I’m a freshman right now in high school in a pretty competitive high school. I know some people may think that I’m way too early to be thinking about college but really its only 3 years until I have to apply just like any senior out there. I guess i’ll give you all a run down of what I"m like and what I hope.
My goal is to shoot for the Ivies or any top tier school for that matter as it really does not matter to me too much that I specifically go to an Ivy League School. The point of this post is to ask you all how much of chance you think I have of getting admitted to a top tier school.
So my school is an IB school (with some AP classes) and they weight these classes as 5 for an A, 4 for a B etc. I’m taking 2 IB’s (IB Chemistry and IB Physics) and 2 AP’s right now (AP Statistics and AP Calculus AB and I’m handling the course load rather fine. Solid A’s in all of these classes. My school is extremely competitive with many of my classmates taking 2-3 advanced classes as well (we’re all freshman)
I’m doing cross country and track and field and I’m poised to make varsity in my junior year at least (depending if any freshman run 15 minute 5k’s join next year??!) I"m also doing speech and debate and I’m varsity on it as well.
As for more individual out of school academic events I am currently competing in the Olympiads. I’m already a semifinalist for the U.S. Physics Olympiad and I’m hoping I can make the U.S. training camp this year.
Before I talk about myself on and on, I’m here to ask for your advice about how I look and what further things I should do to improve and standout from my peers.
Nobody from the Ivy League schools wants you if all you want to do is go to any Ivy. Get off of college confidential, do something you like, and come back your junior spring.
Hello flametwister! If you are wondering about your chances this early, I’m sure you will be okay later on in the process. Honestly, just keep trying new things and really pursue things that you are passionate about - keep your grades up and make sure to get good standardized test scores, but also have fun. Make sure to learn a lot from your peers and form good relationships with your teachers and guidance counselor(s). There is no such thing as a “cookie cutter” applicant. Harvard and MIT want bright, motivated, passionate students from all sorts of different backgrounds and with all kinds of aspirations. Just keep being you, honestly. If you do extremely well in a highly competitive school, you stand a very good chance of getting an acceptance to a top school. Don’t fret too much!
you are clearly intelligent which is half the battle so you certainly have potential. Instead of listing out things you should do (since I don’t know much about your school/situation) I think your best bet would be to go through the Results threads for the schools you like to get a sense of what’s considered good. Some of the common qualities you’ll notice are initiative, high level recognition/achievement, and leadership.
Come back in a few years with a more established GPA, SAT, and a few years’ ECs. Then, our guesses will be like throwing darts blindfolded at a dartboard.
Turns out the OP claims he was posting this for a friend, and that he is really a junior in high school per his only other thread at this point. No way to tell which is true, but taking him at his word I am closing this thread.