<p>If you could go back in time to when you were a freshman in high school and give yourself a little guide detailing what you need to do to go to any college that you want to when you are a senior in high school, what would it say? Okay, forget the corny question. I am a freshman in high school and want to go to a college like Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, etc. I want to go to a very academically challenging and well renowned school. What do you think I need to do to clinch my spot in those schools? I mean, what should I start working on? I know the basics, but everyone does, and many have achieved the basics, but still don't get into many of their choices. I know what I need to do, but I still want to know what you'd do. Should I start getting a tutor for the SAT's? My family is displaced from Hurricane Katrina. We lived in New Orleans. We are looking everywhere to move, even places like Providence, Rhode Island. Does it matter where I am? Should I just join tons of clubs? I know I should do what interests me and not just for colleges. Anyway, just asking for some good advice.</p>
<p>Thanks in advance,</p>
<p>g0ldenboy</p>
<p>This is what I know about the basics: </p>
<p>GPA:
Course Load:
SAT:
SAT II:
ACT:
Class Rank:
Essay:
Recommendations:
Hooks:
Ec's:
Location:
Minority Status:
School Type:
Interview:<br>
Other:</p>
<p>p.s. I picked this forum because it is supposed to have the most posts out of all of the Ivies.</p>
<p>Just try your hardest in your classes, and find something that you love to do. Sure, studying for SATs will help, but don't do that until at least your sophomore summer. I think that while it is good that you have an ambitious goal, you don't want to let yourself down if you look at high school as 4 years of your life entirely devoted to getting into an Ivy league school, and you don't get in. Don't stress out about college yet...you still have a while. But in the meanwhile, just do your best in school and find some extracurricular that makes you go bananas!!! :p</p>
<p>Um... enjoy highschool. Starting the college "process" now is a huge mistake. I'd be worried that you'll miss out on a good chunk of four years of your life and then waste college studying for grad school, etc. Life isn't about the next accomplishment you can make... or something inspirationally cliche like that. Aha! Found one: live in the moment.</p>
<p>basically the stuff everyone else said. obviously get the grades and the test scores, but then find things that you really love to do, and do them! make something out of your four years in high school doing what excites you, and everything else will follow once it comes time for college admissions. these are some of the best years of your life; live them.</p>
<p>Yea, don't get caught up with the whole SAT, SAT II, ACT thing this early. Wait until you're a sophomore. </p>
<p>What are you interested in? Freshman year is a great year to try out a lot of different clubs and sports/ ec's. Although most start sports/ musical instruments competitively very early, it's never too late. That said, you should join a club or two that you are interested in...become really involved and help out the officers. If you want a leadership position, go the extra mile. Becoming an officer in a club isn't a difficult thing to do; in some instances, you might find it easy. While you develop your ec passions, maybe you'll be driven to start a club your sophomore or junior year. You could also ask one of your junior year teachers to be the advisor for your club, that way they'll know you in two different facets. </p>
<p>Whatever you do, do not just join a bunch of scattered clubs. No matter what your friends might say, there isn't a club that you absolutely have to join. Considering the colleges you want to apply to, NHS should be a given. </p>
<p>I know it's hard not to, but really try not to stress over the whole college admissions process. Work your a** off for your grades, while simultaneously pursuing your outside passions--be it science, math, art, journalism, etc. Don't try to analyze what passions the colleges want. Nothing is too obscure or generic.</p>
<p>Oi, being on CC this early probably isn't too good of a sign. Go hang out with your friends or something...</p>
<p>That said, pm me if you need more help (or specific "tips" for your college admissions prep. I don't feel like posting a spew of info). I doubt you'll be able to keep away from CC anyways... </p>
Are you saying that he/she will most likely get into NHS, or that they should try to join? If it is the latter, than you are contradicting your point in the quotation.</p>
<p>Lol I just found that amusing....I'm guessing you probably meant that NHS should be no problem to get into but it was funny to read.</p>
<p>Just work hard and make the most of your personality, I'd say. If you can pull it off, study hard for those Olympiad teams (USABO, USAMO, USNCO, USACO, USAPhO) or something like RSI. Besides for the fact that they dramtically improve your chances of admission, they're fun and competitive, at least if you're science oriented.</p>
<p>That's it. I'd say my biggest regrets were:
(a) Not skipping some of the junk classes offered at my HS (Alg. 2 / Precalc)
(b) Having a rough junior year due to so many APs.
(c) Not realizing the existence of the olympiads or RSI (or at least how to get there).</p>
<p>I still believe that you can do all that and have fun during HS.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Research! Information is a power not to be underestimated. Competitions, scholarships, community service opportunities, diverse cultural experiences, etc.</p></li>
<li><p>Be unique. If you want to take the road of a simple academic, that's fine as long as you are one of THE top students in the world who will be competing against you. A little easier way out would be to...travel around Africa for a couple of months and analyze the cultural origins that have influenced the music genre Alternative Rock and publish an article on it. I'm just making this up, but you get the idea. To be unique, you have to give up some of your time that would otherwise be devoted to academics. It's taking chances, but you ain't got much chance anyway.</p></li>
<li><p>May Fortuna be on your side.</p></li>
</ol>