Hi, I am currently a freshman in high school at probably one of the most recognized schools in California according to the world report. That being said, it is a pretty hard school, and it is also small (my class of 2019 has about 200 students in it. I Have big dreams and I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice for the road.
Classes This Year-
Geometry (Pre-Cal next year- I am taking algebra 2 this summer)
Biology
English
Spanish 1
PE (required for all freshman)
Ceramics One
World Cultures and Geography (elective class, no freshman have history as an academic class)
Classes Next Year-
Pre-Cal (no honors or ap offered)
Honors Chem
Spanish 2 (no honors or ap offered)
English (no honors or ap offered)
Law and Society
Modern World History (no honors of ap offered)
Weightlifiting
Ceramics 2
History has always been my favorite so I will for sure take AP history as a junior and a senior.
Extra Curriculars- Have always loved basketball, and plan to be a captain on varsity by the time I am a senior. I want to do something with perhaps building basketball courts for less fortunate kids or anything of that matter (I live in Oakland and there are a lot of poor areas). I’ll also be in Student body next year and junior year I’ll be in national honor society. As I did last year I will be returning to Mexico to build houses for less fortunate. Church is also a large part of my life. Avid guitar player.
Myself-
Black
Male
Grandma and Father went to Yale so I could be a triple legacy
Any advice for me? Everything is appreciated
As far as grades go, currently I have a 3.4 ish gpa. I had a 2.5 the first semester (terrible) because I slacked off so much but I am extremely motivated to change this.
Best of luck to you.
Having the URM and legacy might warrant you getting a second look. It is hard to compare your grades because we don’t know how tough your school is - do you rank in the top 25% of your class? At some schools, lots of freshman already are in AP classes or honors classes but elite schools just want you to take the most rigorous courses available and to excel in them.
If you do all of the above EC’s and improve your GPA, and test well, you will be a strong candidate for a great school. But I am sure you understand that lots of strong candidates get rejected every year at the elites.
Don’t let the fact that you are a “triple” legacy and a URM make you feel you have an “in”. Only people who don’t have these so called “hooks” think they are deal makers. Only approximately 11% of legacy kids are admitted. There are plenty of talented URM kids, so even if you’re only competing in this pool, you have your work cut out for you.
What I will say is that you should continue to excel in high school, take the most rigorous courseload you can at your elite school (and not just slide by on its status), work your way into leadership roles in a couple of ECs that mean a lot to you and overall have a great high school experience. All of this will then be reflected in your transcript, your recommendations and your essay. Good luck. It is good you are starting early. You have lots of time to build a firm foundation - if not for Yale, then for another great school.
… and, be a nice kid, someone who brings a smile to the faces of kids and adults when they see you approaching down the hall. This counts for more than you might think. AOs read between the lines of LoRs, and I believe this is part of what they’re looking for.