<p>So I'm happy to say that I was accepted, and am now enrolled at a fantastic university and am very excited... and very, very nervous. </p>
<p>I'm now getting ready to take my placement tests and register for courses (I'll start this summer). I really want to pursue a BS in neurobiology, then a PhD in biomedical research or neuroscience, and eventually teach and conduct research, or perhaps work in a transitional research - clinical type setting. </p>
<p>While it's a great fit for me, something I'm highly interested in and have a lot of drive to accomplish, there's one problem... I've missed so much elementary, middle, and high school from a medical condition. It was pretty rough and needless to say, I fell behind and had a lot of missed time to to make up. I started taking some of my classes online (math and chemistry) so I can fit more in a school year, and then I take the rest at my high school. </p>
<p>I'm right now in Advanced Algebra 2 (it's not difficult at all and I might fit Advanced Precalculus in if time permits), I'm not so sure where to go from there - I know I will HAVE to take scientific calculus, but the bridge from now to there isn't very clear. I'm sure my placement tests will let me know where to start (I'm thinking Trigonometry & Analytical Geometry) however I want to BE SURE I'm on the right path for graduate school, and this goes for all of my classes. I feel like this is going to hurt me and put me at a disadvantage from the AP BC Calculus students, will it? Is this just a stereotype, or expected of students pursing advanced degrees in science? I'm really worried about course advising day and feel like they'll look down upon me because of this gap. So many told me it's not about that, many successful people in related fields weren't that all AP, 2400 SAT score, student, and it's drive and reason/desire to go into that field that counts.</p>
<p>Right now (as a 12th grader) I have a steady 4.0 (out of a 4.0 scale), I'm in my school's gifted program (amazingly yes, I've always been a dedicated student, although my medical struggles interfered with my academic performance). I'm competing in various STEM competitions for high school students, and am involved in a lot of environmental and conservation biology clubs, so I see a lot of potential and drive - it's not like I'm some naive kid just wanting to go into this field because someone on TV is in it, or because my parents want me to (sadly, I see that among a lot of the gifted kids.) I really want to pursue this career or something similar to it because it's something I'm completely enthralled in, enjoy, and do rather well with, is a good fit for my personality and talents, and is a major goal for me (to touch others through my work) particularly those with neurological damage and disorders. There is a lack of options for many of these people, the topic itself is something I find so interesting I would dedicate my career to studying it and unearthing some of the missing pieces to this complex puzzle. I'm also considering a clinical side to this goal, as there are options in their infancy (e.g. adult stem cell therapy) but no programs for these innovative fields yet, would I still go the PhD or MD/PhD route for that?</p>
<p>What kind of suggestions would you have for a grad school bound, college freshman to keep in mind while scheduling? </p>
<p>Thanks so much, I really appreciate any feedback, tips, and stories about your experience!</p>