Imma Freshman, Yes a Freshman.

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Not in college, but in high school. I've been reading this so very interesting forum and dont see many freshmen in high school. I am a very ambitious person, I want to be a Civil Rights Lawyer and then a Politician one day. </p>

<p>I currently attend Northside College Prep, (Chicago Public School)</p>

<h1>24 in America. #1 in Illinois.</h1>

<p>I am currently part of: </p>

<p>Journalism: It is a class after school and I write for the school paper, I applied for an editor position next year and most likely will get it, the current editors in chief and the new ones think highly of me so I should be good! Besides lot of seniors are leaving. </p>

<p>Jammah Club. <em>We Had elections and I won Public Relations</em> So I am currently PR of Jammah Club which is pretty impressive as a freshman.</p>

<p>Academics:
Unweighted GPA: 3.75
Weighted: 4.625</p>

<p>All Classes honors besides P.E.
Taking AP US History next year (I've heard it looks good on college applications)
Also, I plan to take 4 years of Chinese and 2 years of Latin. I plan to take a variety of AP Social Science classes and politics/government. I also want to have a few hundred service learning hours by the time I apply to colleges. </p>

<p>Activities/Long-term Commitments: </p>

<p>Boy Scouts of America (Eagle Scout)
Hoofbeat Journalist (Editor in Chief)
Math Club Member (Member)
Jammah Club Member (President)
Desi Club Member (Member)
Tennis Team (Varsity) </p>

<p>*In the () is my goal by application time.</p>

<p>Projects/Works:
A few months ago I raised over $3000 for people in Gaza. I took on the initiative by myself without any help from any family members, or adults. I made calls, organized things and got some friends and we raised $3061.29.</p>

<p>So far I've won one writing contest but plan to win many, I am a great writer, or so I've been told. </p>

<p>MLK Dream Contest- Freshman 2nd place
^8 winners out of about 1500^</p>

<p>I am Pakistani, (South-Asian) and from a low-income family compared to others on this forum I've seen. </p>

<p>I plan to use my summer wisely, freshman year I want to join this program called, "Freedom Fellowship" which is 6 week program for young leader who want to make a change. You get paid a stipend of $1200 and they only accept 30 kids. There is a program called Summer Quest which you can go abroad and study in summer or go to universities and take enrichment classes, universities like Yale, Harvard, Georgetown and Princeton.</p>

<p>I really want to make a change in this world, I want to be somebody big and help make people's lives better. I want to cease injustice everywhere I can. Yes I do think I am very ambitious and maybe to some I may be unrealistic but really, everything IS possible.</p>

<p>So my question is, am I on track for Harvard/ Ivy schools. Also, I want to get a Law Degree from either Yale Law School or Harvard Law School. Majors that interest me: Journalism, Political Science and Pre-Law(if there's such a thing). </p>

<p>What do you think? </p>

<p>-Faique (Pronounced Fike)</p>

2

<p>As I think you will learn, a lot can change from Freshmen year. Your off to a good start, just continue on the course you’re on, pursue your interests and follow your heart, etc. etc.
Don’t worry until Junior year.</p>

<p>(BTW, awesome name)</p>

3

<p>It is pretty early but if you keep up the good work you will be a very strong applicant.</p>

4

<p>Don’t plan too far ahead… </p>

<p>My life looks nothing like what I planned it to be when I joined this site Freshman year. Just work hard, take the opportunities that come along the way, think critically, have fun with lots of friends, and most importantly don’t get killed along the way. (yes, we all forget to breathe once in a while)</p>

5

<p>Thanks! But yea, any suggestions?</p>

<p>I really cant see myself going to Harvard after seeing this forum.
There are people that are super good that dont make it, kind of depressing.</p>

6

<p>Get your GPA to a 4.0, your GPA/rigor of classes is the most important aspect of your applications. Second, don’t join anything just to get into college; it’s a waste of time even if it fools admissions officers.</p>

7

<p>Do as well as you can in school. Aside from that, pour yourself into activities that you love. That’s it, really.</p>

8

<p>“Taking AP US History next year (I’ve heard it looks good on college applications)”</p>

<p>Any good impressions I had of you just went down the drain. You should be taking AP courses because you genuinely want to learn about the topics covered in the class, and if you can handle the workload.</p>

<p>Taking a class just because the adcoms will like it is just stupid and obvious. You shouldn’t live out the rest of your years of high school with your ambitious goals completely dominating your life.</p>

<p>It’s good to have ambition… but when that ambition is telling you (as a freshman) that you need to take an AP course solely because you think the Yale/Harvard/etc adcoms will like it, then something is wrong.</p>

<p>You’re on the right track thus far, but remember you’re only a freshman. A LOT can change in four years… believe me.</p>

9

<p>No one else has come out and said it yet, so I guess I will…</p>

<p>Try not to come off as an arrogant a**.</p>

10

<p>The Government makes a good point. AP Classes are awesome and I’ve enjoyed every single one that I have taken, but I did not take them simply because “it would look good on my transcript” or “colleges would appreciate that.” After all, they still look to your test scores and final grades from those AP classes. If it’s above your head and you end up struggling, that could hurt you down the road. Then the whole “AP” part doesn’t make as much of a difference as your final grade in the class.</p>

