<p>Hello, I'm a freshman in hs, and we received our course selection sheets last week(due tomorrow). I've been thinking about whether I should drop my Cisco STI(Science, Tech, Industry) program so that I can take regular high school classes my junior and senior year that are more relevant to the career I want, which is to become a lawyer; so like US Gov't & Politics AP, etc. Junior year I will have 2 Cisco classes & senior year I will have 4 of them. So dropping the program would give me some room to take two APs in science or math. However, the Cisco classes will give me two certifications, the CCNA & CCNP after I take the test. After I graduate hs, I want to be accepted into an Ivy League school such as Harvard, or a prestigious academy such as The Naval Academy. But they only accept the best, and I want to get there.</p>
<p>Right now, I have straight As and my GPA is a 4.2,but I'm trying to raise it by taking harder classes.
I've been reading about how colleges love to accept people who are unique, so will being Cisco Certified help me out?</p>
<p>Here are my classes for next year:</p>
<p>English II Honors
Geometry Honors
AP US History
Biology Honors
Chemistry Honors
French II
Cisco IT Essentials
Swimming & Conditioning I</p>
<p>Will the Cisco program affect my chances of getting into colleges like Harvard to become a lawyer?</p>
<p>**The Cisco program wasn't a program that anyone can join. You would have to apply in the 8th grade and grades/teacher reccomendations would affect your chances of getting in. As to what I've been told, that program is extremely competitive to get into & its challenging.</p>
<ol>
<li>Do not go to any of the service academies if your goal is to be a lawyer. You will hate it and it will not serve your interests. </li>
<li>Why do you want to go to an Ivy League school? If you’re looking for an advantage in law school admissions, I will tell you this: Ivy status won’t help a whole lot, if at all. Law school admissions are heavily influenced by GPA and LSAT, and (unless you are a Rhodes Scholar) not a whole lot else. Consider if an Ivy League school is the best place for you to achieve a high GPA and prepare for law school. You can get into a great law school from just about any undergraduate college in the country, and it may make more sense financially to look elsewhere. </li>
<li>Regarding the Cisco program. There is more than one path to law, and you don’t have to focus on politics and history (especially so early) in order to get there. While many lawyers do study humanities and social science during undergraduate, there are also many who went to law school after a STEM major (in fact, there are several benefits to being a STEM major and if you choose to use that knowledge in your practice, IP law can be extremely lucrative). In short: take whatever course you find interesting and will allow you to succeed. Law school will be there at the end.</li>
</ol>
<p>I made a mistake with # 2.
I meant that I want to attend Harvard for a law degree, not for an undergraduate one. There are many other universities that I want to attend that aren’t Ivies, such as Georgetown, Columbia, and Stanford.</p>
<p>Ehhh…my point stands. Attending any of the “top” schools will not give you a measurable advantage over Joe Sixpack at Podunk State in law admissions. That’s not to say you shouldn’t attend a top school for undergrad, just don’t do it expecting law admissions as a result. </p>
<p>Anyway, make choices based on what you like now because you won’t be applying to law school for at least seven years, and a LOT can change over the next period of your life.</p>
<p>God, this forum’s gone soft. Last year, 10 people would have beaten you senseless for being a freshman.</p>
<p>Seriously. Stop worrying about college. It’s far too early. If you’re doing well in school, making the most of your opportunities and pursuing your interests, tier I schools are realistic options.</p>
<p>Honestly, I’d stick with what you’re doing if you’re enjoying it. Self-studying exams like Government and Politics is also an option if you do that. Your CISCO qualification could differentiate you and it could have no affect but you’ll have knowledge that a lot of lawyers don’t. It could end up being especially relevant to your future career if you go into commercial law and defend a technology company, etc.</p>
<p>IMO, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Carry on with the CISCO classes, gain your certifications and self-study Government and Politics and the other APs you’re interested in. Humanities APs are often easier to self-study.</p>