Freshman Seeking Knowledge

<p>The Ivies are so different from each other that it seems silly to apply to all of them! Why don't you figure out what you want in a school before you start arbitrarily picking schools based on prestige? I feel like if you're interested in Yale, you might not be very happy at someplace like Dartmouth. Start researching, and don't make any major decisions for a while yet. Your preferences may change yet. :)</p>

<p>If you suck at sports just do what most nerd do(lol no offense) and join the track team.Anybody can excell at track and field or atleast make the team.</p>

<p>I'm interested in any school that can give me a high quality literary education. Yale is one of the best, and many of the Ivies are as well. I didn't actually mean all of them. But Yale, Harvard, Princton, Brown, stuff like that.</p>

<p>HoepefulYale, the ivies are all so different. They have awesome education in common, this is true. When I say develop your list, I mean have at least one safety in the future (college you're sure to get into).</p>

<p>I read a thread here about a student with amazing stats, awesome ECs, great personal qualities, 1500+ combined SAT score, around a 4.0 GPA, applied to 5 ivy league schools, rejected from all of them. I'm not saying I don't think you're on your way to becoming a great candidate, I'm just saying you need a backup because ivy admission is getting more and more competitive, and because of this the admissions are very subjective and arbitrary. </p>

<p>Also, I'd recommend learning a lot about the colleges you want to go to, namely the ivies. There are tons of other non-ivy colleges that are amazing (Stanford, MIT), and other really good schools that are good matches for anyone that works hard and has good stats. It's early in your career, but I"m sure a student like you has an idea of what they want to pursue. I'm still in the process of deciding if Yale is a college I want to apply to, because my reach list is a bit large and I need to eliminate some. Most of the advice here is good, I'd recommend visiting the Yale campus at some point as well.</p>

<p>The advice on random ECs is also really good, you want to show strength and commitment rather than pages of activities. Depth is definately better than Breadth.</p>

<p>Thanks. I'll be applying to more than just Ivies, I'm just really hopeful. And, as for the career I want to pursue? Journalism, possibly literature, or music(minor). I also going to send a writing sample with my resume.</p>

<p>It seems you're really thinking ahead; I made really good grades freshman year, but I wish I had as much foresight. I wish you the best of luck.</p>

<p>Thank you. The same to you. Thanks for all the great advice!</p>

<p>holy god, freshman?! were you born in 1990?! OHHHH dear oh dear.</p>

<p>Hopefulyale~</p>

<p>I think it's GREAT that you've started to think about college before the junior year rush... I know it's crazy, but my dad started me in 8th grade! Even though I think middle school is a little excessive, I understand the need to get ahead. It's great that you took the ACT so early. I'm sure you know that you can take the ACT as many times as you want and ONLY submit the composite scores you want to send to each college. Also, I suggest starting to work on the math section of the SAT. Unlike the other two sections of the test (verbal and cr), anyone can max out in math if they learn all of the possible strategies. This is coming from a math-oriented person, but hey... it helped me tremendously.</p>

<p>I may have missed this in a past post, but have you visited Yale? Yale was the first of 42 schools I've seen (people wonder why I'm a little neurotic when it comes to schools), and I too, even as a senior on the tour (well... at least in middle school :-)), fell in love with it. However, don't get caught in the prestige factor -- some schools I saw (like Harvard and UPenn) were just way too busy. If you are interested in a strong education from a great school, try liberal arts colleges. Top ones (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore) are at the same level as HYP but in a different, less known category, giving you a better chance to get in. </p>

<p>On a side note, enjoy your high school days! Make friends, be social, and live life now. You're gonna turn around and realize you only have 68 days of school left like us seniors. You're working hard for a better future, but don't forget the present!</p>

<p>Good luck!!!</p>

<p>My mom started in 6th grade.</p>

<p>btw pebbles, I was born in 91. :)</p>

<p>Thanks so much s42a13g1, that was great advice too. Any ideas on how to start studying for the act and sat, especially math?</p>

<p>hopefulyale~</p>

<p>It think it is really important to distinguish between the two tests to find a good strategy.</p>

<p>The ACT (as you have noticed) is a better test for good-quality students (there are math, science, english, reading, and writing parts as I remember), as every subject is more based upon school classes you have or will have had. It is a much nicer test than the SAT, as it is shorter and you CHOOSE which scores to send to the colleges. I have found the environment in ACT tests to be much more regulated and consistent, as directions are clearer for the teacher in the room. The test also always has the same order and same number of questions. The SAT (math, CR, and writing) relies more on common sense and your performance the day of the test. It's long, so it's harder to focus the entire time. Where the ACT has nicer, easier questions, the SAT gives you more time to answer each question.</p>

<p>In terms of your question:</p>

<p>I have many friends who devoted their ENTIRE lives to studying for the SAT. DO NOT DO THIS. You still want time to enjoy high school. Trust me -- it took me until sophomore year to finally realize that I must have a social life to stay sane, and it was the best thing that ever happened to me. However, look at your old ACT test or get a review book and take a diagnostic test (for either SAT or ACT) to determine your strengths and weaknesses. You want to flaunt your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses.</p>

<p>To study for math: (A section I almost have fun with)...
Become comfortable with Algebra and basic Geometry. Lucky for ALL of us there isn't any calculus on this test! Get a book, and drill drill drill. You have time -- maybe do one question a day, but even if you get a question right, read why your answer is correct to understand the major concept. Even if you know every answer, time may still be a factor. Practice makes perfect, and once you have learned all of the strategies and mastered pacing yourself, you're good to go!</p>

<p>this site is really fun hehe</p>

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btw pebbles, I was born in 91.

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<p><em>head explodes</em></p>

<p>and DO NOT SPEND MORE THAN 1 HOUR ON CC EVERY WEEK, OTHERWISE YOU WILL BECOME DISILLUSIONAL....AND DEPRESSED AS HECK...</p>

<p>I was borin in 90 and I am a junior.</p>

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I was borin in 90 and I am a junior.

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<p>My head is gone. I'm plum out of ways to express further shock.</p>

<p>hehe I recently joined to pass time while waiting 49 more days until I hear back from 8 of my 13 schools...</p>

<p>1988 and Seni0rs'6 representin... yay!</p>

<p>This is great! Any other advice would also be appreciated!</p>

<p>In terms of the sax --</p>

<p>Embrace it, love it, advance it... Join the band if you haven't already, try out for county and state bands as well as solo and ensemble festivals, and join any clubs you can in your school that promote music. It's an interest of yours, so tell that to the colleges, not by saying it, but by showing it. Also, I would suggest preparing a music tape when application time rolls around 2.5 years from now. You can send a sample of your abilities to the schools, and if you really have talent, they'll hear it for themselves.</p>

<p>That's what I thought. BTW, I'm in every band in the school, as well as a sax quartet outside of school. {it pays! :) }</p>