<p>High School is supposed to be a great four years of enjoying yourself and having fun before you enter into college and the world beyond, so don’t kill yourself trying to get into a certain college (like other users said above, it’s great to have goals, but don’t let that dictate your high school experience. You don’t want to have regrets down the road.) This year (as a senior in high school who was already accepted ED 1 to Bowdoin College) I am the editor of the yearbook not because I wanted to boast about it to colleges, but because I genuinely enjoy the experience.</p>

<p>Also, as previously mentioned, LOTS can change from Freshman year. When I was a freshman, I was convinced I wanted to go to the Naval Academy. As time went by, I became more realistic in my search and realized that the qualities I was looking for in a school fit more perfectly with a NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) school than the Naval Academy. In the end, it all works out, so don’t spend so much time worrying about it all now.</p>

<p>The other thing is that going to Harvard or Yale or Princeton is not the end all be all of college. If an Ivy is the type of school you really want to attend and you feel it bests fits your needs (socially as well as academically), then by all means that’s what you should go for. However, there are a plethora of other great colleges and universities out there that can give you just as good an education. The name is not everything, especially depending on your intended major (keep in mind that your interests may change as you proceed through high school… I believe I heard that in college the average student switches his/her major about 3.2 times before finally declaring the real major). </p>

<p>What I’m really trying to get you to see is that setting high goals is excellent, but just keep in mind that every other Ivy applicant might be a valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA and high test scores. What helps to distinguish from these people are the clubs and community service time as well as any kind of athletic pull that you may have a coach giving you in admissions. Basically, you need to look at yourself and say “what can I offer you that all these other people can’t?” Diversity helps in that category. </p>

<p>The application essay provides a great opportunity to leave a lasting impression in admissions as well. Originality and creativity can make your application a memorable one and give you a leg up on the competition.</p>

<p>BUT, this is all much farther down the road… closer to your Junior and Senior year. For now, just enjoy being an underclassmen before you have to experience the REAL college stress and before classes get much harder. It’s great that you’re thinking in advance (my brothers were looking at colleges when I was in 7th and 8th grade, so I could say I started thinking about it then), but if you just keep working hard in school and devote your time to your real interests, you will inevitably be accepted at a great school (whether or not it is a big name Ivy league school).</p>

11

<p>Im sorry if I came across arrogant, I did not for that </p>

<p>Regarding AP US History, I love history, anything social science, it is definitely my favorite class. Besides at least 50 sophomores take it every year, and I’ve been told, “If you can handle AP US History then you can handle most of the other AP’s most likely”. But yea, I have a genuine interest in …sociology, politics, history. </p>

<p>How can I get a 4.0 GPA Now? I already got two B’s (My life is over, lol) </p>

<p>So yea, since I take journalism as an eighth class, 2 B’s out of 8 grades: 3.75 Unweighted.
All classes besides P.E are honors so weighted is like 4.625, but I’ve always given unweighted more importance because people usually have high weighted GPA’s anyways.</p>

<p>And again, I hope I didn’t come off arrogant, that’s the last thing I want.</p>

12

<p>AP US was the best history class I have taken, no doubt about that. However it is very different from AP Biology and (I assume) AP Chemistry, which regarded as the hardest of all AP courses offered at my old high school (mind you, this was a top public school).</p>

<p>It’s tough to say that being able to handle AP US would prepare you for any other AP. In terms of tackling a rigorous course and adjusting to the AP style, I guess that helps you get acquainted with the fast paced style. As far as other AP’s, the subject matter is so different from that of an AP Biology or an AP English. I guess taking an AP test helps with preparation (I took AP Bio sophomore year before AP US junior year), but I would not go so far as to say that doing well in AP US will ensure you success in all other AP classes. That’s too bold a statement. It’s a great class, but it’s not the same as some of the science exams (in my experience, the Biology was a much more difficult test, as you only had 4 free response essays and the multiple choice). </p>

<p>It all depends on your strengths.</p>

13

<p>you need to calm down, take a chill pill, you have two whole years before you start making chances threads. yes your on a good track, and I concur with the others- please only take an ap if you love the class, otherwise you will be miserable evenif you are very smart.
also, don’t necassarily think the ivies are the way to go. as a senior who’s done with the process now, I can tell you the ivies are a crapshoot, and frankly IMO, there are probably schools that are better for YOUR needs when you figure out what you want to focus on in college. harvard and Yale are great but whosays that a law degree from those schools is the best place to get a law degree? (anyway that’s more than 11 years away for you!)
I remember as a freshman I wanted to go to only one school … and now as a senior I don’t care for it anymore. you change though high school so much it’s actually stupid and a waste of energy to start thinking about this process now. just have fun nd enjoy HS, keep your grades up, be unique.</p>