So far in my high school career, the only real EC that I’ve done and cared about was 3D printing and I’ve only joined this year.
This is mostly as a result of mental health, which also took a toll on my grades freshman year and at the beginning of sophomore year.
My grades now are decent (3.3 GPA, yikes I know) and this summer I’ll be either be doing an internship at a cancer hospital or this biomed engineering program at Columbia that I still haven’t heard back from yet. On top of that, I’ll be moving to a different state at the end summer break!!! Is there anything I can do now or in the future to save myself or even be considered by top universities???
What do you mean by a top university? Are you looking for a top university with a reputation that will impress like IVY’s Stanford, MIT, UChicago, etc?
Or,
A great school where you can get a wonderful education and go on to a successful career?
For the first, your GPA is likely to be a deal breaker, it is tough even for kids with 3.9/4.0 and 1560 SAT.
For the second, keep doing what you are doing. Pursue your interests, try to get the best grades you can, do well on your standardized tests, and you’ll find plenty of great schools where you’ll have a shot at admissions.
By top universities, I was thinking t20s or at least t50s, but I’ll be satisfied with any research university because I want to go into the research field. I was wondering if there was any way to save my GPA tho because I’m taking mostly honors classes except for electives, and my current school doesn’t let us take AP’s until junior year
For those kinds of schools you really need a 3.8+/4.0 to make it past the first cut, especially if you are unhooked. That’s going to be difficult to do at this point. However, if you aim for a match college, and do very, very well there, you could transfer to a T20 or attend grad school at one of them.
As for ECs, get involved in things you enjoy, and are meaningful to you…don’t do activities based on how prospective colleges might view them. As you are interested in research, if you live near a university, see if you can find a research intern position. If not, see what other science/research clubs or activities are available. You aren’t limited to what is available at your high school. Good luck.
Thanks! I was thinking about getting a research position when I move and I wasn’t sure what I would do otherwise so I guess I’ll join clubs that interest me and try to stop my anxiety from holding me back
Do not think 'Every point I get off of a homework or test is a point away from going to Harvard."
Think: “I need to do my best, and there will be a college that is right for me when I graduate.”
Do not think “If I don’t go to an Ivy League School/Top20, I am doomed forever.”
Think: “No matter where I go, I can bloom where I am planted. I can get involved and shine.”
Do not think: “My life is over…the kid in my math class is taking 20 APs and I am taking 5. I will never succeed.”
Think: “I need to challenge myself, but only to the point where I can still do well.”
Do not think: “I don’t have 15 ECs, I will never go to college.”
Think: I put my academics first, as I should. My EC was dealing with my mental health.
Find something that you love and pursue it! Doesn’t really matter what it is, but you should have a passion for it. As an example, if you like music, pick up an obscure cool instrument!
Yes, you can “save” yourself. I graduated high school with a 3.0 gpa and a lackluster SAT score. I went to a mid-ranked liberal arts college by applying ED and writing really good essays. I then worked really hard, and gained admittance to an Ivy League University (Cornell) and one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country (Reed College). You can do it, you just need to apply yourself. And remember that there are plenty of schools that aren’t necessarily “top tier” but where you can succeed.