<p>I know it's very early for me to be thinking about college, but next year I am going to be a freshman in a catholic high school. My dream would be to get into brown or another liberal arts school. I am already taking high school level courses in algebra and earth science. In the last trimester, I had mostly all a's with one b in english. This means that I probably won't be in advanced placement English. Will this ruin my chances of getting into brown or another ivy league? Also, what can I do in high school that will make me stand out to brown or another ivy league? Also, does anyone have any general tips for high school? I would deeply appreciate any advice. Thank you in advanced.</p>
<p>Best advice anyone here can give you: Don’t go on CC. Turn away and never look back again.</p>
<p>^agreed. It’ll make you crazy.</p>
<p>If you ever face a choice between something you enjoy and something that will look good on an application, go with the former. It’ll look a lot better on an application, anyway.</p>
<p>Also, high school work should not take up a majority of your time. Get As, but don’t go for 100% once you’ve gotten once you want out of the material. Spend any extra time above a 92 or 93 enjoying yourself. Hang with friends. Enjoy your lack of responsibility. Rebel against authority. You’ll regret it if you miss out on these things; I see it in a lot of my peers here. They spent their whole lives working and working, and they didn’t even really know what for. </p>
<p>Most specifically, pretend college admissions don’t exist. Do fun things because they’re fun. Do well in classes if and because classes are worth doing well in. Don’t take an extra AP class unless you’re interested in the subject. Work at homeless shelters if you want. Spend all weekend partying if you want. </p>
<p>You’ll end up in a college where you belong. If you enjoy the things that Brown students enjoy (or at least the things they choose to do), you’ll end up there.</p>
<p>Commit this to memory.</p>
<p>You will encounter two mindsets:</p>
<p>I) Grades are all important. This people are boring, they live for grades, not learning. It’s a race to nowhere.</p>
<p>II) Learning is all important. These people are saucy, bold, and adventurous (sometimes a bit flippant too!). Life is fun for them. Experiment, do what you love. Yes, this sounds Romantic, but which life do want?</p>
<p>Your pick.</p>
<p>Also remember what Richard Feynman said, “Love is all important.”</p>
<p>Oh, and turn away from CC and never come back.</p>
<p>^ Don’t forget </p>
<p>III) School? Whatever, brah. </p>
<p>Really good way to phrase that dichotomy, though. Kudos.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Take this advice, close out of CC, and don’t come back until you’re a junior/senior and you actually need advice.</p>
<p>lol @ ohlovely’s post</p>
<p>Stay away from CC… it only gives you unrealistic expectations about college.</p>
<p>I know this is kinda cliche, but high school is also about figuring yourself out. Middle school is for the awkward transition between being a kid and being a teenager, and high school is for discovering the type of person you will be, what you’re passionate about, what type of friends you’ll have (you might not go to college with your high school friends, but you probably will have some friends who are similar to them), etc. </p>
<p>This can continue in college, but I’m just saying that you shouldn’t waste a valuable stage for your personal development by obsessing over getting into a good college. You can still care about it, but don’t make it your only focus. Take some risks–you might regret some, but you’ll learn from them. What are you going to do when you get into Brown and have no idea who you are as a person?</p>
<p>And no, not taking an English AP as a freshman is not going to hurt you.</p>