<p>What are you interested in, and what do like?</p>
<p>Answer that question, and do ECs that have to do with those subjects, and just be really invovled and do well in them.</p>
<p>grades and stats are most important....2nd is ECs</p>
<p>and I think it is a very good idea to start worry about college in freshman year, because I screwed up my GPA because I didnt care about this stupid 2.5 credit class, could have had a perfect GPA if i cared more</p>
<p>It's pretty simple. You need to take the toughest courseload you can manage, and make sure you are prepared to take APs if they are offered at your school. You need to focus on your grades. Learn to write well. Find a few activities you are passionate about--in or outside of school, and work at them (e.g., aim for Eagle if a scout, for awards if an artist, etc). It would be great if at least one of them was academic/intellectual. Be engaged and involved, not just a name on a roster and leadership positions and opportunities will come your way. Don't regard adults as the opposition, but as potential mentors and advocates--they will be writing your reccomendations soon enough, and are often the gateway to interesting opportunities as well as awards. (This doesn't mean sucking up, just being open and cooperative.). Being responsible about your life is better than writing an essay about the tough lessons you've learned. It is not too early, but it isn't too late. It's a good time to start researching colleges to see what they want, and what you want.</p>
<p>How can a student handle all doing all the EC's and getting good grades with the "toughest courseload." Any managing tips/strategies/advice?</p>
<p>Those people usually have highly efficient time management; one must be smart because there is little time for study; one also must be good at concentrating for long hours, and staying up past 0200 regularly on school nights after ECs are complete.</p>
<p>If you're staying up past 2 in the morning, how can you have enough focus and be alert enough to listen or pay attention in class the next day? And if you're not healthy, how can you have enough energy and strength keep up with your sports/dance/etc.?</p>
<p>Basically, you have to be strong physically and mentally. That sounds totally cliche, but, being the compulsive "joiner" that I am, I get 4 hours of sleep or less per night and still have to pull myself together through long days. I love everything I'm involved in, and luckily I'm not the kind of student that has to study for hours to get good grades, so I don't have a ridiculously hard time. Yeah, sometimes homework and activities and being SOCIAL (important..don't forget that high school is about social growth, too!!) are hard to balance, but you'll find a way to deal with it. It's different for every person.</p>
<p>I'm not strong physically (I won't elaborate). So basically that means I can't get into an Ivy League school?</p>
<p>Of course not--that's not what I was saying at all. I meant that if you're planning on doing a lot of things at all hours of the day, you're going to need to be able to run on 3 hours of sleep and not kill yourself. :)</p>
<p>Oh okay, I see what you mean now.</p>
<p>In other words, being here is little different from having to be a senior in China or Japan; instead of studying, you will be studying and doing something.</p>
<p>Do awards help? How can you tell if an award/contest is "prestigious" or not?</p>
<p>Oh, I was also wondering.. is a C unacceptable if you're trying for Ivy League? =( I'd suspect so.. but..</p>
<p>b u m p .</p>
<p>10char</p>