<p>Things to keep in mind when reading:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I'm thinking of applying to places like Vassar, Smith, Swarthmore, Wesleyan, maybe Amherst... My mom is more interested in ~~~Princeton~~~ so I guess I'd like some pointers for there too, but I wouldn't bet a penny on it. Not to mention, it doesn't really appeal to me as a university. Vassar, though, It doesn't really seem... writer-friendly. I didn't get that vibe. Williams seems a ton more friendly, ofc - I'm more into them, I believe.</p></li>
<li><p>I... don't really have a 'hook.' Just neat qualities like by the time I get to eighteen, my eight year study of Writing and Graphic design, plus the five-six year study of philosophy would be ~~~interesting~~~. As for hooks, I'm an Irish-African-American(question: no one in my family has been to Africa in over 200 centuries - why in gods name is that still attached, other than 'she blaque' identification or is that it? that's all? At least I can trace family back to Ireland) female, first generation(kind of - my sister didn't finish her courses at the local CC).</p></li>
<li><p>I'm really kind of holding out hope on interviews/essays; I've always been good with communicating my personality through essays.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I'm a self-study student at a charter school and my current school does not have any AP/Honors/Extra-curriculars so I'm thinking of outsourcing to an online school that can connect to my current high school at the same time - I'm thinking of APEX Learning since they have all the classes I'd like to take. I've heard some good/bad things about it but most people are complaining about the lack of instruction and that they just give you the books and you fill out the papers - however, that's what I've been doing since I was about ten, so information like that doesn't really concern me, though it's nice to know the pace will be similar. </p>
<p>I plan on having the following coursework:</p>
<p>AP Psych, (by choice)
AP Chemistry (DL),
AP Physics B, (by choice - I just want to take Chem and Phys at once but I don't know if I'd drown myself in it?)
AP English Language and Composition, (by choice)
AP English Literature and Composition, (by choice)
AP U.S. History, </p>
<p>Honors Algebra II
Honors English III</p>
<p>CP Spanish III (been taking CP classes all my time at my Charter - simple)
CP U.S. Government</p>
<p>Internship
Creative Arts
Mythology
Writing Skills
Novel
Sociology
Philosophy @ Community College</p>
<p>all electives by choice.</p>
<p>And then my second semester will be the same except, I'll switch out U.S. government for economics since I only need one semester of each.</p>
<p>I know it seems like a lot but considering I have eight of those classes at my current school, it's not too bad; I've managed to complete four weeks worth of work on nothing but adrenaline and boredom in three days. Technically, I'd really only have nine demanding classes which is just two numbers above the usual. Not to mention, I'm home schooled so I've time to dedicate the the ever-feared APUSH. Watch me eat my words about that next semester, btw.</p>
<p>I'm, as you can see, trying to make up for my lack of EC's and electives in my previous year(freshman GPA is terrible at a 3.0 and I think I can manage a 3.93 this semester). I've calculated my GPA and, with an allowance of 3 B's, I can have an ultimate GPA of 4.2.</p>
<p>This year, though, because I cannot enroll in any community college classes(they filled up in the blink of an eye this year), I'm thinking of trying to better build up my portfolio of Writing and Graphic design, of which I've been studying/working on for five-to-six years. I'd like to do freelance work and enter a few contests, really, and I was wondering how that'd look? It seems painfully average to me, especially since colleges tend to expect home-schooled students to have revived and repopulated a nearly extinct species from the frozen animal zoo in their bedroom, as if we have no family problems or social life.</p>
<p>So.. Like the title says, really. What else can I do to maximize my chances?</p>