How Can I Improve...?

[Kiriken]

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But seriously 6/7/8 grade is a long time ago, so it’s not that great of an excuse and saying it’s because of your mother’s fault doesn’t show much determination either. For one of my essays I even wrote about moving to new school in 7th grade and was placed in the lowest math level, thinking I was like really dumb or something. But I , not my mom, talked to the teachers about math levels in the beginning of 7th grade with very broken English. I tested out of half of a level to accelerated Pre-algebra, but that was still not the highest level. I self-studied Algebra 1 over summer, got 90+% on an old final for placement and took Geometry Enriched in 8th grade with the rest 1/4 of my graduation class. I later skipped Pre-calc, too.

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<p>I’m not trying to pull that out as an excuse, I know I should have been more involved in my academics early on. I was just explaining why I wasn’t in a higher math class.</p>

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My point is, for a lot of things you really do have a chance to choose. It all depends on what you decide for yourself, or if you don’t care enough to make a difference for yourself. Whether it is math level, taking APs, participating in extra-curricular, doing research, learning things, etc. From reading what you wrote, sometimes it feels like you let of lot of your opportunities slip away without fighting for them. I guess, make sure you show that you won’t waste your opportunity at MIT on your application.

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<p>I agree, that’s the reason I’m trying to get a firmer grasp at this point in time, before it’s entirely too late.</p>

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Please don’t ever say things like “You said you wanted to go to MIT since 9 years old. I guess you could have planned ahead better.” Uck. When you’re nine years old, be a kid. If you like math, do math. Otherwise chill the ?!#$%^! out. There is nothing worse in the eyes of an admissions officer than someone who planned out their life for the past 9 years with the goal of impressing said admissions officer.

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<p>Part of it’s true… The problem is I that I didn’t start planning any of it until recently T_T.</p>

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I never self-studied math or took classes over the summer. I took AP Calc my senior year and got a 3 on the exam. GASP! THE HORROR! How will I ever pass math classes at MIT? It’s going to be imposs- oh wait, I already did it, 2 years ago.

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<p>Well that’s reassuring to me :)</p>

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The STAR CST for chemistry is definitely NOT a good indicator of future performance on the SAT chemistry test. It is really really really really really really really really really really really really easy and is basically a joke.

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<p>Well obviously it’s not a great indicator, but it was relevant at the time I typed it, seeing as I took the test only a few hours before the post. This brings me to another question… Does the chemistry SAT require me to know material from AP chemistry (shouldn’t be a problem) or is it based mostly around material covered by basic chemistry classes?</p>