<p>Hey there.
I'm currently a freshman in high school.. though the year is almost over.
I was wondering if I should start worrying about college?
Like.. join clubs or something?
I hadn't really thought of colleges before - or well, I did but I didn't truly truly think about it.
I want to set my goals for an Ivy League.. though I feel really stupid thinking about it.
First semester I got a 3.428, which is pretty disappionting. I've always been known as a "smart person" but um. I'm not too sure about that anymore. I think I slacked off too much. Should I not worry too much because it's freshmen year or actually do worry about it since I'm on a decline or something?
Um anyway, I'm really stressed about what to do so I can set myself up to go to a prestigious college.
Math is my weakest point and I'm not athletic.. as well as I don't play an instrument.
Is this really really bad?
Suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated =(</p>
<p>Join clubs and get good grades. Do the things you need to do with your goals in mind. Don't obsess, though, because you do have a few years, and you want high school to be fun.</p>
<p>Remember that extracurriculars/leadership positions are REALLY important at Ivy League schools because all the kids applying to them have perfect numerical stats. It's the ECs that set some apart.</p>
<p>Don't worry about college...just worry about your grades and find ECs that you will enjoy. ECs that will look good will also take up ample amounts of time so you have to enjoy it to do it well. Good luck. :)</p>
<p>leah377:
Sorry I don't mean to be naive or anything but.. what do you mean (specifically) about extracurriculars and leadership positions? Particularly the latter. And like.. what types of clubs?
The only thing I'm doing at the moment is some community service at the local library. Is there a certain amount of those hours I need? Initially I was only aiming for 100 because you get some kind of honor for it...</p>
<p>theothermuse:
lol.. I find not worrying extremely hard to do XD;</p>
<p>I wouldnt worry about a 3.4 GPA too much because if you do better in your following years at high school, i.e improve your GPA each year, it is pretty impressing to show increasing academic progress. It is important to join clubs, but also make sure you don't join a bunch of different clubs, but rather show interest in a few clubs that you enjoy, otherwise it is pretty obvious that you are just joining clubs for the sake of putting them on you application.</p>
<p>Continue your library volunteer work throughout high school, and try to find a lot more things to do. And don't do them just to get hours. Do them because you want to help people. What a concept.</p>
<p>Join school clubs (some academic ones, some social ones, etc., but only ones you actually like!), and gain officer positions when you're a sophomore, junior, or senior. If you're not interested in anything, start your own club! This shows leadership and initiative.</p>
<p>Get a job as well and sustain it for more than, say, 3 months.
Your ECs should show schools that you are a motivated, passionate leader with either a specific talent or multiple interests that you're dedicated to throughout high school.</p>
<p>Hm. Thanks for the GPA thing! I wouldn't have really thought of it that way and I suppose I'll just have to make sure I get better and better heh..
I was wondering.. does it matter what kind of job?
Also, are there any other ECs I should look towards? Apart from clubs and various volunteer work? Because I see people who play an instrument or sport and I don't know how I'll go up against that.</p>
<p>I'm not sure what you tell you other than to just join things you'd think you'd like. My frosh year, I happened to get a position as the stage manager of the school productions which I've kept to this day. If you know anything about theatre, it's a HUGE job and requires a lot from me and I like to think I'm pretty special. :) Haha, no but I'm passionate about it and it'll come across. What I think everyone here is trying to tell you is, find something you like, something that, at the end of four years, you'll gush about and people will literally have to cork you to get you to stop talking about it.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know it's hard to not worry but believe me, it's so much easier if you don't. I don't have the best grades and before I'd have been way worried but now, it's just meh. I do the best I can and that's fine with me. Colleges care about things other than grades too. Also, there are good schools that aren't well known, so check those out. There is a great school out there for everyone!</p>
<p>How important are sports? I'm not very interested in competitive sports, but I'll be involved with other extracurriculars. What do you think?</p>
<p>If you have enough in the other ECs then sports are not a problem.</p>
<p>Yeah, I don't do sports aside from colorguard and varsity winterguard. I think guard counts as a sport, because it's extremely athletic, involves a lot of dance, and is artistic at the same time, but it's not the same as soccer or lacrosse.</p>
<p>It just matters that I'm passionate about it.</p>
<p>How much EC would account for "being enough"?
And sorry for sounding naive but, I think of EC as like clubs.
What do you guys/general public see it as?</p>
<p>Great question, that's what I'm wondering too.</p>
<p>For Ivy League schools, as much as possible. Being on the tennis team and student council isn't enough. You need to have spoon-fed 40 infant orphans from birth, be the founder of the tennis team and the student council, and be on like 6 more teams or clubs. I wish I were exaggerating, but I'm not.</p>
<p>Of course, if your grades/scores are extremely high, or you have extenuating circumstances that you can write about in an essay, this could make up for lack of involvement.</p>
<p>EC = clubs, internships, work, things done in leisure that are worthwhile (ie studying Chinese and using the skills somehow in the world, possibly at a law firm or restaurant), directed projects on certain subjects (including publishing material)</p>
<p>
How do you know this? I'm not doubting you or anything, I'm just wondering.</p>
<p>Based on people I know personally who got accepted/rejected at Ivies, and also just general knowledge of what it takes to get in at super selective schools.</p>
<p>The logic is this: Most people who apply to these schools have absolutely stellar stats. This puts most of them on a level playing field in that respect. Therefore, they need things that set them apart from the other 50,000 kids who have wanted to go to Yale since age 4. This is where the ECs come in. They're the differentiating factors between all of these obviously highly-qualified applicants.</p>
<p>Ugh. It all feels so useless already.
I was wondering how a 3.5 GPA got into an Ivy.. until I saw his impressive list of ECs.
So I need good grades and a million outstanding ECs. Aghh
By the way, I was wondering: Does it look bad if I take the language of my ethnicity? Like if I was born there but came here and took the language in school?</p>
<p>what were the stats and EC of the 3.5 applicant^?</p>
<p>Sorry I don't remember. But it was on this website.</p>