How Am I Doing So Far?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>I am currently a rising junior looking for some insight as to how I've done through my first two years of high school and how I should look to improve through the next two. Let me know what you think!</p>

<p>Objective:</p>

<p>SAT/SAT II/ACT:
Have not taken yet, plan to take SAT in October and SAT II Math II and Literature in either November or December.
PSAT:
Freshman year: 202 (77 CR, 65 M, 60 W)
Sophomore year: 222 (77 CR, 65 M, 80 W)
*Did not study for either test, plan to try for NMSF or NMF
Weighted GPA: 4.125
Unweighted GPA: 4.0
Rank: 3/499
AP: Took Euro, pretty confident I got a 5.
Junior year courseload (tentative): AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Lang, AP Art History, AP Psych, AP Physics B, Advanced Journalism, Advanced Journalism -- 4x4 block schedule.
Senior year courseload (tentative): AP Stats, AP Lit, AP Gov/Econ, AP Environmental, AP Human Geography, either AP Chem or a sociology course at local CC, Advanced Journalism, Advanced Journalism.</p>

<p>Subjective:</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
Journalism: (10) Copy editor and online editor (10). I will be editor-in-chief of the newspaper next year and most likely the year after that. I really, really love my journalism program, and I'm sure it will be my main EC. I set up a program for the distribution of local high school newspapers in the city's library system, but currently only mine is a part of it. I was also running my program's website during the judging process for the NSPA Online Pacemaker Award, which we were nominated for (for the first time ever), and I worked with our digital editor to design a new one, which is better and thus should stand a fair chance of another nomination/possibly a win.
Academic Decathlon: (10 -- county champions for first time in school's history, I was the highest scoring decathlete on the team at both county and state, won six medals at county). This was our team's first year going to state, and we didn't know what to expect -- we got crushed. But I am really motivated to see us do much better next year, and I have rather lofty goals for myself. I will most likely be captain for the next two years.
Future Business Leaders of America: (9-10 -- secretary (9), president (10) -- good success at section-level, minor success at state last year, looking to place again next year, but probably won't move onto national-level). I was elected president again for next year.
Marching Band: (9-10 -- no leadership). At this point, I don't think I'm going to continue with this. I enjoy it, but the football games and competitions will interfere with journalism deadlines. The band is also rather terrible, and I myself am not that good of a musician, so I don't think it would've meant much in terms of college apps. I have had some pretty fun times, though.
Small things:
CSF: (9-10, very little involvement, don't really plan on getting very involved)
National Honor Society: (applied this year for the beginning of junior year, which is the earliest my school allows people to join -- I only applied to make sure I would be able to join if I wanted to, but I don't think I will.)
International Club: (not very involved right now, but it's pretty fun, so maybe next year) </p>

<p>Also formed outside-of-school book club with a friend at the start of sophomore year, currently has seven members -- it means more to me in terms of being able to hang out with my senior (now-graduated) friends before they leave, in addition to giving me an excuse to purchase more books, haha.</p>

<p>Job Experience:
Unpaid intern with a local newspaper -- this is a lot of fun, and I'm pretty sure I'll stick with it for the next few years.</p>

<p>Volunteer/Community service:
Some library work (boring, I know) freshman year, thinking about getting involved with friend's program in which band members go to a local elementary school once a week and play music with the kids to keep them interested in music -- to an extent, it would be my penance for quitting.</p>

<p>Summer courses/programs:
Taking US History and Conceptual Physics at local CC this summer.
Planning on applying to Medill Cherubs Summer Journalism Institute next summer. If I don't get in, I will most likely take an post-General psychology courses and maybe Multivariable Calc at the local CC.</p>

<p>Teacher recs:
One from my journalism teacher/AcaDeca coach (same person) should be really, really good.
Not sure of the other at this point.
Counselor rec:
I feel like I know him better than most of my classmates do at this point, and he seems to like me.
Additional rec:
Maybe from my editor at the local paper? We'll see.
Essays:
I don't know...I've been told that I'm a good writer, and I don't think that I'm bad, but I'm also not sure that I'm amazing or anything. </p>

<p>Other:
State: CA
School Type: Public suburban, about 2000 students, Program Improvement and Title I.
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income: ~250k/year before taxes, so I'll be applying for merit aid.
Hooks/Misc: I'm one-eighth Spanish, so I think I can check the Hispanic box? lol
Major: Not sure, but leaning Journalism.
Schools:
The current list is Stanford, Yale, Northwestern, Brown, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UCSB, Boston University, and NYU.</p>

2

<p>You seem well off! Pretty sure you’ll get NMF next year. I don’t think there’s really anything you can do better than you have. Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Thanks! Do you have any clue as to how I am doing in terms of being a competitive applicant for my schools?</p>

4

<p>Bumppppppp</p>

5

<p>Anyone else?</p>

6

<p>Pleaseeeeee</p>

7

<p>why guys? why?</p>

8

<p>por favorrrrr</p>

9

<p>You’re doing well! But taking classes at community college is kind of cliched, everyone does it. I’d recommending finding a passion, and if that’s journalism, apply to as many journalism institutes and internships as you can. Email magazines and stuff starting next year. they reply back and you have a good chance of getting a job.</p>

10

<p>Okay, but I’ve already got an internship with the local paper, and though it’s not the most widely circulated paper, I think the editor and the reporters there are very good at educating young journalists (i.e. me), and that’s also helped by the fact that they only take on one intern at a time, and I can continue with it indefinitely. </p>

<p>I also do plan on applying to the Medill Cherubs Institute next summer, as I noted, but I couldn’t do it earlier because it’s only open to rising seniors. </p>

<p>For me, the largest benefit of taking the classes is clearing up room in my schedule during the school year for other things I want to take, not necessarily the benefit to college apps.</p>

11

<p>bumppppppppppp</p>

12

<p>You are on a good track, but it is unnecessary to take both Calc AB and Calc BC. With BC, you get an AB subscore, which makes taking the AB class/test irrelevant.</p>

13

<p>Yeah, I’ve heard that before, but that’s just how my school does it. AB is offered during the fall term and BC is offered during the spring, and the vast majority (98%) of students take both and then take the BC exam at the end. Same teacher, too.</p>

14

<p>Okay, that makes more sense. I assumed that both were year long courses. If it is common at your school to take both, then it would be a good idea to do so.</p>

15

<p>Okay, sounds good. It might also be good in that I’ll be able to have that teacher for a full year for an hour and a half a day, so I might be able to get a good recommendation from her (depending on how I do in the class, of course).</p>