(This might be a long post)
Anyways I wanted to know if I will be stretching myself thin freshmen year.
Background: my goal is to get into a top ten tech college (MIT, Stanford, Georgia Tech, e.t.c) I have always been able to handle a rigorous schedule with top grades.( A+ or higher)
In freshmen year I will have 8 classes 6 honors 2 AP’s ( max for freshmen)
Join :
DECA, Science Club, Math team, programming club.
At the same time will be self studying for usabo, AMC 10/12, usaco, and preparing too make ISEF(told by researcher idea was promising plus non-competitive school and region).
Do you think I am stretching myself thin, or do I need to do more for those colleges.
I am sorry if this may sound braggy but I am struggling with trying to get a school-social life balance and still aim for top schools.
You say: " I have always been able to handle a rigorous schedule with top grades."
What, exactly, was rigorous in middle school? Was it honors english? or did you take Pre-calc for math?
If you are asking me, random person on the internet if that is too much, I would say YES that is too much.
AP Classes are supposed to be college level. Do you know if you can do college level work?
or are the AP classes you are taking the “easy” ones?
Colleges don’t want you to take AP classes just because they are AP classes…but because you have an interest.
Are you interested in AP Human Geography or whatever you are taking?
What does your guidance counselor say?
My general thought is don’t overload in freshman year…you don’t know what you can do yet. Start reasonably. THen if it goes well, ramp it up.
Colleges don’t appreciate that you took 2 APs freshman year…but got C’s in them…they would rather you take honors courses and do well.
The other thing with the clubs is see how it goes. Academics are more important than ECs…don’t let them take over your life. Drop some if you need to.
Having a goal is great. Being fixated on top schools while in middle school is not.
Yes. Or no. Or maybe. None of us know you. It seems like a lot. For EC’s quality is more important than quantity. Certainly explore different clubs/ECs as a freshman, but quickly narrow them done to ones important to you, not what you think colleges want to see.
List the exact classes.
Whet was rigorous about middle school (some offer specific paths but most don’t).
I think it is too much. DD was in the highest level of classes in middle school. Freshman year she took three honors, one AP and one DE. She went from 1.5 hours of homework max (often less) in middle school to a solid four hours every night in high school. What you are proposing goes beyond that.
Think very carefully. Do some research by asking teachers and students (or your guidance counselor) who have taken those classes before what the workload is like. You need to hit the right balance, and for those tippy top techs, there is only a small margin for error.
It depends not only on you, but also on what is typical at your school. Talk to your new GC!
I would also caution you with extrapolating middle school course work to HS classes, especially AP. As noted in post #5. You can expect a huge jump in work load and if you are looking at balance with ECs and socializing, I don’t think you are going to find it with what you are planning.
My D’s school didn’t allow freshman to take any APs and also limited honors courses. They did so because the transition to HS and more rigorous classes was a big change.
Don’t start high school the wrong way taking courses you “think” colleges want to see
Take your standard courses in sequence. and ones that you have a true interest in.
Also colleges want to see you in 2-3 clubs /activities and do those for 3-4 years. Shows consistency and determination. Having tons of things doesn’t impress anyone. Showing passion and true interest does.
Talk to your counselor. Maybe start with a lighter schedule and if too easy see if you can move up.
If you are serious about wanting a chance at attending MIT or a top tech university, do not jump ahead in math classes. You need to do very well in your math classes for the really top tech schools. They expect you to master the subject. They do not want to see B’s or C’s in AP calculus freshman year of high school. You should be taking math classes that you are ready for.
I agree with others that your proposed schedule looks like you are setting yourself up for a very tough year, with a very real possibility of disappointment.
No one here can tell you if you can handle it from a few paragraphs.
It’s a much heavier load than a typical Freshman. Most would be seriously challenged to succeed with that schedule.
But my D just finished pretty much the same Freshman course load with six 100s, a 99 and a 97. While qualifying for AIME, ARML Nationals, 4th Dan Black Belt, brag, brag, blah, blah, etc.
So it can be done.
Do you “need” to do these for top colleges? No.
But you should challenge yourself, while succeeding. If you get A’s, it’s a great story. B’s/C’s, not so much. You should talk with your counselor, parents, and have serious discussion about you capabilities and commitment.
Btw, what’s higher than an A+?
Find something that you love to do, and do it well.
Trust me the jump from middle to high school is VERY awakening. I am currently a junior and a straight A student, in honors and AP’s. I would not recommend diving in so deep your freshmen year, especially since the transition even for the smartest people usually isn’t the smoothest. I would recommend taking one AP freshmen year because AP classes are not classes to joke about and can be very rude awakenings to people especially if they are tough at your school.
I have been studying the curriculum for my future classes since 7th grade when I knew I was applying to a magnet program and I knew the pathway I was doing. So I have skimmed over most of the curriculum and have finished the curriculum for my math courses, bio courses and half the English curriculum through khan academy and various online resources. ( I should have added this to make it easier to answer.)
How does one study the English curriculum via Khan? More so than math/science, this will vary by school based upon teacher and his/her reading lists. Regardless, preparing via Khan is not the same as actually sitting through a full day of HS.
Yeah don’t accelerate in math, I took Calc AB this year as a freshman and got a B+. Really doesn’t look good oof
I like that you are planning ahead, OP, and I think it is great that you’re reviewing the curriculum in advance. However, it doesn’t change my answer that the schedule you have planned is too much. Plus you should also talk to teachers and former students to get a sense of the workload since the curriculums may differ from those you have looked at.
You don’t know what homework the teachers are going to assign, and you won’t get a pass for having done your own thing ahead of time online. You don’t know what book they will want you to take notes on, what topic they will want you to research, what essay question they want you to answer, what packets they’ll give you to work on, or what math problems they’ll want you to solve - all in one night. Knowing what general topics are coming in the class is very useful, but, no matter how smart you are, the homework is bound to take time to properly and carefully complete.
It’s not middle school.
There was a misunderstanding the reply stated khan was one of my sources but for English I mainly read advanced books and did grammar exercises online.
@MIThopeful032 : have you talked to your guidance counselor and HS students?
I am a rising sophomore and I took a similar schedule as a freshman. Its ok if you do all these things just make sure you do them well. Talk to your guidance counsler and upperclassmen to see which classes you should take and who are the best teachers. Also look into doing online classes and community college classes. This will show you are going above and beyond your classmates. You should also try to start studying for the Sat. Dont stress too much but prepare using Khan academy and maybe use your PSAT scores from 8th grade if you took it.
I just finished taking french 2 on FLVS because my school didnt odder it and i plan on doing french at my community college as most tier one schools want you to take 3-4 years of foreign language.
Nice to see that you’re ambitious, but in my opinion OP, focus on two or three activities + ISEF, and you should be good. Also, make sure you’re acing your classes.