<p>Hi there!
I'm a sophomore in a super competitive high school. Everyone around me seems so far ahead and ready for college, and then there is me who doesn't really know anything :(. I really want to major in Physics or EE or both, but I'm not sure what I should do in high school, to make me look like a competitive applicant.
GPA: 3.83 (unweighted)/ 4.2 (weighted)
SAT: haven't taken it
EC:
Tennis Varsity (9,10)
Track JV (9,10)
Secretary of Bike Club
Robotics (Electrical Engineering Section)
Physics and Engineering Club
Architecture Club (in Engineering Section)
Volunteer at Chandler Tripp School (an MTU-medical therapy unit) - I really love volunteering here!!!
Taken CC courses in Java, Data Structures, Beginning Graphic Design
Taking online courses about about Electronics (Berkeley Edition)</p>
<p>What should I add to my ecs, that pertain to physics or ee or something sciency, that would make my application stronger (senior year)?
Also, where should I volunteer because I feel like volunteering at one place isn't as much as other people</p>
<p>You’ve a fine resumé so far. Good job. You can get in just about anywhere with that GPA, and your ECs are where you want them to be. Too many ECs are of less value than 1-4 focused ones.</p>
<p>If you’re aiming at the Top 20, it would really help if your ECs included some leadership and initiative. Every community has a bazillion needs. What needs to be done in your community? Research the needs of some small part of your community and organize an effort to address that need on an ongoing basis. </p>
<p>If you’re not interested in ivies or their kin, then your ECs don’t need to shine in that way. Ivies want leaders. You might find that you’re not really a leader in the sense I vaguely described above. Fair enough. Continue with your ECs, focusing on 3 or 4 and try to earn positions of leadership within them.</p>
<p>The summer after your sophomore year, begin to prepare for your PSAT and SAT/ACT. Really put in the effort. Treat it like a part-time job that you’re doing while you’re volunteering, working, and working on your ECs. Get a copy of the Princeton or Fiske Guide to colleges and begin to look at the write-ups. Have a conversation with your parents about the amount of money they will provide you with each year; this conversation may develop over time, but you need to know when putting together a list whether you’ll need any grants or scholarships; be able to get any need-based aid; have to focus on large scholarships; etc. Money drives everything in making college decisions for 95% of applicants. Before you set up a list, you have to answer the money question.</p>
<p>Look for opportunities to visit schools in your immediate area. A large state flagship, a smaller public, a small private, a medium-sized research uni, etc. Try to get a feel for what kind of campus is right for you. Figure out too how far from home is too far for you and your family. Cultivate as well relationships with teachers and counselors who could write good letters of rec that indicate that the writer knows you well. Check in with us again in a year.</p>
<p>Thanks!! @jkeil911</p>
<p>Persue your interests deeply. If you are at a competitive school it can be hard to stand out. That not going to happen by someone telling you where to volunteer. You have a place that is meaningful to you, keep it up or increase engagement there, what can you do to make a difference? Think more along the lines of ‘How to be a High School Superstar’ with your activities (google it.) But most important, push yourself academically.</p>