<p>I'm a freshman in high school and I'm worried I will not get into the University of Texas Austin. I am a overall good student with only A's and B's. My rank this year was 223/755 which is about the top 30%, I'm also in the 2nd quartile. My 4 poing GPA is 3.125 and schools GPA is on a 5 point scale and that GPA is 2.9. I am taking all honors courses and ap courses. I have so far completed 160 hours of community service. I play golf and I am also a athletic trainer. Next year I will be in the Latin club and hopefully any other clubs my school has. I have two years to change my GPA and Rank. What do I need to change them to and also what might I do that can help me get into the college of my dreams? Thank you.</p>
<p>First of all, slow down.</p>
<p>Deep breath.</p>
<ol>
<li>Don’t join all the clubs your school has, all of those clubs will just make you seem
like an incredibly unhappy person. </li>
<li>Find something you enjoy and are genuinely passionate about. Whatever it is, devote your time to only a few things which inspire you and that will make your application stand out from all the neurotic 19 officer position holders and GPA whores. </li>
<li>Get your house in order. It sounds to me like you need to do a little maturing before you even start thinking about college. Not to say that high school seniors are the most mature people on the planet but I think your priorities are a little off right now, learn to control your emotions and don’t follow the crowd like a lemming.</li>
<li>Learn how to study efficiently. Everyone has a different way of studying that works best for them, study using different techniques and then utilize the hell out of the one that gives you the best results. Personally, I learn most by working in small bursts, consistently, over a long period of time. Some people work best in long bursts the night before(don’t confuse this with being lazy, some people just work best this way) and the best students will be the ones that understand how it is they need to learn.</li>
<li>Teach yourself something. In my opinion, being an autodidact is the best way to learn not only about a new skill or subject, but about yourself. If you can successfully teach yourself a new skill: programming, a new language, poetry writing, chess, swimming, speed reading, whatever, you name it! Anything! Teach yourself anything at all and I guarantee you will grow as a person and in turn become a better student.</li>
<li>Enjoy high school. Happy students are winners. This does not mean do drugs and drink a lot in order to be cool. I promise that some of the people you know right now to be normal kids will be semi alcoholic and wildly irresponsible by the time you get out of high school. Don’t be that kid. Drugs are bad. Yes, all of them. At this time in your life your brain is your most important asset: invest in it, don’t waste it. </li>
<li>Read…a lot. Find a genre or subject that interests you. There are books out there for everyone and having top notch reading skills (in America this means reading more than 3 books…) will basically make the SAT and ACT a joke; consequently, your AP English classes as well. 1600 points on the SAT are earned through proper language skills, and the ACT has 3 sections based on language skills: Reading, English, and Science. Yup, Science. Absolutely no science knowledge is needed to get a decent score on the Science section. I earned a perfect score and the second half of that section was gibberish to me, but thanks to my reading skills I could accurately derive all the information I needed from the question and lab descriptions. Plus reading is fun! </li>
<li>Make friends and be nice to others. Idk how this will improve your chances of going to UT but nice guys don’t always finish last. Nurture your ability to identify with other human life. </li>
<li>Finally, speak in front of others. This matters. Speaking will help you understand not only how to communicate, but also how it is that others listen – part of speaking is listening. When you get in front of others and communicate something (a story, a poem, a debate topic, a current event, a character in a play, a morning announcement) you will become more confident; developing this ability early will prepare you for dealing with others in the professional world, interviews, writing essays, contests, the benefits are countless!</li>
</ol>
<p>Good luck! And remember, it’s high school…it’s not THAT big a deal.</p>
<p>yeah what that guy said</p>
<p>Avoid heartache & headaches by getting yourself in the top 7% of your class.</p>
<p>all good advice…especially the portion about not joining every club your school offers. Focus on your interests. If you love golf and athletic training, find a nonprofit that works with young children or the disabled who want to learn particular skills or love to play. There is an excellent nonprofit that has high schoolers working with disabled children in soccer drills and games. They all have a great time! Spend your hours working with such a group and eventually take a leadership role in the one you most enjoy. Don’t fill your resume with a long list of clubs and activities. Or find a job teaching golf…get paid. My son was a swimmer and he taught swimming. </p>
<p>Also, I think UT is a fantastic university, but don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Read about other universities and then visit the ones that offer programs that interest you. Be sure to explore at least one or two smaller schools. </p>
<p>Finally…read, read, read! Best advice that was stated above!
Enjoy your youth and don’t worry too much!</p>