Getting into the Ivy League

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello, I'm a freshman in hs, and we received our course selection sheets last week(due tomorrow). I've been thinking about whether I should drop my Cisco STI(Science, Tech, Industry) program so that I can take regular high school classes my junior and senior year that are more relevant to the career I want, which is to become a lawyer; so like US Gov't & Politics AP, etc. Junior year I will have 2 Cisco classes & senior year I will have 4 of them. So dropping the program would give me some room to take two APs in science or math. However, the Cisco classes will give me two certifications, the CCNA & CCNP after I take the test. After I graduate hs, I want to be accepted into an Ivy League school such as Harvard, or a prestigious academy such as The Naval Academy. But they only accept the best, and I want to get there.</p>

<p>Right now, I have straight As and my GPA is a 4.2,but I'm trying to raise it by taking harder classes.
I've been reading about how colleges love to accept people who are unique, so will being Cisco Certified help me out?</p>

<p>Here are my classes for next year:</p>

<p>English II Honors
Geometry Honors
AP US History
Biology Honors
Chemistry Honors
French II
Cisco IT Essentials
Swimming & Conditioning I</p>

<p>Will the Cisco program affect my chances of getting into colleges like Harvard to become a lawyer?</p>

<p>**The Cisco program wasn't a program that anyone can join. You would have to apply in the 8th grade and grades/teacher reccomendations would affect your chances of getting in. As to what I've been told, that program is extremely competitive to get into & its challenging.</p>

<p>Please help & Thanks</p>

2

<p>Chances are 99% that what you want to do will change. You have three more years to figure yourself out. Of course, if you want to continue on that path, 3.8+ GPA is a prequsite, and scoring high on admission exams is good too. You need to keep a rigorous circulum.</p>

<p>But what is most important (in my opinion) is to STAND OUT from the crowd. There are plenty of 4.0ers with stellar math awards, science champions, etc… Nothing is bad about it, but if you find something that stands out from the crowd, that will help tremendously.</p>

<p>If you think Cisco will help you do that (or if you have fun with it, and do something creative with it), go ahead with it. You have 3 more years in high school. Challenge yourself of course, but it is equally important to enjoy it, get life out of it, and to grow as a person. That will give you a stellar application. Come back to CC in a year or two and we can help you more then!</p>

3

<p>None of the classes you take in high school will prepare you for graduate law school. That applies to pretty much most majors you choose in college as well. Pick rigorous courses you know you can land a decent GPA with. Worry about getting into undergrad first, law school is the next step. Besides, if you do end up changing your mind about being a lawyer, the science and tech courses you take in high school will be helpful if you choose to steer that way.</p>