<p>Hi! So I am an upcoming freshman in a public school without any real reputation... (I actually applied to a magnet school I was REALLY interested in but was rejected because of two points on the entrance exam and to top it off a lot of my friends who really didn't want to go got in) It left me a little( ok very) crushed because I actually transferred to a competitive private school in 8th grade and managed to get a 98 complete average... I cried for about two weeks( yes I know that it's stupid to cry) In september I am going to a regular public school that has been known to have some grade deflation..I dream of going to MIT ( my dads an engineer and I have known I wanted to go since we visited for my brother ) and I know the application process is not easy at all.... It may be a bit to early to look at colleges but I want to start preparing now so I can make my application more appetizing.. I know its not impossible to get into good universities and colleges from my high school since its been done before ( my brother is going to Vanderbilt and there were many Northwestern acceptances along with a harvard and Stanford this year)... So I guess I am just asking for some tips :)</p>
<p>(Sorry for my rambling)</p>
<p>Ah, it took a bit to decypher what you’re saying. Your issue is with how colleges might look at the highschool you’re going to attend.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about this too much. If you take the most rigorous courseload you can (especially in math and science areas), you’ll essentially be just as strong as an applicant than if you did the same thing at a private school.</p>
<p>For other general information about boosting chances, I would browse some of the other threads in this forum. There’s a lot of people with experience in what it takes to get into various colleges and kinds of colleges.</p>
<p>With that being said, you should be careful about setting your heart on a school that is a reach for all practically all applicants. It almost seems random what students they pick if he or she isn’t some star athlete or first generation student from south america.</p>
<p>That’s not to say that you can’t maximize your chances, or that you can’t get an edge over over people. It’s simply important to consider that your chances will be slim at the highest level. Try to find a few schools that you think would be a match for you at a really good GPA and SAT score and some strong ECs. It will encourage you to reach to your highest, yet still keep yourself from almost surely being crushed later.</p>