College Admissions help.

<p>I am really stressing out about everything to do with college. From what classes to pick to what EC's to do so i have a few questions.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>If I am planning on going to medical school after college what are some good choices for an undergrad school.( money isn't an issue) I just want to go to a school with amazing classes, great teachers and great med school admission rates.</p></li>
<li><p>For pre-med is an LAC better or an ivy?</p></li>
<li><p>I am a sophomore and want to do loads more EC's, what do you recommend i do? things that are interesting and fun, maybe to do with science, volunteering, medicine.</p></li>
<li><p>How would i go about getting an internship at a hospital or the opportunity to shadow a doctor?</p></li>
<li><p>What is the best ways to study for the SAT, and the SATII's</p></li>
</ol>

<p>6.What are the best things to do in the summer? (like good pre-college programs or internships)</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Speaking of which, how can you get a summer internship in high school?</p></li>
<li><p>What colleges are just really fun places to go/be?</p></li>
<li><p>How should i visit colleges if i have no idea where i want to go?</p></li>
<li><p>I accidentally took regular chem instead of AP chem this year :( , should I take AP chem senior year if i have a free period or another non-ap science?</p></li>
<li><p>Can I take SATII's sophomore year?</p></li>
<li><p>What do colleges think if you take an AP test and get a 5 w/o taking the class?</p></li>
<li><p>I speak fluent greek and was wondering if there was a test or something i could take to show them this? (my mom teaches me every day) also how can I show my connection to greek culture?</p></li>
<li><p>I travel A LOT during the summer with my family, would this help me at all in admissions if i put this on the app? and how could i use this to my advantage?</p></li>
<li><p>what are some things i can do that can really boost your chances of getting into a great university?</p></li>
<li><p>Should I take 4 years of Spanish? (I started at level 2) or not take it senior year and take an extra science?</p></li>
<li><p>Do the UC's know what other UC's you applied to? (i.e. my friend said that most people who apply to both USB and UCLA only get into one of them)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Sorry for all the questions :p answer what you can if you want :)</p>

<ol>
<li>it depends on the curriculum of the regular chemistry class. If there is a significant amount of repetition between the two classes than no. Ask you chemistry teacher.</li>
<li>Yes. But why?</li>
<li>Self studying APs is not the best use of your time. AP scores generally are not a factor at admission time.</li>
<li>Remember to mention that on your college application. What really matters is what you do with the language and culture knowledge.</li>
<li>No. But if you do something significant based on your new found cultural knowledge when you’re back home then perhaps yes.</li>
<li>Yes.</li>
<li>Whether they know or not is not the issue. Do they coordinate admissions decision? It’s very doubtful.</li>
</ol>

<p>alright here is my foolproof advice</p>

<p>if you want something- just ask for it. </p>

<p>For shadowing doctors and whatever, it’s definitely your best bet to just contact hospitals in the area, explain your situation, and ask if you could volunteer over the summer or whatever. loads of students have definitely done the same thing before you. I would definitely recommend taking an emt course or something though, as that might give you a better chance.</p>

<p>Also, study APs for sure, they demonstrate that you are devoted to a subject/ school and you put in the effort to do well in a class</p>

<p>sure you can take sat 2 and sat 1 sophomore yyear if you like, or even freshman year. just study up so you dont bomb</p>

<p>best way to study is for sure just get a bunch of test prep books and practice tests and just grind it out</p>

<p>for sat 2 i studied 1/2 a day apiece and got straight 800 and studied the sat for like a week but didnt do that hot and got middle 2300</p>

<p>for ap I had a schedule of 2 days for a science, and 1 day of study for a humanity. the “crash course” books are amazing-- you can get a 5 without ever knowing the subject. </p>

<p>also for internships, the same thing holds as for the shadowing. Apply to internship opportunities and just demonstrate that you are a strong student with an interest in whatever field you’re applying for. </p>

<p>Here are some answers:</p>

<ol>
<li>You can get into med school from most colleges and most majors IF you do the following:</li>
<li>Take the pre-med prerequisites and do well.</li>
<li>Get a high GPA</li>
<li>Do well on the MCAT</li>
<li>Get some kind of experience during college in a medical setting (voliunteer, summer experience, etc.) </li>
</ol>

<p>Although you say cost does not matter, med school is very expensive. Keep your debt down in undergrad, and if your parents are willing to help out with med school, ask if they will help out more if you go to a lower priced undergrad school.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>LAC or Ivy will do, does not matter. As will a state school – just do the things recommended above. Consider whether you can keep your GPA up at a higher ranked school, though.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t do “loads” of ECs, do some that you are really interested in and pursue them deeply. </p></li>
<li><p>Look at websites for your local hospital and see if they have info on volunteering, or call them.</p></li>
<li><p>See the SAT forum out here. Generally start with the SAT bluebook. Read a lot to build vocabulary and grammar skills. Gruber books are good for math prep. </p></li>
<li><p>Expensive summer programs are not necessary. Look for things that interest you and build on your ECs/interests. Internships for high school students aren’t usually very substantial, don’t worry about having any in high school.</p></li>
<li><p>See #6.</p></li>
<li><p>Pre-med students work really hard… “fun” isn’t going to be at the top of your agenda if you are going to get the GPA you need and do well on the MCATs. That said, visit a few different kinds of colleges in your area to see what appeals to you.</p></li>
<li><p>Get a copy of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. Mark some colleges that interest you. Maybe visit a few nearby colleges just to get a feel for the different types (state flagship, liberal arts college, rural vs urban, etc)</p></li>
<li><p>If you are headed for med school, I’d say AP Chem is a good idea. </p></li>
<li><p>Yes, you can take SAT IIs sophomore year. Study for them.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t think it makes much difference to them, honestly. I would say it may not be the best use of your free time.</p></li>
<li><p>I don’t know if any test, but you can talk about it in your essays. Or put some information in the “additional information” section of the Common App. Maybe you can do some ECs related to the Greek community? </p></li>
<li><p>All traveling a lot shows is that your family can afford it. It doesn’t help your app. </p></li>
<li><p>Read “How to be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport. </p></li>
<li><p>I’d take the Spanish and get it out of the way, you probably could test out at college and not have to take it there. College languages can be stressful and bust your GPA if you don’t have a knack for them. </p></li>
<li><p>Not sure about the UC question, someone else would have to respond. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>UC’s are aware to which schools you apply, but that is not the reason applicants applying to UCB/UCLA sometimes get into one vs the other. Different admissions officers may target different aspects of an application. Jjust apply to all the schools you want regardless,</p>

<p>Thank you both! :)</p>

<p>Thank you both! :)</p>

<p>bUMP</p>