Chance a new sophomore? (need advice)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I'm going into sophomore year, and I really want help on making sure that I do everything possible to help me increase my chances for some big schools.</p>

<p>I really want to study science(and animals), so I'll probably major in zoology or biology.</p>

<p>The schools:
-Cambridge (my hopes are not that high for this one)
-Yale
-UC Berkeley
-Cornell
-Stanford
-?</p>

<p>I really want to boost my extra curriculars, as I know that they're lacking...<br>
I took the SAT in eighth grade and got around a 1700 (or 1800?? don't quite remember).</p>

<p>I go to a really nice private school, and there are always kids who get into the Ivy League schools. Most of the kids who go here are pretty well-off, but my family isn't.</p>

<p>Freshman:</p>

<p>Biology - B
Geometry - B+
Computer Science - A-
Journalism - A or B (our program is really famous because of the teacher and our paper has won many awards and recognition)
English - A or B+
Gym - A
Spanish 2 - A or B+
Band - A</p>

<p>Extras:
Around 20 hours of service at animal shelter (walking dogs)
Junior Varsity Soccer
Journalism
Altar Server at catholic church (since 2nd grade)</p>

<p>Sophomore Year Load:
Chemistry
Gym
English 2
Early World History
Advanced Journalism (I'll be a columnist this year)
Spanish 3
Accelerated Advanced Algebra/ Trig.</p>

<p>Hopeful Junior Schedule
-Ap World history
-Gym
-Ap Bio
-English Elective (Sci-fi or Jane Austin centered, hopefully)
-Advanced Journalism
-Spanish 4 (I reallllly don't like Spanish...)
-Discrete Math
-Sculpture or Ap Art History</p>

<p>Hopeful Senior Schedule
-Ap something history (not sure yet, sorry..)
-Physics
-Calculus AB (I'll study Pre-cal over the summer junior year)
-Advanced Journalism (hopefully editor in chief)
-English elective
-Maybe Spanish...
-Science Electives</p>

<p>I don't like Spanish. If I should take it though, I will.
I have no doubt that I'll score much higher on the SAT this time, and I want to study AP environmental science over junior year too.</p>

<p>Hopeful Future Extra-Curics:
-Varsity Soccer (junior year up)
-Varsity Fencing
-Maybe science team
-Journalism (for sure)
-More dog/cat Shelter volunteering
-Ferret Shelter volunteering
-nature center volunteering</p>

<p>What else should I do?? I have siblings who both went to the same Ivy with biology, but I don't really want to go to that school.</p>

<p>Is Spanish really important?</p>

<p>Please chance me with the hopeful schedules + extra curriculars shown above!</p>

<p>Criticism is welcome and I would really appreciate any help.</p>

<p>Thanks!!</p>

2

<p>-bump------</p>

3

<p>Hello,
I think it’s kind of hard to guess whether u have a good chance of getting in or not. But I would recommend bringing the grades up to all A’s and get high scores on the SAT. Try to take the hardest courses offered. Also, it would be more impressive if u focus in one passion, if u found one, and do lots of it.</p>

4

<p>Firstly, it’s really hard to chance you when you’re a rising sophomore with no SAT scores, so I won’t. (And while CC’s a great place for information, chance threads are extremely subjective.) Your SAT scores are sure to have risen, maybe a lot, since 7th grade, and you don’t even need to worry about the SAT or PSAT until around next summer. Also, colleges look at your GPA over your entire high school career; if you show an upward trends and raise those Bs to As, it’ll look good.</p>

<p>About Spanish: Many top colleges recommend 3-4 years of a foreign language; I’d say take it up until maybe junior year with AP Spanish/Spanish 4 (unless you need that class space) but don’t take it senior year; at my school, only foreign-language majors continue taking Spanish even after they’ve finished the AP test.</p>

<p>Random things: 1. Consider if you really have to take gym if you’re doing soccer/varsity soccer (every school’s different, but at mine, no one does gym if they have a sport). 2. Your extracurricular activities look good; it seems like you’re set up with journalism for four years and a lot of volunteering (or what will be a lot by the end of junior year) that’s related to your future major. Quality over quantity. 3. Research more colleges and look into the ones you’re considering. How are they different from each other, besides the obvious? Could you see yourself living in that area for four years? What are their testing and class requirements?</p>

<p>Sophomore year’s slightly early to begin worrying about college; take it easy and try your best and you’ll be fine.</p>

5

<p>Thanks! That’s exactly what I was asking for.</p>

<p>I know it’s early to be worrying, but I can’t help it. PE is required through junior year, so that’s not a class I can discard.</p>

<p>I understand where you’re coming from when you won’t chance, so I suppose those are a just a list of colleges I want to look further into later.</p>