<p>Yes, that’s what I keep getting, even when I don’t post it as a URL.</p>
<p>college board? [it’s .com]</p>
<p>I am currently a freshman. I am in the 5th 6 weeks so I don’t have a clear grasp of my final freshman GPA, so I will list my grades in this format: first semester average - 2nd semester 4th six weeks - 5th six weeks progress report. My schedule is the most rigorous possible. </p>
<p>Pre-AP Geometry: 78 - 96 - 97
JV3 Tennis Team: 99 - 100 - 100
German II: 98 - 99 - 95
Orchestra: 98 - 98 - 100
Pre-AP English I: 88 - 90 - 94
Pre-AP World Geography: 91 - 92 - 99
Pre-AP Biology: 93 - 97 - 95
Health/Speech (each is one sem., required for grad.): 94 - 97 - 99</p>
<p>Courses taken in middle school that count in high school GPA (first semester/second semester)</p>
<p>German I: 98/98
Pre-AP Algebra I: 97/94
Gateway to Technology (part of engineering courses): 97/97</p>
<p>My school uses a weighted, 15-point scale. Ranking for first semester is 72/878, top 10%. My grades this semester are ascending so my rank should go up as well. City of residence is a suburb in Texas near the Dallas/Fort Worth area. </p>
<p>I am not entirely sure what my major will be; it could be chemistry, biology, physics, biomedical engineering, or another type of engineering. Whatever it is, I need to be able to satisfy pre-med requirements and make as close to a 4.0 GPA as possible. The university needs to help in preparation for the MCAT as much as possible, as GPA and MCAT scores are the two biggest factors in getting into medical school. If you are even good enough to get into medical school, then you might even try to get into a medical school that you would like to go to, i.e. Yale, Harvard, Duke, etc. </p>
<p>I plan on going to an allopathic medical school, becoming an MD, and then getting into a radiology residency program to be on my way to becoming a radiologist (everything before applying for residency is so significant in my case because radiology is the most competitive specialty of medicine to get into). </p>
<p>My mother has a degree in Chemistry and is currently working as a Physician Assistant. My father was on the way to getting a degree in mechanical engineering but did not finish, which means that he is not considered to have a college education, so I guess that might be to my benefit.
Financially, my mother brings in all of the dough, working weekdays and weekends. Salary is less than 100k at the moment.
My father owns a restaurant that is not in any way fruitful, it does not generate much or any income and he is trying to sell it a.s.a.p.</p>
<p>Anything that makes a difference: I am graduating one year early which means I am taking both AP Physics and Pre-AP Chemistry I next year, and taking world history over this coming summer. I don’t know how the rest of my schedule will play out. This also means I have less time to stock up my application with fluff, so starting preparation for college application as early as possible is imperative. As far as extracurriculars go, I guess that tennis and orchestra are considered EC’s. </p>
<p>I was one of four total from my middle school to start German one year early. It involved getting up earlier than almost all of my middle school peers every other morning to drive to high school and take german, then take a bus back to middle school.</p>
<p>For awards, I really don’t have much. All I have so far is an induction into the National German Honors Society. </p>
<p>Next year, I plan on joining Key Club and doing as many volunteer hours as my schedule allows. As soon as I qualify, I will join National Honors Society. I will also join HOSA, health occupation students of America, and try to do competitions. This may be very hard with my erratic schedule next year. It was also suggested that I start a chapter of the National Science Honors Society. If my school allows me to pay the $100 and do this, it will be a great addition to the application and may even mean I can become president of a club.</p>
<p>Over the summer, I will be taking US History. After completing summer assignments, I will try to do the following: begin studying for the SAT everyday, hire a PrincetonReview tutor (will be hard to convince parents to pay), get a private tennis tutor and try to get from JV3 to JV2 to JV1 to Varsity before I leave the high school, apply for volunteer work at the local hospital, get a tutor to get ahead in Algebra II, Chemistry, and Physics before sophomore year so I will not end up crashing when the time comes.</p>
<p>By the way, I consider UT Austin a safety because of Texas House Bill 588. It entails that Texans will be auto-admitted based on rank in this way: first all top 1% applicants, then all top 2% applicants, then all top 3% applicants, etc. until 75% of the student body is admitted this way.</p>
<p>My extremely early SAT studying may end up getting me a National Merit qualification. </p>
<p>So, how does this sound? My mother and my sister think that I am insane and make fun of me for caring so early. Nobody around these parts makes any of the efforts that I am prepared to put forth.</p>
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Then don’t take engineering and chem most likely won’t work out well either when GPA is concerned.</p>
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I think it sounds WAY TOO planned. You haven’t even taken chem or physics yet. Keep exploring your options! I’m a junior in HS and I STILL don’t know EXACTLY what I want and many students switch majors in COLLEGE at least once. I think you should just focus on your grades and, rather than planning out your future, try getting involved in some ECs. Maybe try volunteering at a hospital? If possible, being a lab assistant at a local university can be a great experience (especially if it ends with your own project :P).</p>
<p>EDIT: Sorry I missed this! I still think everything sounds too planned though. Are you even a sophomore in HS yet?
