HOw Much Harder Do I have to work.....I sleep at 3am in the morning like evernight...

Pre-College Issues High School Life
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<p>Hey everyone I would like to get your advice on whether you think I could get into Columbia University....Well I'm a sophmore and I go to a really top public high school in columbus ohio..i mean competition is crazy...the high school district is one of the best in ohio...and then theres me an african-american actually born in west-africa and raised and lived in south africa, and lived in etophia when i was younger..Do you think alot colleges are like passionate about affirmative action?</p>

<p>well this is not a life story its just that i've become so much passionate with school and education, and just realizing how much education is the best gift anyone could receive..well freshman year i really didnt have this attuide, didnt really care you knw, my cum was a 2.5 yea..but sophmore yea i became such a hardworker and compassionate its insane..</p>

<p>.like now well with interims, i have a 3.5gpa but i dont knw my cum cause we havent had exams yet, they are in january..well my school being very competitve i dont knw ive sorta lost my hopes on getting into columbia, I know im only a sophmore but time goes fast and high school goes fast.I mean i didnt didnt do well in my PSAT's, i did bad, really bad..i got a 9%percentile of the kids in my class..n i was suprise cause i read alot books and work hard, i dont knw....</p>

<p>I mean I talk to my counselor, and he wasnt very supportive.all he said was like it was impossible for me to get into columbia, because my school is so competitve that its impossibe for me to get into the top 10%or 20% of my class..n i felt really discouraged, I am discouraged because theres this gurl in my homeroom is always like your not gonna get into columbia, its impossible.</p>

<p>.and like sumtimes i dont knw is she right, i am hard worker and i never give up until the end...and I'll do anything to get into Columbia because I want to set a standard for African kids, because there are many smart african kids who can get into these Ivy League Schools..</p>

<p>.I mean in senior class for my school this year,the 10th person of the class has a 4.2..I mean when my counselor told me that..It was like someone just hit me in the face..and then he brought up all this stuff about oh you knw the PSAT's are bias against african-americans, and when your looked at by colleges your gonna be compared to other african-americans..and i dont want it to be by race, but you knw my school is like 95% white and the black kids who go there defintely dont do so good...so thats good for me that i'm doing well..
but i'm so sick how everything is about race..I just work really really work hard and i just want success to prevail in the end...another thing i dont play any sports..im starting volunteering this whole summer but i dont know anymore..my goal for the end of the year is to get a 3.9 and a 3.9 CUM...But i don’t knw about Columbia anymore..especially i really wanted to go there for their theater arts program...</p>

<p>.my other choices are: Georgetown, NYU, Cornell, Howard, Brown.....So any advice on my situation should i listen to my couselor and just give up cause theres no point because "its impossible for me to get in, i dont usually let people affect me but ive just heard it too much and I dont knw what to do..I mean seriously do I have a chance i mean do i really have a chance in getting into my dream college if i work my butt off...do i have a chance, to getting into any of those colleges..I'm defintely getting tutors for SAT and ACT...so i can score high on those..but give me your input..negative or positve...its all good....i just need to know how other people feel about my situation....Thank you and God Bless.</p>

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<p>Reading how much you really want to work to achieve your goal is making it tough for me to reply. The truth is that "Select" schools turn down a lot of amazingly brilliant kids every year, simply because they can't accept all the qualified applicants that apply. These are kids with cool extracurriculars, very high SAT scores, GPA's that were solid from 9th grade, comitted activities, and some are even more brilliant and have helped make advances in science or have won major competitions or have published novels. From what I can gather from A for Admission by somebody...(I'm snuggled up on my couch and refuse to move to get the author's name), affirmative action does play into the situation in that they will probably give you a little more slack in terms of SAT and GPA-but only to a certain extent.</p>

<p>There are always exceptoins to the rule(Elizabeth Arden story anybody-From Homeless to Harvard?) but I have to admit that your chances seem rather bleak.</p>

