<p>I am a freshman in High School, now a rising Sophomore. I go to a highly renowned private school and is the best in my state. I got my report card in the mail and was disappointed by my final results, A's and B+'s, a 3.5 GPA. I am the 3rd ranked best singer in my state, I am in a nationally known acappella group, and I am an honors student. I have 100+ hours at a free clinic helping those without medical care. I am in 2 honors classes and an AP, the most that I can take for my year in high school. My goal is to go to a top 20 university, preferably for Music or Premed. I am going into Honors Chem and Honors math, along with AP Music Theory and have 9 years of musical experience. I would really appreciate it if you guys could help me out by telling me my chances of reaching my goals. Thanks.</p>
<p>Most private schools, the really good ones, track what students go where with what grades. I know that at one such school, kids in the top quintile with less than perfect grade still get into top schools. But the college counselor at your school can let you know what the possibilities are for you. It’s still early, and your test scores and how you do in future years are what will make a huge difference. If it makes you feel better, I know kids who got into Harvard with grades like that their freshman year at my sons’ school. </p>
<p>Do not worry. You are only a freshman. Take what you learned about yourself and your study habits and move forward, striving to always be a better learner. Do not worry about college yet. It will all sort itself out. You are way too young to be worrying about college acceptances at this point. Just find your passion, work on your weaknesses and you will figure it out. Otherwise, you will suffer from misplaced anxiety and that causes its own problems. </p>
<p>Life is a balance, between a lot of choices, including short term vs long term decisions and goals. On the one hand, you could always get hit by the proverbial bus tomorrow, so you can not always be working for the next big thing (or for the big thing in 10 years), while on the other hand, if all 14 yo kids made all of their decisions thinking they may be hit by the bus tomorrow, society would have a lot more problems. But, overachieving kids and parents need to take a deep breath and smell the roses a bit. Enjoy your journey, (and go for it with vim and vigor), to wherever you are going, and it is not impt to even know where you are going in life now. </p>
<p>As far as your specific worries about colleges, there are thousands of colleges, though most people think there are only 20-50 that are “worth” going to. That of course, is patently false. Part of what happens to teenagers like yourself is that you figure out who you are and who you want to be, including what will be your long term goals over the next few years. You may decide to become a midwife, a physician, a nurse, a nursery school teacher, a speech therapist, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist or a museum docent. Or a civil engineer or entrepreneur. These options do not require that you even go to a “TOP” college and you could become any of these going to any of thousands of US colleges. </p>
<p>You still have high potential; Disappointment is the effect of your high standards, but I know how you feel.
If your school is highly competitve and ranked don’t stress the application process mostly regards your Freshman and Sophmore year, but still DO NOT LOWER THE BAR!! Work hard your Sophmore, Junior, and Senior year and you will have a great chance at some higher tier schools just prep for the SAT’S and find a real passion for what your doing. You must be doing something right if your thinking about college as an uprising Sophmore! :)</p>