<p>I am setting goals BIG for what I want to achieve.
I am going to be a freshman in high school next year, (Grade 9) and as stupid as this may sound, I am setting my goals to go to Harvard Med.
I understand the process, which is majoring in a college for undergrad while having to meet requirements, having REALLY high GPA in college, scoring high on MCAT and getting involved a lot.
And though I'm only just going to be entering high school, I feel that it does no harm, rather good to start early.
I am 100% serious and please ask that you don't take this thread as a joke, I am willing to dedicate my time to what I have to do to achieve my goal.
Does the college I go to for my undergrad affect my chances?
And if yes, what college should I aim for (MIT?) and what should I do and study in my high school years.
Thanks</p>
<p>lolololololo, not even a freshmen yet.</p>
<p>Alright in all seriousness , if you’re seriously serious shirley then let me lay down these nuggets of wisdom.</p>
<p>First, i have a couple questions. Why do you want to go to MIT/Harvard?
What sets you apart from other Harvard wannabies?
Do you know how hard it is to get into harvard?
Are you one of those kids who never study but, do good in middle school or are you a kid who has a good work ethic and does good?</p>
<p>What sports/activites do you do?</p>
<p>Answer these questions and i’ll give you all the advice you need.</p>
<p>In short, there is no short answer, but the shortest answer I can give you is to do what it takes in high school to get into a highly selective post-secondary school, and then give at least double the effort in college to get admitted to Harvard Med.</p>
<p>It’s about passion and commitment.</p>
<p>Road to Harvard/MIT.</p>
<p>I admire your courage in posting here, and have some suggestions:</p>
<p>Explore many things. Focusing on grades in school, while necessary, will not do it alone. Be curious.</p>
<p>Find something that you care passionately about; a community activity, sport, research - ask people to advise and help you and really make an effort to get some experience and a leadership role in that area. Volunteer. </p>
<p>Broaden your target. Many very esteemed research MDs (on the HMS faculty) went to state schools. It is much more about your passion for a field, mentoring and hard work than just having a “prestige” degree. Along the way you may even find another field that you grow more interested in. You have 18 years ahead of you before you even finish fellowship. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Do not set your sights on just those schools.</p>
<p>But from day one work hard, work your butt off.</p>
<p>I wish that at your age I had even cared about college, I thought it was a distant thing, but in truth it’s closer than you think.</p>
<p>Make sure to get some EC’s in that have to do with your major. Start them ASAP so that colleges know that you honestly loved doing them.</p>
<p>Do the SAT like sophomore year or maybe even the end of frosh year (starting early never hurts ^__^)</p>
<p>and make sure to be curious about the world around you, by the time you are a junior being a doc might be the last thing on your mind.</p>
<p>lol @ limited scope.</p>
<p>Good job for setting goals.
Now, go research some colleges before you jump onto the Harvard bandwagon.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Marginally, if at all. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Pretty much any top tier school would be perfectly adequate. I don’t think MIT is known particularly for pre-meds, but there are surely MDs that come from MIT.</p>
<p>Instead of a road I recommend that you use public transport to get to Harvard/MIT. They’re both on the MBTA Red Line.</p>
<p>[Study</a> Hacks](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/]Study”>Study Hacks - Decoding Patterns of Success - Cal Newport)</p>
<p>First of all Thanks to everyone for answering</p>
<p>@Daxlo5
Well, Harvard Med is known as and probably is the best school in the world. And regardless of whether I actually have a chance at getting in, I feel setting my goals as high as possible is best for me personally.
I know for some it may not be the best choice, but for myself, I feel it is best.
And yes, I do understand the difficulty of getting accepted into one of these schools.</p>
<p>What sets me apart?
Hard to say exactly (due to not really knowing any other “Harvard Wannabies”) but I am fully determined.</p>
<p>For my past studies, I pretty much NEVER study, or have never studied and I’ve been pretty successful so far.
Over the past few weeks, I have changed my views though and I am going to change my work ethics to pushing my self.</p>
<p>Sports and Activities, well I pretty much was on most sports teams in my school (I’m no Athlete STAR, but middle school isn’t really TOO hard to make teams) and activities, not really involved much, but will be in times to come.</p>
<p>Hope that answers some questions and hope you can help my out.
Thanks</p>
<p>@Blackrose101</p>
<p>By taking my SAT in freshman or sophmore, what exactly does it do?</p>
<p>It just means more practice. You can see your weakness and strengths from the get go and you can fix and perfect and understant the SAT more before it is crunch time.</p>
<p>That is what I wish I had done.</p>
<p>But to even do the SAT you need some Algebra and a bit of Geo under your belt.</p>
<p>Just take the SAT your junior year after having taken a class…Enjoy your fresh+soph years before you have to subject (ha! pun!) yourself to all these standardized tests. I took it in March my junior year, and October my senior year, and did juuust fine.</p>
<p>I am ecstatic to see freshmen with such high ambitions. You have set your goal, do not settle for anything less. To get accepted, people think it’s all about the stats. Well, they are partially correct in that thought. However, it’s about doing what you love. Find a club or sport you are passionate about. Get internships involved in your “dream” work. As a prospective student for Harvard/MIT, I can tell you that it is about your study habits. You should be willing to drop your social life for studying. But it is also about following your heart, get out there and do what you love! (And study, too!) I wish you the best.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I second that a MILLION times, no joke. 
He has this book called “How to be a High School Superstar”.
I suggest that you read it, it’s a very good book.</p>
<p>Also- read. A lot. Any type of book will do.
Readings does more help than harm. :)</p>
<p>I’m going to be in high school next year too and I want to go to Harvard med too, but I want to go Harvard undergraduate instead of MIT</p>
<p>I’ve heard that some medical schools do not accept AP credits for the sciences. So, take AP classes in hs but be prepared to take the classes again in college to satisfy med school requirements.</p>
<p>Lawl, how many 8th graders do we have in HSL?</p>
<p>Please, OP–the one thing you need to do is not spend too much time on this website. You don’t need to gear every single thing you do toward getting into college. It’s not worth it. Do things because you enjoy them.</p>
<p>Also adcoms can smell a person who does things solely to get into college from a mile away. And my ideal adcom takes all of those apps, and puts them in a bonfire in the middle of Harvard yard.</p>