<p>I've never heard of Howard, but the others on your list I think are pretty selective too(anybody want to correct me on that?) If you really want to go to Columbia, then apply to Columbia. But, consider it your reach. Then, find schools that match your level(seek help of your cruel guidance counselor, or do a lot of research yourself. Princetonreview has the counselor-o-matic but I don't trust that very much. Think of it as a little ballpark and then check into things by yourself.) Look at the avg. GPA, SAT Scores, class rank, and acceptance rates of the colleges. If your "stats" match up, then look into it further, it might be a match, a match+(match to reach), match-(match to safety). Find a couple matches then at least one 'safety'. If you really want to pursue your dream of attending Columbia, it doesn't hurt too much to try(unless the application fee is a big amount in your life) but don't set yourself up at too much of a risk of not getting any acceptance letters at all by only applying to the prestigious and selective schools. I'm sure even the brilliant kids probably had a safety(even if their safety would be considered a reach to the general population).</p>

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<ol>
<li><p>There are a lot of excellent colleges in the US that will give you an excellent education, put you on track for graduate school and a good career. Do not confine yourself to considering only a few.</p></li>
<li><p>Some colleges do not consider freshman grades. Most colleges emphasize junior year grades more than the other grades. Either consistently maintaining high grades or having a strong upward trend will impress colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>The "secrets" to doing well on the PSAT and SAT are taking the toughest curriculum possible in your school, reading good literature, newspapers, magazines like Newsweek (and looking up vocabulary words that you don't know), and using a review book, web site or class for practice. There are web sites offering free practice SATs. There are prep books you can buy for $20 or less. Those who do best on the SAT usually have studied for it, either independently or through a course.</p></li>
<li><p>Get a book to prep for the SAT II writing. Since this test will be given for the last time in Jan., these books will be hard to find, so get them now. That book will help you prepare for the new SAT I-- the one that will be given for the first time in March. It contains a writing section similar to the SAT II writing. You are making some major errors in your grammar -- particularly with dropping "ed" and "s" word endings. You need to work on this because it will cause your scores to be low. Talk to your teachers, get grammar workbooks and practice. These errors are errors in basic grammar. You will need to correct these errors and learn more advanced grammar. Beg your English teachers to correct and point out grammatical errors on your compositions.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>They probably are not paying that much attention to grammar, which is why yours is so weak. Some teachers don't want to "hurt black kids' self esteem" by expecting the kids to learn basic grammar. You must make sure your teachers know that you want that education.
"It was like someone just hit me in the face..and then he brought up all this stuff about oh you knw the PSAT's are bias against african-americans, and when your looked at by colleges your gonna be compared to other african-americans..and i dont want it to be by race, but you knw my school is like 95% white and the black kids who go there defintely dont do so good.."</p>

<p>Ignore the "biased test" bs. I am black, and did very well on the SATs, just missing National Merit commended. The only reason I just missed that was I hadn't know that it was possible to study for the test. My husband, black, first generation college, also did well on the SAT because he was in a very rigorous high school, predominantly white, where he was the valedictorian. </p>

<p>My older son was National Merit commended and had a 1410 SAT. My younger son's SAT is 1420. Why? Tough curriculum, extensive reading, studying for the SAT....</p>

<p>If you talk to the top white and Asian kids at your school, I bet you'll find that they are studying for the test. We black people tend to spend our vacation times playing videos, relaxing, etc. The top students who are white and Asian are hitting those SAT prep books, doing extra reading and participating in enrichment programs. You learn about these things if you talk to them about how they study. If they claim not to study for the SAT, keep talking to them because more than likely, their idea of "not studying" is studying for it "only" a couple of hours a week!</p>

<p>What classes are you taking? You need to be in the toughest classes that you can get into. This may mean that you have to fight to get into the AP and preAP courses. Fight to do so! If you run into grade trouble, get tutors. If $ is a problem, see if you can get free tutoring at school or at a nearby college.</p>

<p>You also need to look at more colleges than the top 25 colleges and Howard. Look at the US News list, and look at some colleges in the bottom of the top 50, and look at more tier 2 colleges than Howard. </p>

<p>Also check the Internet to find summer programs for minorities. Some are free. Most come after junior year, but some are available for sophomores. </p>

<p>Why do you want to major in theater arts? If that's your interest, some far less competitive colleges than NYU, etc. have excellent programs. Florida State is one example. It is a tier 2, but has a top of the line theater program. It also is very diverse.</p>

<p>Carnegie Mellon is a top 25 that has a good theater program. It is trying hard to diversify. Check it out. </p>

<p>If you have a very competitive school like Shaker Heights, if you are black and have high scores, tough curriculum, you may not need to be in the top 20% to get accepted to a top university. You would need, though, to have good scores, and ECs.</p>

