<p>I've just finished 8th grade, so I'll be going into my freshman year after the summer. I'm going to be applying for sophomore year to Andover, Exeter, Hotchkiss, Deerfield, Lawrenceville, and Choate. Please criticize me. Yes. I'm asking you to criticize me and tell me what I should do. :) Haha.</p>
<p>ACADEMICS:
Please note that in Middle School, my school grades from a 1-5 scale, and a 5 is equivalent to the range of As (A-, A, A+), and a 4 is equivalent to a B+ (not the range, just a B+).
Here are my grades for the year (8th grade)</p>
<p>English: 5</p>
<p>Social Studies: 5</p>
<p>ICT: 5</p>
<p>Music: 5</p>
<p>Algebra I: 4 (this is the only grade that actually translates into a letter grade because it's a high school course.</p>
<p>Science: 5</p>
<p>French: 5</p>
<p>PE: 5</p>
<p>Through the first semester of 8th grade, I took a college freshman-level writing course, and right now I'm finishing up a college undergraduate-level writing course, and I've just begun a college sophomore-level course. I'm also taking an Honors Geometry course this summer. I think I'm going to move up to Advanced Geometry (hopefully! Cross your fingers for me. Haha.) in 9th grade. I placed 2nd in a Chinese Speech Contest in 7th grade, and I received the TGV Prix Award that year for demonstrating "exceptional speed and outstanding potential in learning the French language" (or something along those lines.) I've been on the Principal's High Distinction List three times out of four (and the fourth time I was on the Principal's Distinction List). The High Dist. list is basically a grade average of 4.75 or above, and the Dist. list is 4 or above. I received 4 Branch of Learning Awards in one quarter (as in the part of a school year; half a semester) and they give those out every quarter and I've gotten one every quarter - I got one for Science, one for Humanities (English+Social Studies), one for PE and one for ICT.</p>
<p>SPORTS:
I've been swimming since the age of 3, and I started participating in competitions since the age of 5, when I joined the swim team. I've gone to A LOT (as in like... around 20, not all in different cities) of international competitions and I've gotten a total of 8 high point trophies. I have age group records (not right now, because I just turned thirteen, but from previous age groups) at school. I've also participated in the Hong Kong Age Group Long Course Swimming Championships in 2007, 2008, and 2009, as well as the Short Course Champs in 2008, 2009, and 2010. My best performance was probably getting 3rd for the 50m freestyle in 2007 at the LC champs (should I include that? It was a while ago.) I'm almost 100% sure I'll make varsity swimming next year, so I guess I could include that as well.
I've played volleyball for 3 years (6th, 7th, and 8th grade), and I've made the ISAC team all three years (the coaches choose 14 players to play at the ISAC tournament, out of 30-40 players.) I'm probably not going to keep playing volleyball next year, though.
I was on the track team for one year (just during the spring season of 8th grade.) But in 7th grade, I placed second for the grade 8 girl's 800m run. This year, I broke the grade 8 girls' record for the 800. I can probably make it onto varsity track next year as well, but by then, the application will have been turned in, but I'm still going to try out.</p>
<p>ECs:
I was the DJ for the last dance at school. (Okay, slightly insignificant, but give me some credit. I'm not that great of an applicant.)
I volunteer at a charity shop that supports 30 charities. I'm going to be volunteering for a month (and for the second month of the summer holidays, they're going to close the shop so I can't volunteer anyway) and I plan on volunteering during the weekends when school starts up again.
Next year, I'm going to join the HS Global Issues Group, Nightingale Charity Club, and Roots&Shoots. I'll also be part of the HS newspaper. I'm also planning on joining the Wushu team (this kind of martial-artsish thing. It's pretty fun) but I'm still not entirely sure about it.</p>
<p>The Arts:
Okay, this is where I'm really lacking some stuff. I played viola from 3rd grade through to 6th grade, but then stopped because viola took up a block of my schedule, and I had to give up that block in order to take two languages (Chinese and French; I didn't get a Chinese grade or anything during the last semester. Weird.) I'm going to pick it up again in high school, but I think it's going to be considered an extracurricular activity (wouldn't it? I'm planning on getting a tutor, not starting up again in school.)</p>
<p>I know this is really long, but please do at least try to give a shot at chancing me if you can't read through the whole thing because you're afraid that the boredom will seriously kill you. There were three students from my school (freshmen) who applied to Andover for the 2010 school year and they all got in. Just a little heads up. I go to a private international school in China, by the way.</p>
<p>And also, I already applied in 8th grade for the 2010-2011 year, but I got rejected from Andover and Exeter, and waitlisted at Hotchkiss (those were the only three I applied to.) On the form, it says, "Have you applied before? If so, what year?" Do I write 2010 or 2009? Haha. Thanks!!</p>