Going into sophmore year next, can I still turn things around?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>First, some background......... This year I was a freshmen..... I basically took all normal classes ( no honors or AP) and didn't do great ( i didnt study or anything, literally sat in class and took tests/did worksheets... sometimes turned in homework), It seems like Im just waking up and I suddenly have this massive urge to turn my HS career around and start working hard to look good for colleges (taking tough classes)... I want to go to a decent college (like top 100 maybe or around that?... nothing big like an ivy league), my question is first, here are my freshmen grades, how detrimental are these to my overrall app when im applying to colleges in a few years
(1st semester)
9th Lit - 94
Biology - 88
Business Essentials - 98
Coordinated Algebra (i guess this is algebra 1?) - 75
Health - 92
Spanish 2 - 80
and
(2nd semester)
9th Lit - 92
Biology - 90
Business Essentials - 93
Coordinated Algebra - 79
Government - 90
Spanish 2 - 81</p>

<p>I know some of these aren't bad, I am good at stuff like history/gov/lit but my math and spanish grades are lacking.. plus these are all normal classes and not honors :S</p>

<p>So sophmore year this is my schedule Im thinking.. I tried to beef it up from last year
AP World History
Chemistry
Spanish 3 Honors
10th Lit Honors
Analytic Geometry
Speech/Forensics ( I was on the debate team freshmen year and did well so Im gonna take the actual class and keep doing it .. plus it goes on my GPA as a Language arts grade i was told) </p>

<p>So my question is this.... I know I can do well and get A's in APWH, spanish H and lit H from simple studying, there is no math involved here so im fine..... but do you guys at CC recommend I take Chemistry Honors and Geometry Honors or just stick with normal Chemistry and normal geometry.. anyone have experience with classes like this, do you think if I studied for hours and worked hard and came in for help sessions before/after school, I could do well in these subjects and I should take the risk and go for honors in math and chemistry... or should I play it safe and take the normal versions of them. Look at my question in the perspective of what would look best on a college app, Take the risk and do the honors classes and hopefully get an A/high B if I work really hard or just play it safe and take the normal classes?</p>

<p>after reading this forum, i feel like everyone else is taking all AP/honors classes and im really at a disadvantage now after my lackluster freshmen year and not taking hard classes... do you think taking honors chem and math will help?</p>

2

<p>By the time you get to the bottom of the top 100 (not that US News has much credibility), they’re accepting almost everyone anyway. These grades are fine and improving them would be even better. </p>

<p>“Take the risk and do the honors classes and hopefully get an A/high B if I work really hard or just play it safe and take the normal classes?”</p>

<p>Take honors classes. Their difficulty is overrated.</p>

3

<p>Go for the honors classes. If you are having difficulty, you can always drop them. And you have 3 more years left. Your grades can always go up by the extra effort you are going to put in next year. Good luck! :)</p>

4

<p>If you do well in the better schedule for this upcoming year, then yeah, colleges will like it and it will turn things around.</p>

<p>However, if you had little drive in 9th grade (your grades were not the worst) then I am suspecting that this initial drive you have now will pitter out quickly. Try your best and see what happens. Make a plan for how you will do better.</p>

5

<p>Hey guys, I was wondering how good off I am for college.
I have a 4.8 GPA weighted
4 GPA unweighted
Sat scores are 1610
Class rank is 22 out of 364</p>

6

<p>Good luck next year :)</p>