Tips on High School Career?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>So I'm new here, and I'm not sure if I'm posting this correctly. Anyway, I know most of the people here are already in high school, but hi, I'm an eighth grader. I would just like to get some advice and critique on my high school life.</p>

<p>And I know some of you might take me as a joke, but seriously, it's never to early to start thinking about college.</p>

<p>First of all, I think you all should know that my plan for high school is to just go all hard-core studying. I've made some mistakes in my middle school career, too much social life and basically no studying. As a result, I am not at the highest possible level in my math class because I didn't start caring about school until this year. Do you guys think that it's a good idea to just neglect my social life in high school? I mean, colleges don't exactly factor in your social life.</p>

<p>Going on, a summary of my achievements/ scores;
SAT: 1850 combined (winter of eighth grade)
Gold & Silver Key Scholastic Writing Regionals (eighth grader)
6th in Cross Country Middlesex GMC's (Seventh grade)</p>

<p>That's pretty much it. I play an assortment of classical instruments, but I would only count violin, harp and piano.</p>

<p>Note: Throughout highs school, I will be trying out for an assortment of law internships, regions orchestra, and competitions</p>

<p>My high school schedule if all goes well;</p>

<p>Freshie summer: C++,
Freshman schedule: orchestra, honors bio, french 2 honors, honors geometry, history 1 honors, English honors
Freshman extracurriculars: Cross Country Varsity, Lacrosse JV, MUN, Newspaper Club, Orchestra Club, Student Council hopefully as treasurer
Freshie out-of-school: AP bio
notes: I am only in Geometry Honors and not Alg 2 Honors because again, I took school as a joke from 6-7th grade and as a result, lost a year of studying.</p>

<p>Sophie summer: Java
Sophie schedule: Computer Science AP honors if I can convince my counselor to let me, Alg 2 honors, English 2 honors, chem honors, APUSH, french 3 honors
Sophie exclr: same as above with more honor societies, and without orchestra
Sophie out-of-school: AP chem, volunteeer</p>

<p>Junior summer: Pre-calc, volunteer
Junior schedule: music theory AP honors if I can convince my counselor that I'm qualified, AP language and composition, Calc AP-AB honors, honors physics, AP world history
Junior exclr: same as above, except hopefully varsity lacrosse instead of jv, and more honor societies
note: According to my school policy, this is the only year I can finally learn ahead and gain to the highest math level in my school
that was a horrible sentence
Junior outta school: a job</p>

<p>Senior summer: volunteer, camp counselor
Senior schedule:AP Lit & Comp, AP statistics, AP physics, American Gov. AP, French AP, Advanced Calc AP-BC
Junior exclr: Same as above
note: yay I'm a senior
Summer after: CHILL BECAUSE THIS IS A SUMMER WHERE NOBODY IS CALCULATING HOW MUCH WORK YOU DO</p>

<p>And please don't state 'it's too much work' as a reason to anything. I have a really heavy motivation, and honestly, my social life is pretty bad after I sort of became involved academic work. A lot of my old friends don't welcome me, but there's nothing wrong with that, as they have alcohol, weed and hookahs at there parties. But the 'smart' ones don't exactly welcome me either, as my seventh grade rep basically labels me as a bimbo, future druggie. I'm really hoping I can 'reinvent' myself in high school.
Anyway, as I was saying, I can take on any stress. I am currently studying Microeconomics, Italian, and Psychology by myself, and greet any new work happily. Yeah, the workload of high school might be a slap in the face to me, but bring it ooooooon.</p>

<p>Anyway, so what do you guys think? Do I have any chance at all of getting into a top school? My dream is PPE at Oxford Uni (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics). Should I not take a class or take another class? I get that my schedule looks pretty good, but keep in mind that my future high school is super competitive, and most students have schedules that look like mine, so I really need something that sets me apart from others.
And most importantly, am I setting myself up for depression? I was talking to one of my hs friends, and she says that I am over-expecting things of myself, even though she does basically the same exclrs and sports and classes as me.
And do you guys have any advice on running for student council? And how do you persuade a counselor to let me skip courses?
And a little off-topic; I kind of want to join the air force after I receive a B.A. and a law school degree, but one of my teachers who was formerly in the marines says that he regrets wasting four years of his life there. Thoughts?</p>

<p>I welcome those who are brutally honest! Thanks so much guys, you are literally helping my life. </p>

2

<p>Slow down. (Grab the wall. Anyone? No?.. :frowning: )</p>

<p>Anyways, you’re overthinking stuff a little more than you need to. Schedule and ECs are fine. Chill. </p>

<p>Good grades + Sleep + Some Achievements (I.e. More sleep) = Successful HS Life</p>

3

<p>Thanks :slight_smile: But there’s nothing really wrong with overthinking… I mean, this is my future, isn’t it? And yeah, I know haha, I’m a little more obsessed than most, but I’ve got to do anything to get a head start before everyone. @digitalkin</p>

4

<p>It sounds like you’ll be fine, for the most part. Is there any way you could get into the advanced math track (by taking two math classes in one year or something like that) so you could take calculus by senior year?</p>

5

<p>The school created a policy JUST THIS YEAR, unfortunately, barring students from doubling up on subjects, and the budget didn’t pass, so there isn’t a summer course. :frowning: Oh, and I am taking Calc senior year :slight_smile: @halcyonheather</p>

6

<p>It looks fine. But neglecting one’s social life doesn’t sound like a good idea; social skills are crucial for success in the real world…</p>

