely won’t have a second chance for it. If there’s too much school work at most I would say take them over the summer. Your ACT and SAT, depending on how much you’re willing to spend on standardized testing, I would say just start taking them as soon as possible because even though you might not do well, you don’t need to report those scores and it will give you a great feel for what its like for the next time. Chances are, if you want a high enough score to be even considered for the schools you are looking at, you will probably need to take it more than once.</p>
<p>Self Studying sounds good, I have done that with C++, why not Math? So I will consider that route if they do make summer school remedial only, but if they dont, Im signing up for trig in summer ASAP, Hell maybe just skip Pre Calc even if they allow trig in summer</p>
<p>Im staying away from actual text books because solely on the price, I think I might ask my counsellor if I can borrow the school textbook next year</p>
<p>actually Im not sure if they allow skipping of PreCalc… I have to ask my counsellor though</p>
<p>Um… of the 3 colleges I know the most about MIT (I stalk MIT… wait… MIT is a building… how do you stalk a building?! lol)…</p>
<p>You can also talk to the teachers that teach the class to borrow a text book. I know one student in my school who’s self studying for the AP Physics B exam and the teacher who teaches that class is lending him a textbook. </p>
<p>Speaking of APs, I suggest you to take the SAT II in May or June, which is around or after the AP test. The SAT II and the AP typically test for similar if not the same things and this way everything’s still fresh in your mind when you’re taking that test. You’ll need to take SAT II in math & science. Um… I don’t suggest you to take them senior year, I’d suggest junior year if possible (if that’s when you are taking the classes). That’s because colleges need your scores and if you want to do early action for MIT (which I obviously suggest :D) then you’ll need your SAT II done latest by Oct of your senior year.</p>
<p>Well, not really sure what else you’d like to know… but you’re only a sophmore, you still have time ^-^ and anything can happen in 2.5 years… I can only wish you good luck!!</p>
<p>I think I ****ed off my counsellor, or something, she told me to chill out and not worry… And she wont let me skip precalc or even let me take college level calc in a community college while taking precalc my senior year… IDK I just hope that the budget cut doesnt make the summer schools remedial classes only… Thats my only hope… And is it better to take AP Physics than AP Bio or do Physics than AP Physics?</p>
<p>edit: Should I just straight up tell her my goals? I mean I just was asking her about classes, while not telling her my goal… I think she will either a) Laugh at me or b)Think Im high or hopefully c)help me out</p>
<p>am I worrying too much? My buddies arent even thinking of collee right now… or am I asking the wrong friends? I need to hang out with my own race more…</p>
<p>also calcuated my GPA, the highest unweighted GPA I can get by end of senior year is 3.7… I got a 3.16 last year as a freshman, I really regret it, I was literally DGAFing the whole time, just going with the flow… ■■■</p>