<p>I'm seeking advice for the best courses and actions to take throughout the rest of my high school years for the best chances of being admitted to an Ivy League college. I know that these colleges require a broad spectrum of skills, but I'm still not sure if my course of action is enough. I'm seeking for a major in gastroenterology (stomach) and otorhinolaryngology (ear, throat, nose). I'm in the top 1st percentile in my class of less than 300 students and top 10th in the school. </p>
<p>I currently have a 4.0 GPA and am going to have honors human anatomy this fall. My math course is Pre-Calculus and I'll be studying physics for science. I'm involved in Cross Country, Track, and Soccer. I have piano as a side hobby and am aiming for an eagle scout. I'm a student council rep., chess club president, and key club officer. I have participated in regional and statewide math and piano competitions. I was involved in band in my Freshmen year but will drop it this year. I started foreign language a bit late and am only completed with my 1st year of Spanish. I'm deciding to take AP Biology in my Junior year as well as AP Statistics. I have AP History this year. </p>
<p>I took the new SATS during the summer of 8th grade and scored miserably with a 500 in writing, 510 in reading, and 740 in math. I took the PSATS in my Freshmen year and scored relatively better with a 520 in reading, 650 in writing, and 700 in math. I'm nowhere near being 1/100 of a genius, but I still try my best at everything I do. I was enrolled in Jazz Band during my middle school years, but I dropped it after coming to high school. I'm in the National Honor Roll, but I don't know what difference it makes. </p>
<p>Anyway, I hope this is not too much or too little information to digest at once. I will check the replies daily and will add more information when required. My foremost aim is University of Washington as my realistic choice, but I really want to go to Johns Hopkins or some Ivy League college. </p>
<p>I've been studying really hard to improve my SAT scores and have improved my reading score to 680-700 range. I know this sounds ridiculous for a sophomore, but I'm only reporting the average of all my SAT practice scores. Should I keep preparing my SATS and how much everyday? Should I get a job? I currently have no job, but what kind of job should I get? I'm thinking of becoming a hospital aide, since my career goal is in the medical field. Should I do community service and how? Should I get some athletic achievements? </p>
<p>Thanks,
David H.</p>
<p>P.S. I am also adept at creating and managing websites. Is that a plus?</p>
<p>It's like you submitted a letter. That's a lot to cover and I'm sure more are more knowledgable than me. However, if you don't want/need a job (as in the money aspect of it) then you could try to find a researching opprotunity, likely at the hospital. That would look impressive.</p>
<p>Take the hardest classes offered at your school. Maintain good grades (avoid Bs, don't worry if you get a couple. Don't kill yourself over A-s. Some schools, like Stanford, don't even count +/-s.) Don't take every single AP there is. There's no need for that. Do take as many as possible, but within reason. There are no requirements.
Study for SATs, but don't worry too much. A score of 2150+ is VERY good. TRUST me on this one. Do NOT panic if you don't get a score above 2200. Aim for 700+ on each section. Remain calm knowing that a section in the 670-700 range is OK. (For proof, look to the official 2010 results threads.)
Join clubs, find interests, and pursue those interests. Again, there are no requirements. You don't HAVE to have a sport. You don't HAVE to have an internship. You don't HAVE to be president of multiple clubs. Excel in one or two areas, and pursue opportunities that interest you. Do community service.
Get a job--any job. Get educated about summer programs so you can plan ahead for ones that interest you (camps, research opportunities, TASP, RSI, WTP, NASA SHARP, etc.) Perhaps look into community college courses.</p>
<p>Hmmm, well I'm not going to comment on your chances in any regard because it is definitely too early in the game to really give a reasonable comment. Though I know that having a job is definitely a nice edge when applying, or at least it was for me, because I know that it demonstrates to adcoms that you have taken up the responsibility and will now be wearing many hats. And as to the type of job, it really isn't important, I mean I scooped ice cream for about a year, so... but if you work in something that is related to your future goals then definitely do that because you are showing that you are interested in that major. As to community service and sports, I am of the mentality that if you want to do it, do it, but not for the sake of college. Because I know that I did like 200+ hours of community service with the main purpose of putting it on my applications, though after a while I really didn't care to because I didn't do it for the right reasons and so I just didn't bother putting it on my application. Same with sports, I did tennis my sophomore year, but by junior year I realized that I was playing for the wrong reasons so I dropped that and I still ended up fine on my applications. So yeah. And then for taking 4 AP courses, ask your parents why they don't want you taking them, perhaps they think it would be too much for you to handle so early in high school, or perhaps they would rather you try to enjoy some of high school by not burdening yourself so much with work, either way, inform them that you feel confident and comfortable in takin four AP courses and that you appreciate that they're looking out for you, but that you know that taking these classes will be good personal goals and that you know that you will be able to handle the material. So good luck with everything and try to enjoy high school, I had some great years there, and I know college will be just as awesome, so good luck.</p>
<p>Thank you very much Tony and Jim I agree with everything you say. My parents are truthfully afraid I'd overburden myself and flunk in my Sophomore year if I take too many AP classes. My friends also say so too. Anyway, I did take a health camp this summer at a community college, but I didn't really benefit much , save instruction from a health care provider on CPR. It was my second CPR course and I ended up with a Health Care Provider License instead of another CPR License. I guess that's a plus. </p>
<p>Also, my dad is a math fanatic. His dream is to see me get 1st place in the statewide math competition, which I can't come close to.... or qualify for the USAMO etc, which again I can't come close to. Anyway, I want to know how much empasis I should put on math and if there are any good resources that I should use to prepare for these competitions. Believe me, I've tried many and the closest I've gotten in my Freshmen year was 15th place statewide (sad) and not even an AIME qualification (sadder). I know I have the potential, but I don't know why I can't put it in use.... can some smart math wiz tutor me?</p>
