<p>I'm Going into my sophmore year, in case you were wondering.</p>
<p>ACADEMICS
UW GPA: 3.47
All Honors Classes Freshman Year
Will Be Taking AP World History (WHAP) this year
Pass Plus-ed my Biology and Algebra ECA's (IN's test required for graduation)
Earning 6 hrs college credit in a dual credit class this year
Plan on taking WHAP Exam... praying for a five</p>
<p>ECs
Marching Band 1yr (highly possible that I will be pit captain my junior year)
Golf 2yrs JV
FFA 2yrs (Competed in Poultry Contest at State Level and placed 3rd)
Speech and Debate 1yr
Pep Band 2yrs (playing a different instrument than I do for marching band)</p>
<p>OTHER
Studied Abroad in Greece over the summer
Have a small dog grooming business (this is my SAE for FFA)</p>
<p>I'm considering doing Key Club as well this year, anything else I could do?</p>
<p>BTW, the most competitive college I plan on applying to is University of Chicago, all others will be much less competitive colleges (Purdue, Ball State, U Toledo, U Georgia).</p>
<p>You are off to a good start. Try to get that GPA up a little and start practicing those SATs from the Blue Book. ECs look very interesting. There will be a lot of colleges that will want you on their campus. Good luck!</p>
<p>While its nice to have an eye on college admissions down the road, more important IMHO is to use these years to do things for yourself and your benefit. So here’s what I wish someone had told me when I was 15.</p>
<p>There’s a saying that the last thing you expect a fish to discover is water, so your day-to-day life probably seems at best routine and unremarkable. Yet this is the last time in your life you’ll see your parents & siblings on a daily basis; right now it may feel like that’s too much, but once its over its going to be over forever. Try to forge bonds with them and share some time together because someday you’re going to be 25 or 35 and the memories you make today are going be be a big part of the glue holding you together. Similarly make time for your friends.</p>
<p>As for school, if you take care of the learning then the grades tend to take care of themselves. Chicago, especially, attracts (and looks for) students with an inner love of learning. BTW you are <em>not</em> limited to the teachers in your school; I hate seeing kids whine in the forum “I had a bad teacher” to try to excuse a bad grade. There have long been workbooks and other resources out there, and in just the past 5 years or so programs like iTunesU have opened up avenues were once unthinkable. You can watch some of the best profs in the country lecture on almost any subject under the sun, including ones overlapping what you’re learning in school. Watch some of these series during the school year to supplement what you’re getting in class.</p>
<p>You better check the status of your study abroad, there is a lot of civil unrest in Greece.
The gov’t workers are on a 2 day strike, you may have problems.</p>
<p>gpa, dont take all honors classes if you will get a 3.5 take a couple less and you will see your focus on ur honors classes shoot up, and the gpa could be closer to a 4.</p>