thanks at least i wont look stupid on my application.
Ha! it’s too late to edit but I meant “their” not “theirs”; as in “their books” vs “they’re” as in “they’re happy”
There is nothing wrong about dreaming to attend a top college but one has to work their ass off to get to that point. One thing remember is that top 5 colleges are almost reach for anybody unless you standout nationally. What you should focus on something you enjoy and are passionate about. Excel at it so you could stand out in your state or nationally then you stand a chance.
One other piece of advice, if you attend any college for engineering in top 25, there won’t be a shortage of job for you. Look into college’s admitted student profile and the closer to ave statistics your the better chance you may have but no one can say with certainty. Adjust your list as you move along and plan accordingly. Courses are going to get harder so you should focus to bring you grades to 3.9, try to be top 5% in school and get good SAT/ACT scores, some real extracurricular activities.
As some one suggest you should focus on your studies and enjoy your time in high school. Summer of 10th grade will be a time to adjust your college list.
I agree with most of what anxiousdad said; however don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be recognized in your state or on a national level. There are many students here at MIT without that kind of recognition. It’s your passion that needs to stand out and that can be shown in a multitude of ways.
but guys im not passionate about one single thing. I like engineering, astronomy, science, and thats about it. I think i will take one of MIT’s summer programs and look for some in my or close to my area.
It doesn’t have to be a passion for a specific subject. It could be your passion for learning or your passion for creating. It can be shown in many ways. It can show through the EC’s that you choose to participate in. It can show through your voice in your application essays. It can show through your teacher recommendations, how they describe you or anecdotes they tell about you. In the best applications a person’s passion is echoed throughout.
You are young, it’s too early to be worrying about this. I had no idea that I was going to apply to MIT until mid junior year. I didn’t even realize that I liked science until junior year when I took a physics course. Then I found an internship in a physics lab. I already enjoyed math, then physics, and finally I realized that I loved coding after someone suggested I try an online course because my school didn’t offer any computer science courses. That’s when I discovered MIT and realized I should apply.
@rothstem what coding class did you take i am actually looking for something to do this summer along with my algebra 2 course( which i will be preparing for).
@FutureIvyboy I don’t know too much about coding courses per se, but most programming languages (e.g. Python, Java, C/C++ etc.) will have a wide range of tutorials that are useful even if you are new to programming, which makes it fairly easy to teach yourself how to code.
The only condition is that you don’t ask questions like this one:
http://www.quora.com/How-do-I-learn-coding-in-a-single-night
@MITer94 thanks i will look at that link and some more. Im planning on taking an algerbra 2 course this summer and maybe a class on the side(english, history,etc) do you think im rushing to much. Im only taking the math course so i may go to pre calculus next year and be able to do Ap calculus and ap statitics.
The link I provided was really silly.
I’m not sure if you’re rushing or not, but if you are taking a fast-paced summer course and aren’t understanding much of it, you’re probably rushing too much. You need a solid algebra I/II background before entering MIT.
MITer94 is absolutely correct. Algebra is very important. Why don’t you find out if you take Algebra II during the school year and do well, if you could skip pre calculus, which isn’t important at all. Or take pre calculus in the summer after this so you can take calculus the next year.
what if i study super hard for algerbra 2 and try to understand it deeply(im good at alg 1. super fun and easy.
That’s sounds like a plan! Good luck!
thanks.