<p>Hi everybody!</p>
<p>I am in Grade 9, going to school from Canada. I am most likely moving to the US for my sophomore year. My dream University is Upenn. I have heard from many that students must start preparing from Grade 9. I just need some help planning out the next three years.</p>
<p>Does anybody have any advice on what to do? Extra-curriculars? What does Upenn like? Does anybody have any profiles on people who got in?</p>
<p>thanks a bunch!</p>
<p>your best bet is to be ‘well rounded’. keep your grades up and work hard to get a decent score on the act/sat. extracurriculars are important, but don’t join a million clubs/groups just to have them on your transcript - they can tell. try to make yourself stand out - organize a charity event, create a new club, volunteer with kids with disabilities, etc. show them how you’re unique. you’ve still got a lot of time, but it’s good that you’re already starting to figure out what you need to do. don’t overdo it - just work hard and be involved with things and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Also, if you are not a US citizen, you should find out about whether you can get financial aid to US schools, and if so what kinds. It would be terrible to have your heart set on a US school only to find out that it is unaffordable.</p>
<p>I believe grade 9 is too late. I started preparing in grade 6. You gotta take the “right” courses, have the “right” ECs, meet the “right” ppl, study the “right” way and have the “right” scores.</p>
<p>Seriously though…, just do what you want to do, pursue your interests, work hard and everything will fall into place. I personally knew nothing about colleges until fall of junior year.</p>
<p>the very best thing you can do is forget about it for a couple of years. Get good grades. Be an engaged learner. Discover and pursue your passions. You will be a different person three years from now.</p>
<p>Don’t set your heart on one school. Just don’t do it. Statistically, you’re most likely setting yourself up for failure. Just do what you love, and they’ll come calling (after you pay the $75 application fees, of course)</p>
<p>drnoeyedea,</p>
<p>How do you take the “right” courses in grade 6 hm?
Also, depending on what you consider “preparing” I was “preparing” in grade 6. I got 11th in Canada on a math contest (gr 6) and first place in a speech contest in the school (out of all the gr 6,7,8’s) 3rd place in a math contest in grade 7 and 8, theres some other stuff but im too lazy to type…</p>
<p>Your dream is UPenn, but how do you know that you won’t change your mind down the road? You still have a couple of years left, you should keep your options open. It would certainly be disheartening to want something for so long and not be able to have it. Keep your grades up, and have good standardized test scores. Participate in extracurricular activities that actual mean something to you. Make yourself out to be unique.</p>
<p>Thanks guys, is there any specific advice? I’m getting alot of general stuff like do more EC’s, good grades, etc.</p>
<p>Thanks!!!</p>