<p>I'm currently a high school sophomore, and I'm setting my sights on colleges early.
One I'm really very interested in right now is Williams College, which I've visited a few times before.</p>
<p>I'm curious to know what I should do in preparation, grades-wise, most importantly, and in terms of activities. So far in my high school career I have a few in-depth activities which I love to do and participate in for many hours at a time and I possess an unweighted 93 average (weighted 96). </p>
<p>I have yet to take the SAT and SAT II subject tests, although I'll be taking the World History subject test this coming June. </p>
<p>I do have a "weakness," in my performance, however: math. I received an 81 in honors Geometry, an 86 in honors Algebra I, and right now in honors Algebra II/Trig I have an 84 average. Next year I'm switching out of honors into a regular class; mathematics has never been my forte, despite my efforts to understand the subject. My grades in other core subjects are in the 90's, however, between 92 and 96. How badly will this hurt my chances?</p>
<p>Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!</p>
<p>In the next one to two years, your beliefs on what you want to major in college might change. Don’t be afraid of the word “major” a whole lot - you can change your major, but make sure you’re going into the general area that you’re interested in. Williams College is an very rigorous and college to get into. Colleges like these obviously like to see the grades and test scores to be very high. Your current grades in math are not ideal, but don’t freak out since you might not get an A this semester. You want to focus a lot on test scores as well as some unique extra curricular activity(s) that will set you apart from the crowd. Everyone has community service and is part of clubs in their high school - you need to prove that what you are doing is substantial and has made an obvious impact.</p>
<p>An UW average of 93 is fine for Williams (it never hurts to improve, but don’t lose too much sleep over it!). The best thing you can do is really focus on the EC’s you’re passionate about.</p>
<p>I’m well on my way to leadership in the activities I’m in. I’ll be on the “executive board” of three or four seniors in my school’s renowned theater club (we’re right in NY and very competitive) and I coordinate the events during the year and direct student plays. I will have played clarinet for 8 years, 7 in school, by senior year, and can be the marching band leader and 1st clarinet in our clarinet ensemble. I also do community service which involves acting for and teaching elementary school students locally, and, due to my current circumstances in the school paper, I’m qualified to be editor-in-chief or news editor. These are things I sincerely love to do, but I hope it’s enough!</p>