<p>You don't need to be active in all types of ECs to be a contender for a top university. However, you do need to show a deep, longterm passion for at least one EC. Since you want to go into theater arts, colleges would expect that you would have participated in this as an EC, summer programs, volunteer work. etc. They want to see applicants do more than dream about pursuing their interests. Colleges want to see time and effort placed into pursuing interests.</p>

<p>Also, please be aware that there are black students who do get high SAT scores. For the Ivies, the bottom level SAT scores of accepted students is 1200, and few students are accepted at that level. There are black students getting into Ivies who have gotten 800s on part of their SATs. Don't assume that all black students have the kind of scores that you see at your school. Set high goals yourself, and do the focused work to meet those goals.</p>

<p>If you are staying up to 2 a.m. studying each night, you probably could benefit from getting some instruction in study skills. You may be working hard, but inefficiently. See if there's an organization offering study skills counseling. Just 3 sessions or so of instruction could help you a lot. </p>

<p>Also, form study groups with other hard working, highly motivated students. Some research indicates that in college, black students study harder than do many other types of students. Black students do less well, though, because of inefficient study habits including the fact that we are less likely to do things in study groups. When you have committed, hard working people in a study group, you'll get more accomplished than you will alone.</p>

<p>Keep posting! Best of luck!</p>

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<p>One last thing: Practice your English skills by using good grammar, punctuation and spelling on message boards. This practice will help you prepare for the standardized tests. For instance, you don't want to spell "girl" "gurl" on the writing part of the revised SAT I.</p>

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<p>Cut back on the studying and the AP classes. If you have to be up until 3AM every night, it's not worth it.</p>

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<p>I mean ok I think its really tough for me because I lived South africa from when I was 5 to 12..I started 7th grade in columbus ohio.....and like I never took it seriously but now I think i'm seeing how in south africa I really didnt get a good education because i'm in the 10th grade and I'm serisouly having troubles with grammar..like putting commas like i will starting putting commas in places..and i really didnt learn alot of that in 7th or 8thgrade...my english teachers from last year and this year, especially this year she has emphasized that i'm one of her hardest working student she has ever met</p>

<p>I mean i put every breath i have in every subject i have tutors for french and math because i'm not really good in those subjects..but i'm trying i mean my there is this place called the write place and you can go there so english teachers can look at your papers..and one day my journalism teacher was there reading my english paper.and she just sat me down and she was like you need to work on these commas, becasue to tell you the truth it was really bad..my papers are the best but i get like B+ beacuase grammer and I hate it..i am seriosuly trying the best i can...i working my but off. i mean right now I have an A+ in journalism,A- in English.B+in geometry,B+French,B+History,B+ in Science.</p>

<p>.I mean im trying if i wasnt i wouldnt be staying up at 3a.m in the morning..my school gives a whole lot of homework and tests on the same day. and my school is the #1 in the state of ohio with the most succesful kids...So you know i have alot of competition...I want to be an actress but before I can do acting classes and all that i feel that i have to get my grades up, in my mind Education is the #1 thing everything else comes later..but i dont knw im voluntering for 2months this summer..i trying to do these acting classes.I just have so much to do..I have exams in january..i'm stress..i mean I cant be no teen and getting like a heart attack or something..</p>

<p>I mean i think all the students feel me on this one, there comes a point were sometimes your just tired from head to toe and you just want to give up..But see my motivation is africa considering I was born there, and I want to be the first to make it big do great things, I mean I guess I just want to be succesful in life and theres no giving up.I'm not giving up on columbia I will work my a.s.s off and if i dont get in i did my best..and whenever i do my best that means i worked til the very end...so thats my story...sometimes I just dont know I really want to go NYU and Cornell, Brown,Carneige Mellon,Columbia,Georgetown,those are all hard schools meaning I have to work hard and I will work hard until i die from it lol..i dont care I will push myself til the end....It's not over till those college acceptance letters or rejects enter my mailbox and I hear good news or bad news.till then i'm not giving up on anything.whether its impossible or i dont knw the word but I dont care what anyone says i'm never giving up....</p>

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<p>The best advice I can give you is to pay far more attention to your grammar, including doing your best to post in a grammatical way on-line.</p>

<p>Get some grammar books, and use them. Lean on your tutor to point out all of the errors that you are making.</p>

