<p>ok i'm a chinese immigrant, from Taiwan. I moved here about 2 years ago. i'm currently a junior in high school. I have straight A's but I don't do any sports. and I dont have any extra activities. I really want to be talented just like everyone else, but I suck at it. I cannnot play sports AT ALL, and I'm no good at being presidents or leaders. I was in marching band, concert band, and jazz band last year. but that was because we only have 500 kids in the entire school, and they need people in band, so basically anyone taking band are in all three kinds. </p>
<p>now I moved to another state, a bigger school. I feel like my counselor doesn't really want to help me with my problems, everytime I want to ask her about how to choose classes or anything, she answered my questions in like less than 5 sentences, and when I want to take honor or AP classes, she told me I should go with regular classes and wait till my senior year to take AP classes. and that makes me real mad, cuz I think I can handel honor and AP classes, and regular classes are too easy for me, but she wouldn't let me.</p>
<p>I am so lost about applying for colleges, scholarships and all those, so I was wondering if you guys could like explain it to me about how to apply for colleges, and how u get scholarships and stuff. and when do u guys start asking teachers to write u recommendations??and also can u apply for scholarships as a high school student?? and how does scholarship work?? do they send u like cash or whatever?and i heard if u do really good on PSAT as a junior, u could apply for some sort of scholarship?? well, i'm gonna take PSAT in about 3 months, and i'm studying my ass off, and how do u know if u could apply one? </p>
<p>sorry if my questions are really dumb, but yeah i really need help, everytime i think about my future then i freak out. it's not easy to learn everything in a foreign country, anybody out there that has the same situation with me ???
thank u all for taking ur time to read this, really appreciated it!</p>
<p>Tell your counselor to **** off and give you the AP courses. If she won't, contact a higher authority (principal, vice principal, etc or other counselors) and tell them that you've received As in regular classes and is more than ready to take on APs. Regarding extracurriculars, you need to manage that yourself. Be brave and just go for it. I wish you luck on the PSAT and the SATs. Yes, there is the national merit scholarship thing on the PSAT that can earn you recognition if you do well. Regarding scholarships, worry about that during your late junior/early senior year considering ALL YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT RIGHT NOW ARE SATS AND ECs. Good luck man.</p>
<p>well, you've come to a good place to learn about everything. a lot of the threads contain stuff that's really good to know for college admissions.</p>
<p>also, i agree with the others in saying that you either need to see a more helpful school counselor (at our school we have like 4) or convince her to let you take what you want.</p>
<p>***<strong><em>my freshman year i took</em></strong>
world geography
physical science
english 9
algebra 2
digital communication
gym
art
band</p>
<p>**<strong><em>sophmore year</em></strong>***
american history 1
gym/health/safety
english 10
trigonometry/statistic
spanish 1
biology
typing 1</p>
<p><strong><em>junior year</em></strong>**
american history 2
chemistry
elementary analysis
english 11
spanish 2
strings 1
SAT prep</p>
<p>now, I was going to take AP calculus but my counselor told me, i should take elementary analysis my junior year and then go for calculus my senior year. but i looked through my brother's elementary analysis text book, and it's more like an review for algebra and geometry, it's like super easy, and i do not want to waste one school year taking that stupid class. but my counselor said she would let me take an elementary analysis/calculus class, which means we learn about analysis the 1st semester and then pre calculus the 2nd semester. but I still want to take AP calc this year !!!!!!!we have 5 counselors in our school, and depends on what the 1st letter of ur last name is, u get that counselor, so i don't think we are able to change that.</p>
<p>ok and I kind of want to take human physiology instead of chemistry, because the classes list said that human phy. is for anyone who wants to pursue a medical career, i want to be a doctor, so is that class good for me? but a lot of people told me that chemistry is required for most colleges, and also my counselor told me that if i take chemistry my junior year, then i would be able to take biology 2 my senior year. and i was wondering if it's possible that i go with chemistry in 11th grade, and then take either AP bio, AP chem, or AP physic, my senior year?? or if it's possible that i just go with AP chemistry my junior year and then take AP biology my senior year??? I want to take as many AP classes as i could, but how should i convinced my counselor??? i think the reason why she wouldn't let me take those ap classes is she thinks it might be too hard for me, and she thinks that I should go with regular classes first and if i do go, then i can take AP classes next year which is my senior year, which i think it will be too late for me!!!!!!</p>
