<p>Im a rising sophomore at a VERY small school in upstate NY (30 kids). I've been looking at stats etc. and am getting worried that mine wont look so great. This year was the first graduating class (9 kids), so I cant really tell if colleges were interested. Some acceptances were: Sarah Lawrence, Bennington, SUNY Oswego + Albany, University of New Hapshire, Ithaca.. but i plan on going to a more selective school. So the problems include...
No AP classes offered.<br>
No Academic honors/awards etc.
No clubs/societys
No class rank
No GPA ( i think that the school calculates for college apps though..)
Not a lot of electives, only 3 sports- none of which appeal to me at all.
I also live very far from civilization and work/volunteering is almost impossible because of transportation. I've looked for classes outside of school but there aren't many and transportation is still an issue.
Im a very good student and get straight As/A-s, Im in all honors classes, and hope to take classes at Bard COllege in my junior/senior year. Im worried about the lack of those things stated above... any advice is welcome, I'm stressing. Thanks.</p>
<p>Colleges judge students on the basis of how much the students took advantage of the academic and EC advantages in their school and area.</p>
<p>Being from a small school in a rural area could be a big plus in applying to selective private colleges because such colleges want to have a diverse student body.</p>
<p>Do study for the SATs, however, so that you obtain scores that would make you competitive. Lots of times rural schools don't have as good teachers as do urban areas that can afford to pay higher salaries, so you may need to do extra study on your own to have scores that will be appropriate for the schools you're interested in.</p>
<p>If there are no AP classes, go self-study or take it online.</p>
<p>If there are no awards or honors, go enter competitions that fascinate you and get 'em.</p>
<p>If there are no clubs, make one that captures your interest.</p>
<p>Class rank and GPA - can't help you there.</p>
<p>Sports... Well I kind of agree with you there. </p>
<p>Start some volunteering stuff at your own community. Take the lead and don't expect others to assist you in the process. It's okay you don't work.</p>
<p>The thing is, you can make things happen. I think as a junior, it's too late to build up your ECs, but you can still go into the selective schools you wish to attend by going to a community college or ...Sarah Lawrence, Bennington, SUNY Oswego + Albany, University of New Hapshire, Ithaca..., do some work there, maintain your grades, and transfer.</p>
<p>Or as the above poster says, study and get good SAT/ACT scores to show potential, and you just might get into your Ivies, Stanford, or whatever. :)</p>
<p>Start your own crap. My school had almost no clubs or activities that I liked, so I made em. Shows leadership AND gives you stuff to do (that you like).</p>
<p>Remember, colleges can't hold any of that against you (no APs, awards, sports, etc) if it's your school's policy. Just make yourself visible some other way, and keep the grades up (my horrible, horrible mistake)</p>
<p>thanks for the suggestions,
starting to feel a little less stressed</p>
<p>You just got through the easiest year of your high school career. You have no idea how much more stressed you'll be in junior year. Remember, if it gets to be too much, chill. Read something not college-related. Play some video games. Go outside and BREATHE YOU'RE STILL A FRESHMAN GO OUT AND HAVE FUN ALREADY ESCAPE CC IT IS QUICKSAND ><!</p>
<p>You have an enormous opportunity to make a noteworthy impact on your community.</p>
<p>I agree with the previous responses, just want to add a few comments. </p>
<p>Think of the fact that your school is so new as an opportunity. Definitely start clubs that interest you. You have a much better chance of doing something significant for your school this way than if you were just one more kid joining an already-established club at a larger school. </p>
<p>Even with the APs, which someone suggested doing on your own, why not see if anyone else is interested in studying for one with you? You could start an AP program at your school - if you do it and succeed, more people are likely to want to try it. </p>
<p>I don't know what subjects/activities interest you, but do some research online and find out how you could share your interests with others. For example, my son is interested in mythology. Did you know there is a national mythology exam (for grades up to 9th)? We didn't, until we searched online. Now he's thinking of starting a mythology group at his school.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cogito.org/Programs/programslist.aspx?competitions%5B/url%5D">http://www.cogito.org/Programs/programslist.aspx?competitions</a> - this is a list of competitions, but it's a great place to look for ideas for things to get involved in.</p>
<p>thanks eg1, i'll definitely check that out, and Im gonna ask around at school to see if anyone else is interested, great idea</p>
<p>bump bumpp</p>
<p>anyone else...?</p>