<p>SORRY, LONG ESSAY AHEAD, BUT I AM REALLY STRESSED OVER THIS:</p>
<p>Me and my mom were talking about college today in the car.
[Note: I am going to be a sophomore this September].</p>
<p>I looked over some requirements of the admissions ofcolleges that she wanted me to get into, NYU, Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, the typical ones, you know?</p>
<p>Anyway, I am worrying so much right now, because I go to a really competitive school (top 10 in the country I believe), and it is hard for me to maintain the grades that most colleges are looking for.</p>
<p>Right now I have a 93 average (is that a 3.7 GPA?). I don't have any special classes, most of the clubs I am in aren't really active, I didn't take any SAT II's yet (all my friends took the Bio one and got 750+), and I only have around 105 community service hours racked up for this summer.</p>
<p>And I was amazed at how some people on here can have a 4.0 GPA and a 2350 SAT score while being captain of the Varsity soccer team and taking 5 AP classes at the same time.</p>
<p>Does this basically mean that I'll have to cram in stuff during my sophomore year since Junior year you start applying for colleges already?</p>
<p>Well, your GPA is typically considered in the context of your school. 93 average? Do you mean a 93/100 GPA? In that case, that would be a 3.8, which isn’t terrible at all.</p>
<p>Another thought: If you take the ACT, you won’t have to take the SAT II’s. But in the end, SAT II’s are basically glorified AP exams. Perform confidently and well on the AP exam and you’ll have a good shot at an 800 on the corresponding SAT II.</p>
<p>Also: join clubs that correspond to your passion. Interested in music? Join a music club of some sort, and so on.</p>
<p>The higher up you get in the college ladder (i.e. HYPMSC) the more unpredictable admissions become. Just try your best!</p>
<p>You don’t start applying junior year, you start after junior year. So you have more time than you think. Stop stressing, take a big breath…find what you love…it doesn’t matter if it has nothing to do with the major you want, I love soccer, I wanna major in comp sci…no relation. Just do what you love.</p>
If you go to a well-reputed high school, then your grades are probably fine. Do you know your class rank (even approximately)?</p>
<p>
What do you mean by “special classes”? Top colleges like to see a rigorous courseload, so… honors and AP. Take those when available and you’ll do fine.</p>
<p>I took my first SAT IIs June of my junior year. Take them whenever. If you feel ready for Bio and regret not taking it, then buy a review book, brush up over the summer and early in the school year, and take the test on the October date. If you don’t think you’d do well on it, then don’t bother, since you’ll have other subject tests to choose from later.</p>
<p>
You apply to colleges in the fall and winter of senior year.</p>
<p>I think you should chill about your grades and standardized tests. Be diligent and keep them up, but at this point you should just try to take a rigorous schedule and do well. The standards at your school will probably be different than others.</p>
<p>What you should think about are extracurriculars… find something that you like to do and get involved, early. School clubs and random, uninspired volunteer hours don’t stand out to colleges like a decent GPA at a competitive school.</p>
<p>I don’t know my class rank, but my high school has about 850 freshmen alone and most people get 90’s and above.</p>
<p>Also, if I do join a club, how will colleges know that I joined it?
Do I just write that down as an extra curricular activity or do I have to present a certificate of some sort?</p>
<p>So when application time comes around, we just list our EC’s on a sheet of paper along with our community service hours? Or is there a specific form we fill out?</p>
<p>I don’t understand why you are stressed out.
Making into an Ivy isn’t the end of the world (sure, you can brag about it when you make it in, but it’s not like it’ll ruin your whole life)
Anyway, chill. It seems like all you are doing is the impress colleges. You should do things THAT INTERESTS YOU. I’m not throwing myself into “I LOVE SCHOOL” pep rallies or “I LOVE SO-AND-SO” Club. EC’s should describe you as a person. If you aren’t the EC kind of guy, Ivy leagues will still accept you (And for all of you guys who disagree with this, my cousin HATED Ec’s and made it into Columbia-- Just to keep that in mind)</p>
<p>Okay. Chill. Ivy League is way overrated still. I used to think Ivy League basically distinguish me as the smart person. But really, if you thought about it, no matter how many pell grants you get, the tuition is still going to be around 20k or more.</p>
<p>@Dorkyelmo: You made me feel so much better, but it’s my parents that I have to impress, they’re immigrants and don’t speak a word of English. I understand that there are many colleges that are better than Columbia or Harvard, just less well known.</p>
<p>And I’m not really an EC person, I prefer to go home every night and study my butt off for a test on the following day, but I feel like I really should have at least 1 EC.</p>
<p>I play the piano, does that count? Seems like something that a lot of people do and it’s really nothing special and it has very little to do with the career I want to pursue (Pediatrician or a Cardiologist).</p>