<p>I have seldom seen anyone post on CC with so many mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation. This includes students who said that they moved to the US three years ago not knowing a word of English. In addition to not using commas at all, you are lacking "ed" endings in the past tense, are using the word "no" for "any," and you are misusing "your" for "you're." Your writing also is filled with run-on sentences.</p>

<p>Right now, there are so many problems with your writing that you would have a very hard time getting into any tier 2 colleges, including the 2 or 3 that are historically black colleges.</p>

<p>Please talk to the toughest English teacher or tutor that you can find. Explain your longterm goals to that person, and beg that person to help you learn to write. Then, follow what the person says.</p>

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<p>I completely agree. When your talking style literally becomes your writing style, it's quite annoying.</p>

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<p>Columbia4life,
I want to emphasize that I realize that you are a hard working, very motivated student. From what you have posted, I think that your school is cheating you. They are not teaching you proper grammar, and they are giving you high grades for papers that would be earning at best C- grades if you had teachers that expected more of you.</p>

<p>What's going on is not your fault. It is due to IMO well-meaning teachers who practice the worst kind of racism: inflating grades for black kids and not teaching black kids essentials because the teachers fear harming the students' self esteem or because the teachers think that black kids can't learn what other kids can learn.</p>

<p>This is why I suggest that you talk to the English teacher with the reputation for being the most picky when it comes to finding mistakes in students' work. Beg that teacher to tutor you, and then do everything the teacher says -- plus study grammar books on your own.</p>

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<p>Yes, you are VERY motivated and I commend you on that...I think you will definitely go far</p>

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<p>
[quote]
I've never heard of Howard, but the others on your list I think are pretty selective too(anybody want to correct me on that?)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Howard is a very decent school and has programs that let students interact with other colleges. It has a good medical program. </p>

<p>I'll agree the schools on your list are pretty selective, but you have two years.
If you try hard, you'll get into one of them. You have lots of motivation.
Focus on grammar though. Staying up till 3 am everynight isn't good, do all of the students at your school do this?
I live in an area where the schools are around top 100 in the nation, mine being 65th, and we do not get that much homework. On a harsh night (once a blue moon), I'll stay up until 1 am, only because I procrastinated. I usually finish by homework by 9 pm or 11 pm depending on how much outside stuff I do.
I've talked to friends of mine that go to a school ranked 7th in the nation and they get more homework than me, but not to the amount of 3 am.
I suggest trying to get help with time management also, it wouldn't hurt.</p>

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<p>columbia4life-I'm a senior at your high school. If you want to PM me, I can let you know who I am specifically (I don't think we know each other, though). I really admire your work ethic + drive. But at the same time, I think you need to open up your college search a lot more. Ivy league + US News top 25 schools are great, but they aren't the right fit for everyone. It's important to remember that even if you don't go to, say, Columbia for undergrad, and end up at some place like Ohio State or Michigan, that if you maintain your work ethic you have a very good chance at the top schools for grad school.</p>

<p>One thing I hope CollegeConfidential has shown you is that our high school, while it has smart kids + is competitive, is NOT that incredible. Places like Thomas Jefferson HS in Virginia, Phillip's Exeter Academy in NH, and even some other Ohio schools like Sycamore HS in Cincy have many incredible kids. Even in Columbus, Upper Arlington, Academy + CSG often send more kids to top schools. Anyway, the point of all that is to help you realize the incredible competition you're up against at the top schools. If you look at the stats of some of the kids who got into Columbia ED, the are almost super-human.</p>

<p>Good luck, and once again PM me if you have any questions specifically for me.</p>

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<p>This post is so heart-breaking to read, and Columbia4life, I feel for you so much. Don't give up on your dreams for Columbia, but do realize that your chances are VERY slim judging from statistics. </p>

<p>First off, I completely agree with NSM. NSM is probably the most knowledgeable and articulate posters on CC, and really knows a lot about college admissions and adolescents. </p>

<p>First off, you aren't stupid. Your grades are very good(a 3.5!!) and you still have about 4 semesters to pull up that 2.5 from freshman year. Your teachers seem to care about you a lot, and most CC'ers like your personality and work-ethic from only reading the tidbits from your posts.</p>

<p>At this point in the game, it's too early to know where you want to attend college. You have plenty of time to decide, and no offense, but it seems like you are more attracted to prestige and name-value than a college that's a good fit for you. </p>

