I’m not looking for a pity party. I am going to be a sophomore next year and I finished my freshman year alright. Getting one B in Spanish 2 the first semester but an A the next. As for my other classes I’ve received A’s throughout the school year. But to me, this is average. I’m seeing kids who are doing way more than me. Starting organizations and stuff, but I’m sitting at home this summer doing nothing, because my parents are at work so I cannot go volunteer. I start driving in October and I plan on volunteering a lot. I also plan on playing soccer and tennis all 4 years of high school. I will run for Student Council President (My senior year), which I am a current member of, and I am studying vocabulary for the SAT. I plan on creating a group of teenagers (my friends) where we go around to different organizations to help volunteer for various programs. Again keep in mind that these are my plans, I haven’t done these things yet. I want to graduate with 200+ hours. And I’m trying to become valedictorian but there are about 5 or 6 above me. I’d say I’m rank 5 or 6 in a class of 50. I go to private school if that makes a difference. I also plan to be better at soccer so that my coach will make me Team Captain my senior year.
My classes for my freshman year are:
Honors Geometry
Pre-Ap English 1
Spanish 2
World Geography (school does not offer honors or pre-ap for this class)
Honors Biology
Yearbook
I’m planning things out a lot, but I still have 2 years left. I’ve been stressing out about it for a long time. People say don’t think just do, but I can’t do it, because I don’t own a car yet. I have 0 volunteer hours my freshman year. What can I do to improve my chances? or is it too late? I see geniuses getting rejected from Stanford. What can I do to get in? Should I just give up? I’m looking for honest answers. Some advice would be great too. Thanks.
One low grade is not going to kill you. At my school I got 3 B’s freshman year and started with my class rank at 42/325. Halfway through my junior year i was 3/280. If you continue to do well throughout high school that grade really wont matter. Just focus on being active in clubs and studying for the act/sat.
The B won’t matter much. If you’re serious about stanford, consider doing something exceptional like making a company (while getting Good grades. Those are more important). Other than that, get good grades and test scores and you’ll have a chance
Since you’re in the class on 2018, you will be taking the new SAT which doesn’t have the sentence completion questions that you would study vocab for. So why are you studying vocab? Unless you are taking the old SAT before it is retired, you are just wasting your time.
And to answer your question, yes, you still have a chance of getting into Stanford, but it’s still a small chance, just like everyone else’s. Stanford is the most selective school in the country (I think) so don’t get too excited about the school since you’ll (statistically) probably be rejected. But you’re not even a sophomore yet, so no need to give up so soon.
Please get the book How to be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport. I wish we had found the book earlier. It will really help you move past this point and help you identify and focus on being involved in things that interest you instead of just things that you THINK will get you into college. Focused, genuine interests will make you a more interesting person and applicant. I can’t recommend the book enough. Good luck!
Zeroing in on one school so early in high school is unhealthy, will distort your high school experience, and may be counterproductive. You should be developing genuine, personally interesting, experiences during these years, not trying to shape yourself into something you imagine someone else wants you to be.
If you follow through with everything that you hope to do in the future (team captain, starting volunteer organization, doing well on SAT), it will make up for a low GPA (even though your GPA is perfectly fine considering you only got one B for on semester).
I heard that a person once failed a class and didn’t get perfect grades and then went to Harvard. Not Stanford but almost as good as it(Stanford’s better!), and top schools have been known to reject one of the most qualifying over the others. To be valedictorian, im pretty sure it ins’t just the smartest because it seemed like you thought it was, its the school boards pick. Like this year, there was twins that got excepted to Brown, both really smart and nice, but there was also two girls that were excepted to Harvard and other to Princeton and both were smart and nice. The twins got valedictorian. And I don’t think they are the smartest but they are up on the rank. So to clear up, one mistake isn’t going to ruin everything, Valedictorian isn’t all about being smart, its about being a nice well rounded person and school boards pick, and one I am mentioning now that is very cliche, never give up on something that you want so much. If you think of giving up, that means you don’t want it as much and are willing to take the chance of giving up.
By the way, you don’t have two years, you have three. You haven’t started your Sophomore year.
Do n o t worry about these things; I guarantee you’re doing much better than you think you are. Stanford isn’t the end all be all; I’ve seen kids get rejected from Stanford but then get into U Penn, Columbia, Georgetown, etc. so don’t even worry. The college application process is a long way down the road.
You’re only a sophomore, so don’t stress out too much. Stanford wants to see passion, so once you start volunteering, don’t do it just for the hopes of getting accepted into Stanford. Instead, volunteer because you love doing it. Not only would that earn you worthwhile volunteer hours, it would make it so much easier for you to write your essays.
You want Stanford too much and already see yourself as not measuring up. You’re already considering “giving up”, after one year in high school. Stanford admits don’t do that, by and large.