Hi, I’m going to be starting high school in September. I really want to get into a good law school in the future. I’d appreciate any advice you guys have. Thank you! My dream school is Georgetown.
My advice to any rising HS freshmen is to familiarize yourself with your school’s curriculum guide and student handbook. Getting somewhat comfortable with both saves a lot of questions later on, and you’ll sound more intelligent than most of your peers when you start meeting with your guidance counselor.
I would try every extracurricular that interests you, especially freshman year. After that, pare it down to the ones most meaningful to you. Participate in at least one related to your major and at least one unrelated. After freshman year, don’t participate in so many that you can’t make a genuinely impactful contribution to one or two favorites.
Georgetown, pre-covid, was one of the very few colleges that require you to submit ALL test scores. Plan accordingly. Which is to say, consider taking practice tests instead of the actual test over and over, for practice.
Some posters will tell you not to worry about college so soon. In most cases I am not one of them. Don’t stress yourself over it, certainly, but if you feel ready to think about it and learn about the process, go for it. Nothing wrong with changing your plan later if you need to. I would not get hung up over one college, though. That’s unhealthy and sets one up for heartache later. When I say “learn about the process” I mean you need to devote equal time to researching non-elite colleges where you can still get in if you have a bad year or your dream school rejects you.
Good luck!
I agree with the above comment it is great to try out many different clubs so you don’t waste time later on. But also focus on a sucsessful transition to high school and don’t overload yourself with extra currciulars. In the long run you will be more successful in high school if you are comfortable at school with friends and family. Take time to appreciate spending time with friends and family, who knows one of those experiences might be what you write your common app essay about.