<p>How favorably do the elite schools look upon doing well in college courses, compared to other achievements in math, science, or in general? </p>
<p>I'm on track to take real analysis junior year, which is still a couple of years away, but doing so in a difficult class at a top school like UChicago or Northwestern would require a serious time commitment, since neither campus is close to my high school. Should I pursue this track, or is my time better spent preparing for contests like the usamo and finding extra volunteer/leadership activities? Should I try to take it at a local, if somewhat less intense, school? On a tangent, my brother tells me that usamo used to be somewhat of a hook at places like mit and caltech - is that true of the new usajmo?</p>
<p>As far as my own abilities go, I don't think I am good enough to ever make MOP, and I enjoy learning about abstract topics more than I do problem solving. I've always been fascinated by math/science and, at this really early stage, my dream is to eventually become a researcher. But from what I've gathered on this forum and other sources, a lot of elite colleges don't like the Asian math robot stereotype, which I've sadly and unknowingly become. </p>
<p>So I'm not sure whether I should spend my free time learning analysis, algebra, college topics etc., which I sincerely enjoy, or diversifying and joining a couple extra clubs, studying abroad, etc. I'll still join a few sports and clubs, but I feel like I really have a limited amount of time, especially if i want to do something well</p>