<p>I want to have an awesome happy future as a neurosurgeon in a hospital, so I am wondering about things in my life that will count Or not. Basically, do I stand out? Then again, you havent met me, or seen my personality or anything.
Disclaimer: I'm a high school freshman( as of dec. 2011) and I'm thinking about college already! What a freak I am... Anyways tell me if any of the following resemble or could lead to an amazing hook( still have 3 years before college):
100+ volunteer hours over the summer for a hospital
Born in India to a poor family and suffered through average poverty until I ended up in Texas, not as poor, but still on financial aid.
Played bassoon since 6th grade, and first chair now, beating high school seniors. Ugh I hate bragging!
Love math! Testing out of alg 2 and pre cal this following semester!
Been to a national spelling bee
Place 4th in district chess competitions in 5th grade
Idk! I am planning on starting a lot of charity activities, and a red cross club at my school.
A+ student all my life
Student council officer
Never missed a day of school
I'm also female if that helps any over gender biases.
Thanks</p>
<p>Honestly, nothing there stands out to me. Colleges definitely do NOT care about things that happened before high school unless you won the Olympics or started a thousand dollar business.</p>
<p>But keep your head up. You have three years to make a difference.</p>
<p>@stong well I knew abut that, it’s just that I wanted to know what I could do with my previous accomplishments before hs that could help me now IN high school. Thanks though:)</p>
<p>Did your parents go to college? If not, you’re first generation and that’s a hook.</p>
<p>Aaaaaand this is why people hate CC.</p>
<p>^ I second his comment</p>
<p>You appear to be a very talented and hard working young woman, and you will certainly find your way to an excellent college. Now please avoid CC for the next two years and go have an “awesome happy” high school life with plenty of fun and friends. Shoo!</p>
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<p>You’re a freshman, enjoy high school, and get away from CC. None of those are hooks unless you are the first in your family to attend college. But seriously, go away.</p>
<p>I would actually disagree with some of you on this thread. I’m a college counselor and have been seeing a lot of competition for admissions from students that have started their EC’s early on. </p>
<p>OP, I think you have the right idea with volunteering at a hospital. If you want to go into the sciences, specifically medicine or neurosurgeon, do the research, see what it entails; set up informational meetings with people in the industry (or as close to it as you can) to see if what you’re researching is accurate to real life examples; look for leadership opportunities on and off campus with similar organizations; etc. </p>
<p>I will agree with everyone, you do have time (3 years). Start the research, talk to people, and be strategic with your involvements. Your academics should be your #1 focus.</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>None of those things rise to the level of “hooks”, but you’ll do fine.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Why are you telling this kid to go away? She only asked a question and is just trying to look out for her future. </p>
<p>–your achievements are small time only, but you seem to be on the right path. If you are looking to enter pre-med in college, start looking for opportunities that will separate you from the rest of your competitors. </p>
<p>Since you are actually young still, spend your freshman and sophmore volunteering more hours at your local hospital. See if you can come into contact with a doctor (maybe and Indian doctor) and ask to intern or volunteer for him or her specifically.
During the summer before your junior year, study neurobiology and another medical-related course at an ivy such as Harvard or Princeton through their high school summer program. During the summer before your senior year, get an internship at a college hospital such as the University of Chicago hospital or the Stanford hospital or even do a research with your local community college or state college professor. These are all options to consider, and they help your chances a lot at the big-time colleges.but remember immerse yourself into anything health/science related as much as you can. And also please enjoy some parts of high school.</p>
<p>If you’re good at math, find out if your high school offers things like the AMC and AIME, an ARML team, etc., and if so participate. If it doesn’t, search for things like <a href=“http://www.usamts.org/[/url]”>http://www.usamts.org/</a> and participate in them. </p>
<p>If you want to do science, find out how Intel works in your area. Does your high school have a program for participants? If not, look for research opportunities in your area.You may decide you don’t want to do an Intel project. That’s fine, but find out how it works locally “just in case.” </p>
<p>Participate in class discussions, but don’t talk for the sake of talking. </p>
<p>Try some new things in high school–especially in 9th grade. The truth is that some colleges don’t count 9th grade and others weigh it less heavily than the other years. So, if you are going to overextend yourself, do it in 9th grade. Figure out how to balance academics/ECs/social life/ECs that year. Too many kids think I’ll adjust to high school academics FIRST, then I’ll get involved in ECs in 10th grade. This often (a) leads to worse grades in 10th grade, when they DO hurt you and (b) a lack of any leadership or meaty roles in high school ECs, since club offices, editorial positions on the high school paper, big roles in drama productions, etc. usually go to the kids who got involved in 9th grade, not those who joined later. </p>
<p>If you aren’t a citizen, think about whether you want to be. It’s not a decision to be made lightly, but reality is that you can’t be a National Merit Scholar unless you are one or have filed a petition for citizenship. (I don’t know the exact requirements, but the immigrant kids in my offspring’s old high school were always racing to “beat the clock” for eligibility. I may be out of date, but look into it if you’re interested in becoming a citizen eventually. )</p>
<p>Not only are none of the things you do a “hook,” they are extremely common among South Asian-Americans. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do them, of course. It does mean that you should not do them just to get into a top college. You should do the things you do because you enjoy doing them.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>@doener wait how? Why would people hate cc; is it because too many people ask if they’re ready for stuff they’re not ready for?
Thanks collegeadvizor! I am having a hard time getting started with research though. the age limits, the 0 experience, and finding a good research associate.
But anyways, I love the help, but I did notice a lot of you guys saying I’m too young. Ha! There is a LOT of competition where I live; better to get on the right track early, or I’ll be pushed off. Plus going on cc is way more productive than facebook. Lol</p>
<p>Nothing spectacular, but they are good. To the contrary I believe, you dont have any hooks only “minuses” such as being Asian.</p>
<p>Thanks southerndesi and jonri!
Yes, I applied for summer programs at hospitals and Am focused on doing research internships. However, I do know some people who have done research and all sorts of hospital things but don’t make it to the big schools. And they are genius smart too! Ah doesn’t that make you worried? Anyways, to jonri, I am a citizen and my school doesn’t offer intel or aime, but I am about to start doing research by my own for intel though. Idk about aime though.
Thanks guys! Do any of you guys think I should pursue bassoon as well? I mean love all three, math, science, and music. But some of you say to only choose what you love! Ahhh
Love the comments:)</p>
<p>"I’m also female if that helps any over gender biases. "</p>
<p>haha, people here would sell their own mom if it gave them a 1% edge</p>
<p>@rfav lol Asian is a minus? Because it’s too dang stereotypical for an Asian to do this sort of stuff? Aww that sucks. My parents don’t push me to do anything though. Unless it was finishing all the kumon levels quickly! Cuz of the cost, of course. Does that count as a good ec?</p>
<p>@frozzen1234 lol no! I’m just saying that it’s basically more typical for an Asian guy to do this sort of stuff than the girls.</p>
<p>Also, how do you reply to a post so that the poster knows that you replied to them and can respond back? I feel my responses are one sided.</p>
<p>I think the “go aways” and CC hate, is because some of us have hope that learning and doing, simply for the joy of learning and doing, can somehow be maintained for a bit longer than age 13 or 14.</p>
<p>Yes, there are students at Harvard who are there because they have learned and done things long before their peers envisioned them. It would be nice to hold onto the belief that their motivation had nothing to do with college applications.</p>