<p>With your struggles academically, I think a small LAC would be MUCH better than a school like NYU or Columbia. If you are having this much trouble in regular high-school classes, it's only going to get worse. Even CC classes are challenging and require good writing and grammar skills, something that you need improving on. Even if a college admits you, I have doubts that you can survive in such a rigorous environment like NYU. Many students find it overwhelmingly challenging(students with 1400+ SATs), and on top of that students there are thrown into a huge city with an open campus, with little help/cushions when you fall.</p>

<p>You should consider a Community College or Junior College class in English. I don't know if you are familiar with Joint enrollment, but it's a great option for high-school students to get a feel for college in an easier environment. If you could throw out a nearby school to Bexley I can research their JE policy and maybe you could take an applied Grammar or Creative writing course there in the afternoons or mornings.</p>

<p>You also need to know that Theatre programs are VERY competitive, probably the most competitive college majors out there. Are you sure that you absolutely want to do theatre? I'm not discouraging you, but have you had experience in plays or performances to know how difficult it is to balance a workload with acting practices? If this is your dream, realize that this is going to make even the smallest and least-known colleges extremely competitive. Theatre(musical theatre especially) is SO competitive and there's very few spots at colleges. </p>

<p>If you are sure that you want to do theatre, and not just doing it because you might think it's cool, then GET INVOLVED and start working on your portfolio and resume now.</p>

<p>However, being undecided is OK...especially as a sophomore!</p>

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<p>Community College? You must be joking, never! I am to smart, hardworking and dedicated to school to ever go to a freaking community college.I am sorry but that is such negative posting..t.my ...iis working til the day I die. Ivy League schools dont predict my success in life I do. I am freakin not going to no community college...and for theater I have so much work that I never have time to get involved, I audtion for plays but dont make it becasue I am not loud enough..Cant believe you said I should go to a community college for college. lol I dont think you know me, haha. I dont care what it takes I will work my hardest. For your information NorthStarMom has already given me a whole bunch of advice, she has really supported me. I dont think half the people know how hard I work..</p>

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<p>Um, Columbia4Life, Hoo is referring to the idea of going to a community college while in high school. From where I'm from it's what a lot of the smart, hardworking, and dedicated students DO in their junior and/or senior year of high school. I don't mean to be rude but how about you actually read the post before you snap at people trying to help you?</p>

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<p>I actually hinted that you should go to a CC or a local university as a high-school student getting dual credit towards high-school and College graduation. You seem to not know how that works, so I'll explain.</p>

<p>Most local colleges have programs for high-school juniors and seniors so that they can come to school late or leave school early to take a college class or two. I have done this every semester at a local college, and I've really explored things that my high-school couldn't offer me, including Geology, astronomy, anthropology, creative writing, and photography. It's a great option, and it shows colleges that you are really exploring your opportunities and challenging yourself. </p>

<p>I understand that you probably misunderstood me because a lot of people don't realize this great option for high-school students, so I'd love to still give you advice. I never hinted at all at the fact that you should go to community college. I personally think you are better suited towards a smaller Liberal Arts College that can really offer you the help or freedom that you need. Please understand that I never was trying to put you down, I just think you jumped to a conclusion when reading my post and didn't read the rest of what I was saying.</p>

<p>If you are staying up until 3 AM studying, I would say that you are studying far more than necessary. I strongly agree that you need to somehow get better study habits or ask your tutor to help you. </p>

<p>Not to pry, but what did you get on the PSAT? I'm wondering because sometimes students compare themselves too much to people on College Confidential. While on this website people complain about 1200s and 1300s, they are actually good scores. For a sophomore, anything 1000+ is still way above average.</p>

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<p>Columbia4life - you're obviously a very passionate person (as your work ethic testifies), but you should calm down a bit. Everyone here is just trying to help! The advice offered is generally quite sound, so just keep an open mind... Good luck with your applications!</p>

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<p>I am sorry, I misread your post. I just got a lil bit aggrevated and mad. You have to understand that when you work hard and you dont get want you want, you get mad. Read my post below on the board it is labeled "i am going to cry." Again I am sorry for being rude, I was just really mad.</p>

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<p>I think you need to take a step back, figure out what REALLY is important, and then go from there.</p>

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<p>It's perfectly understandable. So where do you want to go from here? What advice will you take?</p>