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<p>I suggest you concentrate on your studies for the next two years before you even begin to think about college. And why are you graduating a year early?</p>
<p>Trust me, a lot of people have 4.0 GPAs after freshman year. Have some fun, it’s high school! It sounds like you’re smart so just take care of your grades, you don’t need to obsess over this stuff. Pick one or two ECs, get a leadership position and become as committed as possible. Adding as many ECs as you can doesn’t make it more likely that colleges will accept you</p>
<p>I will never have a 4.0 GPA because I have already made grades that are below A’s. This puts me at an extremely, extremely significant disadvantage to all of the other applicants to the universities I want to go to, and I will have to make up for it by forgetting everything and focusing entirely on making the best college application possible throughout high school. And what is this “fun” you speak of? I don’t know the meaning of the word. T_T</p>
<p>I have the Princeton Review called “The Best 371 Colleges” which might really help you look for schools other than the Ivy League and see how your grades and scores fall in the classes. But… if you’re a freshman or sophomore, focus on your grades and your other activities. College is pretty far off–you have plenty of time.</p>
<p>Hey buddy, I know you were joking when you said that you don’t know the meaning of fun, but then again idk :P. Listen, without some fun in your life, it’s going to awful at any one of these colleges that you like. And, it’s not always the name that you should use to decide your top choices. And yeah, your college list is very weird because it doesn’t have a major trend. Are you only looking to impress people 5 or 10 years later saying that I went to (Fill in prestigious university here)?</p>
<p>“And what is this “fun” you speak of? I don’t know the meaning of the word. T_T”</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore in high school right now and am aiming for a top school as well. But let me tell you this: depth, not breadth. Everyone says that and I’ve been hearing it for a while, but I’ve only realized its true meaning this year. Based on your current plans, everything is centered around getting to a good school, and I can relate to that. Yet it looks like you’re planning your high school career only around being a “well-rounded student.” It’s true that having good grades, leadership positions, and sports backgrounds help with your admissions. But colleges are familiar with the formula you’re going with, and they’ll realize that when they see your application. That’s not all colleges are looking for these days, especially the ones you listed. They want people whose lives aren’t centered solely around school, but around the things that matter most to them. Academics can be one of those things, but a passion for something also means a lot. The Ivies are going to get thousands of valedictorian, varsity athlete, club presidents all in one - so think, who’s really going to stand out? Take a look at the many people here on CC in the chance me threads. Who stands out to you, and who’s boring?</p>
<p>I’m going to assume you were joking about not knowing what having fun is, but my advice stays the same: give yourself room to breathe. Not everything is going to go according to your plan. I planned out my high school course load as a freshman, and lots of things have changed since then, and many of those choices were a result of being open-minded. The more you adhere to a strict plan, the less you’ll be able to grab opportunities that might come across your way when you’re open-minded.</p>
<p>That said, good luck.</p>
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<p>No, it won’t. 1st gen is BOTH parents not having finished college. </p>
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<p>Anyone can get a 4.0 and log insane amounts of volunteer hours. How are you going to stand out from the thousands of other students who did just that? Think about doing something crazy/different/impressive. Think: <a href=“How to Get Into Stanford with B's on Your Transcript: Failed Simulations & the Surprising Psychology of Impressiveness - Cal Newport”>How to Get Into Stanford with B's on Your Transcript: Failed Simulations & the Surprising Psychology of Impressiveness - Cal Newport; & <a href=“Want to Get into Harvard? Spend More Time Staring at the Clouds: Rethinking the Role of Extracurricular Activities in College Admissions - Cal Newport”>Want to Get into Harvard? Spend More Time Staring at the Clouds: Rethinking the Role of Extracurricular Activities in College Admissions - Cal Newport;
<p>You said you are a freshman and you had grades below an A already so you can’t get a 4.0. First of all, only final grades are factored into your gpa, and second, freshman year doesn’t matter that much.</p>
<p>UT could be considered a safety for anyone living in Texas that is ranked in the top 8% of their class. It’s a law in Texas to help with affirmative action that these students are given automatic admission so long as they apply.</p>
<p>Oops, I didn’t see this was already adressed.</p>
<p>OP, before you do anything else, use this link to get an estimate of your Estimated Family Contribution, or EFC. [FinAid</a> | Calculators | QuickEFC](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org/calculators/quickefc.phtml]FinAid”>http://www.finaid.org/calculators/quickefc.phtml). The number that comes out will be an estimate of the minimum amount that your family will be expected to pay towards your college education every year. </p>
<p>Next, show that number to your parents. Ask them how much they will be able to pay per year (or total for four years) for your college education. </p>
<p>Finally, report everything back here. You’ll get much better advice with the financial picture clearly laid out.</p>