Hello All,
I have some questions about the future as I’m looking towards colleges. I’m Class of 2022, and I am applying for Broadcom over the summer for the science competition coming up, and my school has placed me into the State Science fair coming up this month (I wish everyone luck!). I currently attend a private day school in the South with a wide variety of different courses to take, but I’m not necessarily sure of what these classes mean. Next year (my 9th-grade year) I will be taking Honors Physics, Honors Algebra II, French III Honors, English 9, Introduction to History, Ceramic I, Chrous 9, and hopefully a Computer Science Class. I am interested in taking ONLINE AP Classes in my freshmen year, however, most of the online courses are already in my school. I was wondering whether it would be wise to take one online AP class (such as BC Calculus) that is offered in the 12th grade now, and then take a different AP class (such as Statistics) when I get to 12th grade. My ambitions in high school is National Merit Scholar, INTEL Science Fair, Winning A National Math Competition, the Nice/Kindness Award, Making my OWN working instrument that is inexpensive to distribute, write my own book, create a local community service group that is free and gain money/awareness through donations, performances, etc. , getting Presidential Scholar, getting the Mu Alpha Theta Award, and the Dean’s List (phew that was a mouthful!). I want to be the best student that ever attended the school and the most well-rounded. [SideNote About Dean’s List: I know that the middle school record does not travel to the upper school, but I have done some things I regret that don’t put in a positive light with the dean of the Upper School. I believe that if I put enough hard work he’ll turn around.] So in conclusion, my main questions are…
- What are some EC’s that other people part of Class of 2022 have been doing?
- What are some ways I can catch up if I am behind?
- Would you recommend online AP classes (I have a free period of 50 minutes each day in high school)?
- What are some of the “common tips” when it comes to applying to college (for instance, I have heard a lot of people say passion. If I am interested in plants or wildlife, would that mean you would be taking classes building up to that, basically all the things that I do should be surrounding that one passion?)
- Please provide more National awards that high school students are eligible to win or some great EC’s the colleges look for.
- Prep Schools vs. Strong Private Day Schools, which one would you recommend?
- What’re the best resources to get a head start (I’ve worked with Varsity Tutors, C2 Education, AOPS, etc.)
- What are some of the most competitive math competitions I can be part of?
- Please explain more about the Mu Alpha Theta.
- What are some competitions for students are in Chorus or who are very talented in productions? What about instruments?
- What are some common passions that college students have?
- These days, perfect test scores are becoming a bit more common (although they are still phenomenal), what would be something that would be a “showstopper” for colleges?
- For freshmen especially, how many AP classes do students who have look toward IVY colleges take (I’m hoping to take some online classes, but it depends on what you guys say, and of course, what my school thinks. I just want to take a second opinion)?
- This isn’t a question, but thanks for making it this far, please comment down below in a numbered list your answers to the questions above.
Hi! I’m currently a senior in high school, and I just finished the college application process. I looked towards a bunch of Ivy League/relatively prestigious schools some of which I’m waiting on (so far I was deferred at Princeton but accepted into UNC Chapel Hill and NC State, with merit awards at state). Hopefully some of my advice will help you 
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- One thing that has really helped me in high school when I have gotten behind on occasion is taking a weekend to catch up on work! It’s not the most fun thing to do, but usually I’m able to knock out a lot of stuff and get caught up if I’m able to concentrate and focus extended periods of time. It’s also effective to see if your teacher offers opportunities for help- before school, after school, during free periods, etc. This not only helps you get caught up, but helps you build a better relationship with your teachers as it shows you care.
- In my opinion online classes are a wonderful opportunity, but definitely not for everyone. If you work well independently I would go for it, but if you have a tendency to perform better when you work with others or need more teacher attention I would advise against it. I would also suggest getting all the way through pre-calc and Calc AB before taking BC (though I’m sure you only cited this as an example, haha)
- One of the biggest tips I can give is to be genuine in everything on your application. You’re better off having fewer ECs that you are extremely invested in and care about than a multitude of ECs for the sake of padding your college application. If you are interested in something, pursue it! Look into summer camps that relate to it, school clubs, internships, research opportunities, jobs, etc. However, I wouldn’t necessarily corner myself into one passion either. You can have passions in multiple things, and you don’t have to intend to major in them. For example, my major is Chemical Engineering; while I have a passion for that, I still have a passion for musical theatre and community outreach. Even though I am majoring in neither of the latter, I was successful in both and I know they definitely had a major impact on my applications.
- There’s no one EC that colleges look for; again any EC that you will be deeply invested and have leadership in is better than an EC that you use to pad your application. Again, follow your passions and get involved with ECs that follow your interests!
- I have absolutely no idea; I went to a rural public high school/
- I don’t know what resources you are looking for exactly, but for testing (ACT/SAT) the best thing you can do is work through a prep book and take the tests early IMO. If you need additional help, then look into bootcamps (many of which are offered during the summer; many of the better ones in my area were independently owned). Princeton Review also has relatively good resources.
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- I don’t know any particulars, but for band I would say try to work your way up to All-State; also look into some music intensives over the summer.
- This question is so complex as even students in the same same major can have a diverse array of passions. This is going to differ on an individual basis. Overall though, I would say most college students are very ambitious and driven in relation to their passions (especially if they are accepted at a prestigious school)/
- Something that would be a “showstopper” would be any aspect of your application that was unique to you. This is obviously going to be subjective, and no single aspect of your application will ever guarantee admission to a university.
- I would say to take the most AP classes you are capable of managing and your school will allow you to take. Because my school limited the number of APs I could take, I took dual enrollment as well. All in all, I will finish high school with 6 APs and 4 dual enrollment credits.
It’s very good to be ambitious! But with that, my passions and interests now aren’t exactly what I had planned for my freshman year. If you aim to get the best grades possible, follow your interests, and try to fill up your spare time with valuable ECs you should go far. I would also say that attending an Ivy League School shouldn’t be the end-all-be-all, as there is a multitude of other private and public Universities that will grant you a more than stellar education and wide array of opportunities.
I know this probably isn’t as in-depth as you wanted but I tried to answer some of your questions! If you have any others, let me know!