I’m currently a freshman and creating a plan for the remainder of my high school career, although I’m unsure whether it’s rigorous enough. Will this plan place me into an Ivy League school (I know I’m not gauranteed to get in)?
Current Schedule (Freshman Year):
Honors Biochemistry
Honors English 1
Geometry (no honors is provided)
Spanish 1 (no honors is provided)
Painting Studio/Art Studio (required)
Health/Active Fitness 1 (required)
Sophomore Year:
Chemistry (no honors is provided)
Honors English 2
Advanced Algebra 2/Pre-Calculus
Spanish 2 (no honors is provided)
AP World History
Weight Lifting 1/Yearbook 1
Junior Year:
AP Chemistry
AP Language/Composition
AP Calculus AB
Honors Spanish 3
AP United States History
Mythology 1 & 2
Senior Year:
AP Physics 1
AP Literature/Composition
AP Calculus BC
AP Spanish 4
AP US Gov. /Politics
Digital Photography 1 & 2
Well, that’s what I have planned. Is it too easy/too hard? Any modifications and suggestions?
Would there be a way for me to take AP physics 1 & 2 without plummeting into the ground?? I want to major in law, writing, or something science-related. I’m very undecided and confused. Also, I don’t care much for AP biology, but should I consider it anyways?
Well, it covers the basics for Top 25 (50) universities/LACs, but if you can accelerate a bit in some subjects, try to.
Ask your guidance counselor if s/he would check the “most rigorous” box for this schedule.
Can you do PSEO/Dual Enrollment?
If so, change like this:
Senior Year:
Semester 1, college:
General Physics 1
Freshman Composition 2
Calculus 2
Semester 2, college
Either Physics 2 or another science at the 2nd semester level (Chem2, etc)
Calculus 3
Another Humanities class
Year-long, in high school
AP Spanish 4
AP US Gov. /Econ
Digital Photography 1 & 2
If you can’t, change your schedule to include DE/PSEO:
Senior Year:
AP Physics C
AP Literature/Composition => or something else
AP Calculus BC
AP Spanish 4
AP US Gov. /AP Econ Or AP Euro
Digital Photography 1 & 2
For top schools, A’s would be expected (occasional B+'s would be okay but only a handful) but key would be your ECs.
Junior year you may have to take US history as Honors (you have too many APs) and senior year, think of replacing AP Lit by a regular English class (do you have anything like “college essay writing”?)
4 APs each of junior and senior year would be plenty.
What would my extra curricular activities look like?
Planned Extra Curricular Activities:
•I babysit my three siblings on a daily basis after school, one of which who has Down syndrome and the youngest is only one.
•Tennis (currently on JV, but I plan to work my way up). Fall.
•Track. Spring.
•I would like to involve myself in student council.
•I would like to begin a charity organization. The charity would support something that’s very close to my heart.
•Debate Team
•National Honors Society
•Red Cross Society
•Science Bowl
•I would like to begin tutoring students in math and or English.
•I’m currently in piano lessons outside of school and I play a little acoustic guitar.
•I would like to begin two clubs, which my school doesn’t have.
•I would like to do some charity and volunteer work on my free time and over the summer.
•I like to enter short story competitions because writing is one of my passions.
•By the end of high school I should have taken at least 10 AP courses, although I have 12 planned (I know this is not an extra curricular).
•Key club
•I’m currently learning Spanish in school, but I would like to take French during the summer or something.
•Once I become a junior, I plan to do a few internships.
Would I need a few more extra curricular activities for an Ivy League school? Are these EC’s reasonable?
Over the summer activities:
•SAT prep course
•Continue piano lessons
•Volunteer/charity work
•I would like to take a course at my high school, such as PE.
•Homework (LOL)
Is my high school plan Ivy League material? And, I do know that I’ll have to keep up my grades and attendance and do well on the SAT/ACT/SAT subject tests.
Top colleges don’t want a myriad activities. They want to see depth - that you can find things where you dedicate time to and when you do, good things happen, you become very good at it. And, for Top 25, not just “very good”, but exceptional.
Think quality, not quantity.
For example, starting two clubs is overkill - one is sufficient. However, document how this club made an impact on your school or local community - money raised, actions successfully implemented, actual results, club membership growth, any write ups in the local paper…
Playing the piano and the guitar is nice, but shouldn’t go on your college application (unless you have nothing else to write there).
Document what you do with your siblings. There’s a category on CommonApp for that and it’s seen as a serious EC provided you do it for several hours every day and consistently since in high school.
Track and tennis are nice, but for the level of schools you’re aiming at, it won’t really help unless you reach a recruitable level. Check out their teams’ and individual’ times or rankings to have an idea whether you’d be competitive. Do those, but don’t expect sports to be a boost if you’re not competitive by junior year.
Student Council or NHS are nice but not very useful to what you want.
I think you get the idea?
Well, I have three academic passions: physics, chemistry, and writing. Outside of school, I’ve delt with a few things and would like to begin a charity which would keep children out “bad” situations. When you say to show colleges who I am, what does that mean?
•A club which is based around what I love?
•Starting a charity, which I’m truly passionate towards?
•Beginning a club that explores one of my passions?
•Babysitting my siblings, who I love and have inspired me to be a better person and help where I’m needed?
@MYOS1634 Read the post above^^^
Don’t the top schools also want talent as well as academic excellence and in-depth extra curricular activities? What extra curricular activities could I do for a top science school? How could I show talent? LOL