<p>I am a junior in high school, and that time has come when students are being made to seriously consider their futures and college educations. I am feeling very conflicted, because I have always had an unrealistic, bloated idea of my abilities because of the unwavering verbal praise from my parents and all those teachers saying "you can do whatever you want!". Now, my teachers are FINALLY cutting the crap and telling us how it is. I know now that I cannot get into any of the top schools in the country, but that doesn't bother me too much. I just have no sense of what level I'm at because of this disillusionment. I attend a special high school (early college high school) where I take college classes that are integrated into my daily schedule. This definitely gets me ahead with my credits, but I'm not sure if it will give me an upper hand when it comes to being accepted to a university. So here's kind of where I stand as a student</p>
<p>I have taken all honors classes from freshman year until now. I am in college trigonometry, college Spanish, AP English, AP chemistry, and a few other classes that are necessary. I usually get all A- to A+, but every now and then a B will show up on my transcript, making my average GPA for both sophomore and freshman year around 3.9. Falling short of a 4.0 is something I can never live down. Some years back, I received an F for an after school college class, and I'm worried that will hurt me when applying for a college. The F was a sort of accident, and I could easily explain it. Anyways, I always get principles honor roll and awards for being over-all good, but I never get individual awards for being outstanding in one subject or class, mostly because I'm a very shy and reserved person.
As for my "personal story"(I see people on this forum including them), I grew up in Brazil with my parents as they were doing missionary work. I've definitely had a kind of bizarre upbringing that I can't explain, but in conclusion, I entered public school very late (late middle school) and found a lot of difficulty adjusting to the school system and socially around peers. But hey, I didn't do too badly!
My school is very small and has limited options for extracurricular activities. It does not offer sports and only has a handful of clubs. I have taken advantage of this and joined what I could, but they're mostly scholastic clubs and things like newsletter and yearbook. I haven't been in a club consistently as I was trying everything out at one point or another, and I do hear that a consistent devotion to one hobby or club is valued. For this reason, extracurricular activity is the area I believe I'm lacking in. By the end of this year, I should have over a hundred community service hours. Also, I'm not sure if this would look good on an application, but since I was 12 I have had a weekend job, and I basically help run a business independently now. Would this make me seem like an independent young adult, or is it taken lightly?</p>
<p>I'm sorry if my ideas seem scattered and unorganized. Please be honest with me and let me know, what kind of college could I reach for? Where would I have a sure chance of being accepted to? I have had dreams about Berkeley and UC Davis, but I am not so set on these that I will be upset if I don't make it, because I surely won't. How valuable am I as a student and a person? I'm tired of people telling me I'm greater than I am. Also, having limited activities offered by my school, what are some ways I can have a more active extracurricular profile? Thanks for reading.</p>