<p>Don't worry about what your dad or mom want you to win. Do your best, and if that means losing the statewide math contest, then that's OK. Math whizzes are a dime a dozen these days anyway. Find something you love and do it well.</p>
<p>Well, to tell you the truth, I'm more of the all rounded type-no expertise in any field yet able to do a whole spectrum of things. Should I find a passion?</p>
<p>Ummm, well 15th place statewide I wouldn't exaclty mark as sad, but oh well, obviously you have good math resources which you should definitely highlight in your application [that's what I did, though granted I was a math major], but yeah, not being an AIME qualifier is not sadder, but oh well you take what you want, but hmmm, that health care provider license is definitely a plus, so good luck with everything.</p>
<p>yeah, do find something that you love. i'm kind of in the same position as you are--lacking one specific thing to excel at. but i do know that i'm interested in the humanities so i'm president of the foreign language club, i write a lot, i win school awards in those subjects, etc. if you're a math/science oriented person, try for research opportunities, summer programs/classes, competitions, and olympiads.</p>
<p>There are tons of people like you and me there who are trying to qualify for the USAMO, and there are some USAMO winners and IMO medalists too. The resources on that site should help you a lot. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice chess64, but there are too many smart people in the world and I'm not close to being near the top. Btw, I knew about the site already, but thanks for mentioning it again. I could never figure out how to use the site to my advantage. I mean, there are many math problems, but I never find them and I waste most of my time on the site to posting messages.</p>
<p>if you want to get into an ivy league the first thing to do is just have the grades and scores in the middle 50% of those accepted. then see if you have alumi status at any of the schools and if you do give lots and lots of money to it. if you dont you can still give lots and lots of money to schools (but alumi always helps in the admission process). then once the college has a library named after you and you look like an average student at the school on paper, they probably will accept you without any questions. that would have worked for JFK Jr. (father prez, uncle attourney general, uncle senator all went to harvard and gave lots of cash) except his grades were down the crapper. </p>
<p>if you cant give huge sums of money to a college, do what the rest of us do and take a challenging couse load, score well on the sats, do a handful of meaningful ECs (math may be one for you), impress 2 teachers so you get good recs, and write the greatest essays known to man. but even when this is done there is still a fair chance you wont get into an ivy due to shear competition, but will get into lots of other great schools (so long as you apply). and in the end your undergrad school matters very little if you go back for an md, law degree, mba, phd, ms, or ma.</p>
<p>o, and you are very smart and dont need to be in MENSA to get into a good school. you just need to work hard and have a little bit of luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement, Venkater. I still feel that I'm not giving my full potential though. My parents always disapprove me of acting like a normal teenager (socially oriented), if you know what I mean. Although I fight against their will, I'm starting to feel the burden it has put on me. I have less time to study and I'm wondering if they are actually completely right-study is all that matters now and in the future years to come, I can relax is what they tell me everyday. Can someone completely dissolve my stubborness and help me stick to this concept?
i.e. I 'waste' lots of time everyday reading novels, surfing the net, or just not studying or doing something that will benefit my future.</p>
<p>If you're planning on going into medicine, those years in the future you're planning on relaxing in will come like.... 15 years from now.
Reading novels is hardly a waste of time (basically, I'm a huge advocate of reading, and don't feel the need to get into it) and don't sacrifice your personal development to sit around and study all day long. DOn't get me wrong, studying is important, but so is growing up and being your age and doing things that interest you... don't become too fixated on one thing that you don't do things that please you... you'll be a far more interesting person in the long run, and that;s the type of individual most competitive colleges want to have (because they can have their pick of stellar applications... what's going to make you stand out?)</p>
<p>Reading novels is the best habit that will bring happiness to you till the day you die. Never worry about that habit, I say. I am a rising senior. I must have read more than a 1000 novels so far. Because of that I got 800 in CR and 800 in W without much SAT preparation (never took classes or studied very hard, but I did study "10 Real SATs" book that was gifted to me by an uncle).
So, relax. Read books, lots of them. Try to get decent grades by paying sufficient attention to your school work. You will be alright.</p>
<p>yeah definitely take time to read books--not just the classics. read magazines that talk about the real world. dont be afraid to get acquainted with pop culture and catch up on the important movies of the last 50 years. itll make you a much more educated person. trust me. i was a sheltered bookworm when i started highschool but once i started to find out about the world, i opened up. and it makes you a better writer, too.</p>
<p>I agree with all of you. Unfortunately, my parents don't agree. You see, I'm a second generation citizen, but my parents were the first. They have traditions and values they bring from outside the USA. For instance, they attended so called 'challenge' schools before they came here to attend college and these 'challenge' schools over-emphasized on one thing-study, study, study. I don't blame them too, because I have read numerous articles saying how foreign countries are better prepared academically than the USA. Don't get me wrong, I'm not biased, but these articles have a good point. Anyway, my parents think my present score is too low for there standards. I agree too. When I finished middle school, my SAT combined score was ONLY 1750. In 9th grade, PSAT was only 1870. They think I should get at least 2100 meaning I'm behind already and by this year, 2200 on the PSAT, at least.... expectations are way too high these days.........</p>