<p>First, go online and review the admission requirements at colleges that you think you would really like to attend, can afford and seem practical (a dream or two is ok, but have other options available to you). </p>
<p>Make sure that what you are taking fufills the requirements of the schools that you want to attend. (Georiga Tech for instance, requires three LAB sciences - this is more than many other schools which require only two lab sciences). </p>
<p>If you think you can manage the AP courses and you want to take them, go to your counselor again (this time with a parent if that is possible, or another adult mentor) and tell her you want those classes. If you are blown off again, go over her head to the assistant principal/principal. Politely insist. Maybe even put it in writing. </p>
<p>Join some groups or volunteer at your local library or something. Anything. You need to be involved if you want to be considered for the more selective schools. Ideally, join a club, start volunteering somewhere, and try to gain some leadership experience (hold an office in a club, or start a group of your own, take a leadership class through your local chamber of commerce or something like that if possible.). Show some passion and interest in some activity or subject. </p>
<p>And relax. Reading College Confidential can give you a very unbalanced view of the academic world. It looks like you are doing well and have special aptitude in math. What do you want to do for a living? There are many, many ways to accomplish your goals and BE HAPPY without attending Ivy league/ or selective colleges. You can accomplish your goals with a state school - your life is what you make of it. </p>
<p>As for scholarships, just start searching online. Also, ask your guidance office at the school for a list of scholarships to apply for. Some colleges will also have "in house" scholarships that they offer to freshmen - check these out on the college's website. Many scholarships will look for those volunteer hours and extra curriculars, however. Your state Dept. of Education many also have links to state money or scholarship programs.</p>
<p>You probably dont even need her permission. Ask your TRIG TEACHER to talk to the AP calc teacher. Almost all the kids in my high school either took calculus or AP calculus after taking trig. I took calculus my senior year although i got a crappy grade in trig my junior year. </p>
<p>Elementary analysis is a completely USELESS course. How dare she forces you to take that? Does she know ANYTHING at all about pre med or science majors in college?</p>
<p>Drop elementary analysis and take AP calc AB,chemistry and AP biology during your junior year (you dont need to take 'biology' before you take AP bio). Then take AP chem,AP Calc BC and AP Physics(mechanics) your senior year.</p>
<p>As for your sciences:
Most colleges will expect to see:
Biology w/lab
Chemistry w/lab
Physics</p>
<p>As a premed in college , you will have to take :
full year of Biology w/lab
TWO full years of Chemistry w/lab (general and organic)
full year of Pysics w/lab
Full year of English</p>
<p>At least 1/2 year of Calculus is recommended (a few schools require one year)
BioChemistry is recommended by some medical schools
Genetics is recommended as making medical school easier for you. </p>
<p>Therefore, I would recommend that you take biology, chemisty and physics in high school to help you prepare for your premed subjects. If you can take Anatomy and Physiology on the side as extra, go for it also. </p>
<p>And as for volunteering, you will want to consider hospital volunteer, or clinic. Something to be around the medical field. You will be expected to have volunteer hours and clinical experience (and perhaps research experience as well) in your undergraduate years at college. Just keep this in mind. Research means helping in a lab at the college, voluneer hours don't have to be medical but they can be (they want to see that you can work with the general public) and clinical may be nursing assistant, unit secretary, orderly at a hospital. Some people get certified at a tech school in something like nursing assistant so they can get employment in a hospital setting.
Visit the premed discussion board for more info.</p>
<p>thx again!! but i was wondering how do colleges know if u have service hours??? does ur high school give u a paper for community hours, and then hospitals/libraries/clinics just filled out the hours after u do the volunteer works???? and also if u are lets say a leader of some club outside of school, like in a church or something, how do the colleges know about that???do u tell them all those when u apply for college or wat??? so confused!!</p>
<p>Plus, you may have letters of recommendation from employers, supervisors at volunteer locations or you might get something like the Congressional Award for Youth which requires volunteer hours (among other things) and those hours have to be validated with a form and info on your "sponsor" . You should keep a record of your volunteer hours and at some point have your supervisor sign it so that you could show proof during an interview. Some places might ask for a "reference" (lets say you want to volunteer at a clinic in college - that clinic might require previous volunteer experience and want a reference so they can check you out before they let you do the new volunteer job,etc....) So, keep names, titles, addresses, phone , emails of supervisors and keep up with your hours and list of duties.</p>