<p>I'm a sophomore in highschool. I've taken the ACT twice, once last year as a freshman (27) and then again a few weeks ago (Get scores soon). </p>
<p>I have a 4.0 and I take all honors. My school doesn't offer anything called AP, but it offers dual credit, which I will be taking my junior and senior years. (Sorry if that sounded dumb, but I'm not sure what AP is. See why I need help?) I'm also looking at being top 5 in my class, if not the very very top.</p>
<p>I am involved in a leadership program and a community service club.</p>
<p>I am also very involved in the band. I was flute section leader my sophomore year and I will be the rest of my highschool career. Unless I decide to go for Band Captain or Drum Major and actually get it.
Also, on the band front, I'm pretty good. As a sophomore I got 20th chair in all of Middle Tennessee. So I'm looking at potentially getting a scholarship for it. I know at my local college I could get a full ride on flute + lottery scholarships, but I want to get out of here, you know?</p>
<p>My school is public small town. But its name sounds private. I don't know if that is useful information. I really don't know what I'm doing or what I want to do. I've been trying to look at colleges but I just need help. I can't do this by myself. And my parents are of no use. Oh and my guidance counselor hasn't the faintest idea about anything. At all. All the older kids I know warned me not to bother getting advice from her because she gives bad college advice. Don't know how true this is, but all my other previous meetings with her have been beyond dissapointing and I'm not willing to risk it.
I'd appreciate any advice I can get. Thanks (:</p>
<p>Question: What exactly is your question (what do you need help on in terms of where do you start)?</p>
<p>If you mean getting into a good college, you’re good to go with your GPA and activity involvement. Just keep up your grades and the involvement :D</p>
<p>Whatever you do, don’t get on the wrong side of your GC. In a school your size she’s very likely critical in the coordination and communication with the colleges to which you’ll finally apply.</p>
<p>To start, get and read the book by Jon Reider titled Admission Matters. Then with your parents schedule a visit to any reasonably selective college close to home. It doesn’t matter whether you’ll apply there or not, but it will give you a concrete feel of what college admission is about.</p>
<p>The first things that you need to think about are:</p>
<p>1) What kind of profession you think you’d like to have when you are out of school. Not all professions require a college degree at all!</p>
<p>2) If your goals mean that you need to have a college education, how you will pay for that education.</p>
<p>You do indeed need to talk with your parents (or whoever it is who is going to help you pay for your education). Find out how much money will be available, and whether they think it is OK for you to take out student loans. Find out how much they expect you to pay from your own savings and what you can earn in summer jobs or from part-time jobs during the school year. Run a couple financial aid calculators (there are good ones at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) and at [College</a> Calculators - savings calculators - college costs, loans](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/add-it-up/401.html) ) to see what your family will be expected to be able to pay. If your parents are horrified by these figures (most are) point them to the Parents Forum and the Financial Aid Forum here at CC where they will be able to get some useful ideas.</p>
<p>Muchoschocolate:
MY question is really just what do I need to be doing? And how do I decide where I want to go? Stuff like that.</p>
<p>Fogcity:
Thanks! I will definitely check that book out!</p>
<p>Happymomof1:
Thanks! That’s really helpful. I have decided, though, that I am going to be going to college. That’s all I’ve decided though.
And money is going to be a major issue since my mother is a teacher and she is the only source of income in our household.</p>
<p>AP stands for Advanced Placement. Your school may not offer any, and decided to only do dual enrollment - which is fine. No college will hold it against you that your school didn’t offer APs or IB.</p>
<p>You might find it helpful to look at your high school’s “school profile” now. Some schools make it available online, but all schools have some version of this document at least available in the guidance office.
This is a one or two page summary of your high school, usually prepared by the guidance department, that outlines the graduation requirements, class rank or GPA deciles, average scores, etc. A copy of this summary is sent to colleges when you apply.</p>