<p>Hey guys,
I have just started my freshman year and I am Super Uber stressed out about what classes I should take.</p>
<p>I dropped PE for martial arts. I am doing Honors English, Honors Global Studies, Honors Geometry, pretty much all honors for freshman.</p>
<p>I am doing Debate because someone told me schools on the east like debate alot, like harvard.</p>
<p>I am also taking Biology, because it was a recommended course for students hoping to get into a competitive school.</p>
<p>I will join the Golf team, and possibly the tennis and baseball team.</p>
<p>I may join the Civics club, and I am a part of the club Interact. Interact does volunteer work all over the city.</p>
<p>I volunteer at my local library for hours.</p>
<p>I took the SAT II as an 8th grader, because I am part of a special program called John Hopkins Talent search, and scored a 1300, which is horrible.</p>
<p>I really need to know pretty much EXACTLY what I have to do.</p>
<p>It's great that you're obviously on the ball and thinking ahead, but you need to chill out a bit and remember a few things. First, there are many great schools in addition to Harvard so although there isn't anything wrong with working on getting a good application together, you don't want to spend the next three years thinking "is this EXACTLY what I need to do...". Also, and this is really important, don't ever do things because you think it will beef up your application... only do them because it's what you WANT to do and not what you think you HAVE to do to get into a school. </p>
<p>Admissions folks are often quite good at shooting down the 'hyper overachieving trying to pad out my application to the max' types. Take the toughest classes you can, but take them because you are interested in the material. It's better to have less activities but have a deeper involvement in each one than hyper scheduling yourself for 50 different clubs and volunteer jobs.</p>
<p>You are right that a 1300 SAT II is pathetic. You don't have chance. How do the words, "Community College" sound. I think all of those activities that you are proposing are a shallow means for you to compensate for weak course schedule at school.</p>
<p>My authentic recommendation is for you to be sincere in you real interests in learning as much as can from High School. Find course work that you real care about. Follow you heart, not some prescribed formula for getting into college, and you might find yourself at a College better suited for who you really are. You will be happy and far more successful in life than you will on your current path.</p>
<p>by the way, just kidding about the first paragraph, you seem really smart.</p>
<p>Most kids gain at least 50 to 100 points in each section compared to the scores they got for CTY talent search. So you are probably in fine shape. I don't think debate is a make or break course. Not offered at our East Coast high school anyway! Most top colleges want to see 4 years of English, 4 years of Math, and at least 3 years of Social Studies, Science (the big three Physic, Bio and Chem should be covered) and Foreign Languages. The elite schools will expect you to have taken that curriculum at the most demanding level possible, though that doesn't mean you have to take every AP course offered. The average number of APs for admitted students at MIT is five, I'm not sure what it is for Harvard, but I imagine it is similar. If you hate science and love history don't fill your plate with science APs. Try out various ECs, stick with the ones you like. Don't forget that you can do ECs outside of school. But most of all relax. You shouldn't come back here till you are a junior. Really!</p>