My Horrible Small High School & Extra Curricular Oppurtunities

<p>okay, I understand the fact that I should stop thinking about Ivy’s right now. My dad owns a little gift shop, so do you think that working there will count as a job? I am studying for the SAT fervently right now, and I am working on my school work. So I guess I’ll just find opportunities that involve medical opportunities and other stuff like basketball, and maybe doing something at my local YMCA.</p>

<p>So I guess I’ll just find opportunities that involve medical opportunities and other stuff like basketball, and maybe doing something at my local YMCA.
Sounds good.
If you have time AND it wont interfere with your studies OR make your grades drop at all, sure, work for your dad. Especially if it can help you pay for something like EPGY classes. That will show colleges both your initiative and drive to learn.</p>

<p>If someone has not taken any AP classes but has taken dual-enrollment courses instead, and has okay EC’s, not spectacular one’s, but those EC’s show show their passion, and shows that one want’s to learn, and has a great SAT score of around 2100-2300, will that be considered good, or just mediocre in the eyes of colleges?</p>

<p>BTW, I really really sincerely appreciate everyone’s help, especially menloparkmom’s!</p>

<p>that would be considered good! Remember, you WILL be evaluated in the context of your HS, and wont be compared to kids that went to a HS that offers 24 AP’s, tons of clubs, EC’s opportunities, etc, etc…</p>

<p>but my “high school” (it goes from K-12) lists itself as an accredited private school despite the fact that I only go to school for three days.(Tuesday and Friday, and then for 3 hours on Wednesday) So my question is that when colleges see that I went to a private school won’t they be led to believe that I had ample opportunities to join clubs, and take AP classes, and do other EC stuff, and this, in turn, will really lower my accomplishments in the eyes of colleges?</p>

<p>admins will know that HS with only 8 students cant possibly offer the same level of opportunities as a larger school. relax. do what you can beyond the confines of your HS. and in your essays, which will be important, you can and should mention all of the things you did outside of your HS to prepare you for college and a career in Medicine.</p>

<p>"a private school won’t they be led to believe that I had ample opportunities to join clubs, and take AP classes, and do other EC stuff, "</p>

<p>Nah… my kids went to a K-12 “private school”; 68 in sons '11 graduating class. Same school had maybe 5 AP’s when daughter graduated in 08. I think there are eight now. Same as the local public. Not unusual for kids to register at the local CC.</p>

<p>School had a “diapers to diploma” award for the kids that started in the nursery.</p>

<p>^But there are only about 3 other kids in the whole school who are also sophomores. But, I guess my local CC is my only avenue out of this, and to take classes at my CC next year and excel in them…</p>

<p>So that is different. I’m just saying colleges know “private” isn’t always “better.” Sometimes it’s even “unique”.</p>

<p>BTW, husband thinks in retrospect, he would have taken the kids out of their “private” school for HS.</p>

<p>I guess my local CC is my only avenue out of this, and to take classes at my CC next year and excel in them… </p>

<p>that and online classes, if you can. Classes from a program such as EPGY gives you a lot a “credibility” with colleges. Many smart home schooled students use them for enrichment and to get “on par” with students who have had more educational opportunities.</p>

<p>@shrinkrap, I had never thought of it as unique, but now that you mention it, it does give me a unique opportunity to do what I want and to study for the SAT and other stuff.</p>

<p>@menloparkmom, I just took the PSAT, but I don’t know if I did well, and I think that for EPGY you have to get a certain score. So, I don’t know if I will be able to do that. Also, I don’t think my mom is really on board with the AP stuff she thinks that if I’m going to dual enroll next year, then there is no reason for me to do AP. What do you think? And if you say I should do AP, should I do it next year while I’m doing dual enroll classes or when? Also, when you say to take EPGY classes are you talking about AP classes or other classes that are offered to high school students?</p>

<p>I had never thought of it as unique, but now that you mention it, it does give me a unique opportunity to do what I want and to study for the SAT and other stuff.</p>

<p>yes it does!</p>

<p>I’m talking about AP mostly, but ANY classes that add to your preparation for college will help. The most selective colleges prefer students to have taken
4 years of math
3+ years of foreign language
3+ years of science [ including labs]
4 years of english
3 years of History/ social studies
see below for an example- this is from Stanford
<a href=“http://ucomm.stanford.edu/cds/2010.html#admission[/url]”>http://ucomm.stanford.edu/cds/2010.html#admission&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>so compare what your HS and CC offers and fill in any holes with AP classes if you can.</p>

<p>@menloparkmom, these are the courses I will be taking my 11th and 12th grade at my local CC:
<a href=“http://valenciacollege.edu/aadegrees/documents/AA-TransferPlans_Biology.pdf[/url]”>http://valenciacollege.edu/aadegrees/documents/AA-TransferPlans_Biology.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>It seems to me to be somewhat more difficult or equal to AP classes in high school to me. What do you think?</p>

<p>whoa, you are planning on taking ALL of those?? My hats off to you! College students typically take 3-4 classes / semester. That list has 14 classes without Organic Chem. Will you be taking any classes at your HS too ? or will you be done? If those are the courses that you can take, and get credit for them on your HS transcript then there is no need for AP classes. But check the current college class schedule and with who ever will be doing your advising at the CC to see if ALL are offered each semester. The AA program suggests you only take 1 class in each area at a time. So look carefully and make SURE all will be available to you, in the order you’ll need to take them, i.e Bio 1 before Bio 2, chem 1 before chem 2 , etc, etc</p>

<p>I don’t plan to take any classes at my HS (maybe chemistry because I don’t want anything to happen to my GPA). I have to take the CPT I believe in mid-February, and then I’ll apply for dual-enrollment and talk to a counselor. I’m thinking about e-mailing or calling them tomorrow to ask them which classes they will be offering and when. Do you think that when colleges see my classes, they will see I’ve taken all the challenging courses that were offered to me, or are these courses not as challenging as what a lot of other students are doing.</p>

<p>they are plenty challenging. The question is- have you taken Bio, Chem and preCaculus classes already? you had better find out if you have taken the prerequisite classes that will prepare you for those college level classes, including Bio, Chem and Calculus. if you havent you should seriously consider AP classes instead of those classes. If you can, look at the textbooks for the first level classes. If they are “greek” too you at this poing, you may be making too big a leap. I would never suggest a student take their first Chem class at a college. If you understand the basic concepts, go ahead. Most kids take AP level classes to prepare them for college level classes. Have lots of other kids done this before?</p>