<p>Well let me start telling you about me. I am an orthodox Jewish teenager with a large family. I go to school 6 days a week, sunday-friday from 7:30 AM through 9:15 PM (except Friday's), and on Thursday's we go till 10:15 PM. YES, THIS IS NOT A MISPRINT! And you might be thinking what might we be doing for all these hours. We pray, have breakfast, learn Jewish studies, lunch, Jewish studies, and then english(secular-not Judaism related) and then more learning, dinner, then more education. I maintaned a 3.9 gpa in freshman year, a 3.7 gpa in sophmore year due to taking the most advanced classes available and struggling with my porn addiction, which thank God I overcame( by the way do you reccomend writing about this in my college admission essay on the college application). And then right now in my Junior year I am taking the most advanced classes available( I'm taking Calculus!), and so far this year i have a 4.0 gpa. Also, this is the first year we are allowed to take AP's, and we have to self-study them in our free time, WHICH IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE! So, when i come home at 9:30 i have to stay up finishing schoolwork, and also doing AP's. I got 81% on PSAT(didnt take SAT yet).I am taking(self-study) AP psychology and AP english language and composition(which i have no idea how to do, please help!). Also, in my freshman summer i went to camp, and helped my mom with her work. Somphmore summer, our school offeres us summer school so i went there.( also planning on going there junior year, and these are the only two years they allow us to take it, I'd take more if they let). I also when i had like winter break, and other breaks in school i helped my Temple raise money(charity). I also spent my summer with our temple in a program where we help young Jewish boys and girls come closer to judiasim. AND our school does not have a counseler so I do not have anyone to really guide me(my parents are too busy) and i am the first child in my family going to college so do you think with all my background info, especially my school hours which restrict me from doing alot of extra-curriculars(also our school doesnt have any groups, and clubs we can be into, the only thing we have is a librarian and i volunteer there for my school), so any tips on what to do, how to do, all the who's what's and why's, just please help me! i am also trying to get into UCLA, i wnat to become a pharmacist. So please help THANKS ALOT! have to get back to studying....</p>
<p>Why are you posting on the homeschool board? It sounds like a private school - is it some sort of hybrid? Why do you have those school hours? Is it a requirement of your school or your family or yourself?</p>
<p>And no, I don’t recommend writing about the porn, although you have my heartiest congratulations. </p>
<p>Schools want to know what you do with your spare time. And although I’m not an admissions counselor, it is my opinion from reading these boards that your extreme schedule may actually be hurting your chances of the top schools.</p>
<p>Another tip is to use paragraph breaks.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Thanks for your advice. And the hours are the schools requirements…</p>
<p>So do you know anything I could do this year to raise my chances?</p>
<p>Thanks alot,man.</p>
<p>I think your most urgent issue is showing that you can survive outside your school.</p>
<p>I’d recommend that you, if not get out of the school for one that allows you to have a life, figure out how to frame what your school has meant to you in such a way that you highlight ways the school has made you special and how you’ve grown from it. </p>
<p>I’d recommend that you NOT take summer school, but do something else - get a job, go to (or work at) a non-religious summer camp, volunteer in something non-school-related and non-Temple-related (like medicine or chemistry or healthcare since you want to be a pharmacist). A job could be anything - food service, construction, whatever. If you must go for more school in the summer, how about as a non-degree student at the local community college?</p>
<p>The reason for suggesting you branch out into non-religious interests is that the schools may worry that you won’t be able to function out of the heavy schedule and environment of religion, especially since you want to go into a secular field. They will want to know you can interact with people not as devout as you, that you won’t be a jerk when dealing with people who are less committed than you are. You’re going to meet all kinds of people at school, and the schools are going to want to know that you and the other people will survive the interaction and grow from it.</p>
<p>I’d also recommend the same as for everyone - research schools that have what you want. There are several current pharmacy threads on CC.</p>
<p>Have other students from your school gone on to college or higher education? They may be the best source of advice for you. Do people from your school end up in family businesses? Are you a boy or girl, and does that affect your options?
I’m afraid most of us here have more questions than answers.</p>
<p>All of the very little percentage of the students here that actually went to a college/ University are in the lower classes, such as pre-Algebra and ESL English. I find that very sad. I want to do something with my life, and I have no one to guide me. ( Although the Internet has been very crucial for my planning, I am yet unable to find advice that can help someone in “my boat.”</p>
<p>Family business’, yes. But, I am interested in neither of my parent’s profession.</p>
<p>I am a male. I am not sure if that effects my outcome…</p>
<p>You are absolutley right, But, thanks for this response!</p>