Help an average sophomore thinkng about college?

<p>HI. My name is Amy. I'm a sophomore in a nationally ranked public high school. I'd like to go to college.</p>

<p>Um... ok. Where to start. Well, I want to go to a liberal arts college and major in creative writing. I love writing. Like, I adore it. It's what I was born to do. In kindergarten I started writing "books" (aka two page long stories about Rugrats) and I've never stopped. I want the absolute best education possible so I can be the best I can be. </p>

<p>...And then those goddamn numbers come in.</p>

<p>My freshman GPA was 3.2. I know. I got picked on pretty, um, horrible in middle school, so my freshman self was horrendously depressed and emo and torn between wanting to do well and wanting to blow off school. I went to, erm, one Model UN conference, and that's it. I didn't like EC's. I was too self-pitying and insecure and considered them inherently evil.</p>

<p>Since then, EC's have improved somewhat, but not really. The only thing that I've really joined is my school's literary magazine. I'm really, really involved in it, and by next year should be an editor. I really do enjoy it. A lot. GPA-wise, I'm doing a bit better, but quite frankly I'm just not an A student. I'm not sure what it'll be by the end of the year; I'd guess around 3.5-ish? I should have some A's. Right now I'm in two honors classes, French and world history, and next year I plan on taking two AP's along with another language (Latin) and sociology. Senior year, I'll take more AP's. A bunch. I'm not sure which ones, but you know. It'll work itself out. I'll also continue with honors classes until I graduate.</p>

<p>EC's-wise, I want to get involved. I'm going to join SOS, interact club, and, erm, other things. Maybe I'll write for the school newspaper occassionally? Oh, and I'll continue with MUN and the literary club. I'll find more things to do.</p>

<p>I'm also going to enter a bunch of things in writing contests. I'm pretty good, or so I've heard. (On one particularly fun day, my English teacher read my introduction to an essay to the whole class and raved about it the entire time. The entire class wound up learning how to write an introduction from me. That was fun.) Um.... god, there must be more. This summer, I'm going to do things. Not sure what. Volunteer stuff. I do really enjoy volunteering. OH. I play guitar. And plan on learning piano (self-taught). </p>

<p>I'm going to apply for a writing scholarship. I should do well. As I said before, I seem to have a knack for this whole writing thing. I like taking pictures, too, so I'd be willing to submit some of those. </p>

<p>I can think of a couple of really, really good recommendations that I'd get thus far, and I should be able to whoo more teachers before I graduate. I also plan on doing an internship.... somewhere. I want to do something that maybe involves, erm, teaching kids to read? I should ALSO do well on SAT/ACT. I'm not the greatest test-taker, but they're testing on things I'm good at and I'll study until I, well, die.</p>

<p>So far, I've looked at Bard and Kenyon. I want a small liberal arts school with a nature-ish setting. Any ideas? And am I on a good track to get into these two (especially Kenyon). This all sounds good when I write it down, but I really just can't compete with some of the people who apply. I want to learn, I really go, I just don't have numbers and EC's on my side.</p>

<p>(Oh, and sorry about the length of this. I tend to babble on. And if it's not in the right place, sorry again. I'm kind of new at this.)</p>

<p>Oh come on. Pweese?</p>

<p>Bump. Come on, someone must have feedback.</p>

<p>well, I started looking into colleges during the beginning of my senior year in colleges. Friends recommended some, and I just looked them up on collegeboard.com,
You should try the website, enter the information and they’ll give you a list of schools you can choose from.</p>

<p>Thanks! I’ve been on that website before, but I’ve never entered my information or anything.</p>

<p>I probably should be out enjoying life and not even thinking about all of this now, but… idk. It’s kind of exciting. And I really do want the best education possible.</p>

<p>Look at Knox College in Illinois. I know that they have a very good creative writing program and they are test optional, so if you end up not doing that well on your SAT/ACT, you don’t have to send it to them. Good luck.</p>

<p>Also look into Bennington (VT), Sarah Lawrence (NY), Goucher (MD), Beloit (WI), Denison (OH), Ohio Wesleyan and Susquehanna ¶.</p>

<p>amyyy,</p>

<p>Before you take this one step further, grab your parents, and make them sit down and run the FAFSA and CSS Profile calculators at the College Board website.</p>

<p>[College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>How Much Will College Cost – BigFuture | College Board)</p>

<p>They need to know what the colleges and universities will think that they can pay for your education, and so do you. Everyone here can recommend colleges right and left to you, but if the only places you are accepted by are places that you can’t afford to attend (even with financial aid) you are going to be too sad to write a word.</p>

<p>Come back next year. Waaaaaaaay too early to be worrying about this.</p>

<p>You should definitely check out Sarah Lawrence it’s small and has a nurturing environment. Every student is assigned a don, a professor you meet with twice a week that is like a mentor. They also have a great writing program. Vassar is great as well.</p>