<p>I am only in my freshman year of high school, but I am planning ahead and my dream is to attend an Ivy League school. This is my first post, so I am pretty new at this type of stuff. Well, to begin, I take all advanced courses, have all 90+ grades through two quarters, and am probably in the top 3% of my class. Also, I have had excellent grades throughout middle school, so I am fairly sure I will keep this up. Also, I play football, lacrosse, and wrestling, and am captain of the freshman football team. Currently, I am not in any clubs, but I am definately going to join more soon. I go to a public school, am caucasian, and would be a first generation college graduate in my family, since both are immigrants. I know it is too early to tell, but what schools would I have a good shot a going. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>We really can't tell right now. You don't even have scores or a GPA. </p>
<p>Don't assume you can get straight As in high school just because you did so in middle school. That is NOT going to happen.</p>
<p>just work hard i guess, study for SATs, ACTs, etc and pursue ecs that ur passionate about</p>
<p>Why do you want to attend an Ivy League school? What are your goals and aspirations? You must understand that even if you are the best student in your high school that there are no guarantees that you will be admitted to an ivy league school. So here is my advice. Take it for what it is worth:</p>
<p>Take the hardest classes that you can in high school and do your best.
Take some classes that you WANT to take, even if they are not AP or Honors level classes.
Get involved in activities that you enjoy and have meaning for you.
When you get to the point where you start looking at colleges seriously, figure out what your goals are and find schools that can help you meet them. They may be Ivy schools, but be open to the possibility that the best school for YOU may be something entirely different.</p>
<p>Just to put things in perspective, if you are in the top 3% and your school system is average, you will be in about the top 50,000 kids who will be applying to colleges as seniors. Needless to say, that substantially exceeds the few thousand students who will be accepted into the Ivies. Enjoy your high school years, enjoy your activities and when the time comes you can decide which schools are feasible and fit your needs.</p>
<p>Since you're probably only 14-15, your plans most likely will change come the beginning of senior year. Example: I KNEW I wanted to be a doctor and go to Princeton my freshman year...now I'm headed off to Yale to major in history. I had one history class that changed the entire course of my studies! Just get involved in activities, enjoy high school, and then revisit the idea of an Ivy League school at the end of junior year. Also, don't make the mistake of generalizing about the "Ivy League." First of all, the only things these 8 schools have in common are that they are academically strong and don't offer athletic scholarships. That's it. Each one has distinct strengths and its own "personality." Also, there are a lot of excellent schools (eg Northwestern, Georgetown) that are not "Ivy" but easily fit in that league in every conceivable way, except in name.<br>
Whoo, long post. Okay, so bottom line...go to football games, learn to drive, join the baseball team/debate club/a cappella group and have a good time. Then come back to CC and think about college. That's what I wish I had done!!!</p>
<p>Yup- just as many have said before me, focus your high school career not on the destination but on the journey. Of course, keeping your academics up is vital. I've sought experiences that have shaped my goals in life, or justified my plans, and I can't imagine life without them.</p>
<p>Sports are a big plus- make sure you play them because you love them! I always wished I had played a sport when I was younger so that I could do it in high school.</p>
<p>As for more concrete advice, start studying for the SAT/ACT. I'm a total nerd for starting in middle school with that, but it was worth it getting a 240 on my PSAT and most likely earning the National Merit Scholarship! :-)</p>