help this confused foriegn student please!

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey, guys! One of my friends suggested me this website today, and this is my first post here. :) This is super long, but hopefully some of you will help me out!</p>

<p>I'm currently a junior in high school, and also a foreign (Asian) student who recently received green card. Although I've lived in the U.S for 4 years already, (since December 2006), I'm still a bit conscious about my English abilities. Lately, I'm becoming more and more nervous about colleges and my future career. I wanted to do phamacy-related things before I came to the U.S, but I'm slowly losing my confidence as I compare myself to those "super-smart" people. :( Right now, I'm considering Biology or Art field... maybe pharmacy if I still have any hope?</p>

<p>I must confess, I was a bit lazy during the first of high school. I started working harder during my mid-sophomore year and am finally taking my first two AP classes. I hear a lot of higher level colleges look for the number of AP classes taken throughout high school, and I'm really worried about it... Any suggestions for me? I feel like my stat isn't good enough for any higher level college!</p>

<p>Here are my stats: (1st sem. / 2nd sem. / final year grade)
Freshman year
Algebra 1: A / A / A
ESL Reading: A / B / B+
Earth SC (Honors): C / C+ / C
Eng 9 (Academic): B+ / B+ / B+
World History1: B / B+ / B+
Chinese 1: B+ / A / A <em>note</em> I'm not a Chinese!
Geometry (Summer School Prog.): A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year
Algebra 2: A+ / A / A+
Art 1: A+ / A / A+
Biology (Academic): A / A- / A+
Eng 10 (Academic): A+ / A+ / A+
World History2: A / A- / A-
Chinese 2: A+ / A / A
<em>note</em> recieved All A Honor Roll at the end of year.</p>

<p>Junior Year (my grades dropped because I focused too much on my AP classes...)
Pre-Calculus: A-
AP Psych: A
AP US History: C (1st qt: C-, 2nd qt: B-) <- UGHHH HATE HATE HATE
<em>note</em> I'm having a LOT of difficulties in this class,
but it's improving now! (3rd qt: currently getting A-)
Art 3 (skipped Art 2): A+
Chemistry (Academic, Honors not offered): A
Eng 11 (Honors): B
Chinese 3: A</p>

<p>Senior Year plan
AP Gov (maybe)
AP Calulus AB
AP Chemistry (considering Dual Enrollment)
AP Biology
English 12 (Academic, Honors not offered)
Art 4
Should I include Physics?</p>

<p>SAT:
Never taken it, but scored 1930 on full-practice SAT...
Hopefully 2000~2100 on the real one? haha.</p>

<p>EC:
Key Club (3 years)
Mu Alpha Theta (made in 2011)
National Honors Society
Art Club (2 years), leader
Volunteer at local hospital
possible intership at summer art program</p>

<p>Honors:
Not really...
I won county's summer art program logo design & my school's math club's shirt design, that's all :(</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

2

<p>Just apply to a lot of schools, I’m sure you’ll get into at least one. Try a SUNY school, those are the schools I’m applying to.</p>

3

<p>There is nothing wrong with your grades. Stop worrying about this. Some pharmacy programs are direct admit after high school, but others admit students who have finished college. You have time to get the grades you need for admission to those programs. Do a bit more research about your options. </p>

<p>Do take the TOEFL exam. Some colleges will require a score because you have not done all of your education in the US. Seeing your score on that exam will give you more confidence about your language skills. If you are no longer enrolled in ESOL classes at your high school, sit down with your favorite ESOL teachers and get their advice on the best ways to keep improving your English. By this time, you probably speak almost like the native US students in your classes, but your reading and writing skills probably still need improvement. You will need to master “English for Academic Purposes” in order to do well in college, and your old ESOL teachers can be a big help.</p>