7

<p>Kudos to you for planning out your life and taking charge of it - your schedule looks good, just remember to be flexible. I don’t know about your school, but at my school (fairly small), no one gets all of their first choice classes because only 1 section of each class is offered and scheduling is tight. You can always self-study though.</p>

<p>Also, what do you mean by “convince my counselor I’m qualified”? Are those classes invite-only (not just a GPA-requirement?). Anyways, your counselor can’t stop you from taking the actual AP test- if you can’t get into the class but want the AP, then by all means self-study and sign up for the test.</p>

8

<p>You seem to have great intentions + a good head on your shoulders, and I completely understand where you are coming from with this hyper organization. Don’t lose it. I still keep a running and evolving doc of plans and goals that go all the way to the end of my life.</p>

<p>Big Issues:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>That said, you have to stop and smell the roses a bit. Life is about having fun and enjoying each day, not working nonstop. Do what you love and use your planning to enable a good life, not consume it.</p></li>
<li><p>Be flexible in planning. You should realize that plans should always have room for adaptation. As you grow as a person, so will your focus, interests, friends, and sometimes even priorities. I can guarantee you will make a big directional change from this, and I would be very sad if you didn’t. People change, and it’s a good thing. Imagine a world where everyone stayed the same as they were in 8th grade. It would be horrible.</p></li>
<li><p>Social scenes change a lot as kids mature. Some people begin to get priorities straight, and you develop a lot better relationships as you get towards senior year. Build in some time in your schedule to be social, even if you can’t picture it now.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Basically, don’t work yourself to death. I assume you are doing all of this planning because you have grown up in a world with no guarantees, and want the best chances possible. But for what? Life is about being happy and enjoying every minute, so enjoy high school. Keep planning, but know things will change, and work them into your plans as they do.</p>

<p>Finally two pieces of advice:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>When you find something you love, hone in on it. Life will be much better if you enjoy your work, and once you find a top option, focusing more energy there is better than spreading yourself everywhere. Specialization is also the direction the world is moving, and what colleges like to see now more and more. These days the “well rounded student” is a dime a dozen.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t get set on a single school. When it comes time to research colleges, spend a good deal of time with your match schools. With your current SAT and based on the original post, you should have great match options, even safeties. On my list, I would have been okay attending every single school on my list. If you can’t see yourself honestly attending if you had do, don’t apply and find a better option.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>A few small detail questions:

  1. Why learn CS so early but then want to major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics? Just curious for the explanation.
  2. Do you really want to do all that AP self studying? Colleges at a certain point don’t care about how many AP’s you have taken, and most top schools won’t take credit for them, so are they for personal reasons? If not, I would advise against doing those.</p>

<p>My Experience: I didn’t plan as early, but I got into this stuff mid sophomore year. It was plenty of time. I planned it all out and left room for change. I enjoyed high school overall a lot. I learned and had fun, and the best years of my life are yet to come. I didn’t obsess over grades or work all out for an extended period of time, and I will be attending a Top 50 school next fall with my best friend. I have found multiple passions in Computer Science (major), Philosophy (minor and life end game), and music (lifelong enjoyment only). I watched plenty of movies and tv, read some good books and made sure to be relaxed enough. Everything is great for me, and I am confident in how I got where I am now working for others.</p>

<p>ONCE AGAIN THE BIG MESSAGE HERE: Planning is nice and all, but enjoy life. There is much more to life. You’re young, you haven’t even experienced love yet. You are probably not yet sure what your passions are, and when you find a true passion it can change everything.</p>

<p>PS: If you have any questions, please ask away. I relate to this post a lot, and I will keep checking back so long as its running. My main concern here is that you’re too worried about work and doing it all, and just because you COULD do it doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Anything personal, messages are fine as well.</p>

<p>Good luck, stay open minded and flexible. You seem smart and aware and you will do great.</p>

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<p>Yeah, there’s no point in self-studying AP tests unless you want college credit for something your school doesn’t offer. If your school offers some AP class, colleges would prefer that you take the test and the class rather than just the test. If your school doesn’t offer some AP class, you’re not expected to take it and you’d be better off working on your ECs. </p>

<p>Understand that your plans are probably going to change a lot. You’ll change a lot, and you’ll do even better things than you imagine you will. </p>

10

<p>

I was thinking about this again and I wanted to clarify my earlier comment because I just read the OP again and saw that she wants to apply to Oxford. Colleges outside the United States are usually less holistic, and a lot of them require American applicants to have a certain number of high AP test scores. It’s still probably better to take them as classes first, though. </p>

<p>

Try to find friends who will support your academic goals. I don’t think having a social life has to take a lot of time away from studying…I mean, I have a friend I study with all the time. I’m less inclined to procrastinate when someone is with me. </p>

<p>

At some point (the sooner the better) you need to run net price calculators on college websites and talk to your parents about how you’re going to pay for college. This is one of the most important parts of the college application process. If you’re a US citizen, going to top university in Europe could cost a lot more than going to a top university in the US.
As I said before, the admissions process at Oxford is going to be different from the admissions processes at American universities, and most people on this website are concerned with American universities.</p>

<p>

They probably won’t let you skip stuff outright…they might want you to substantiate your knowledge somehow. I’ve tested out of several courses by taking the final exam without taking the class, but not all schools allow this.</p>

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<p>To reinforce the underlying message of all of the above responses: congrats on having a plan, but pace yourself, allow room for change, and make sure that at least some of your high school experience is about this time in your life- not just a step to the next stage. You only get to be a teenager once :-)</p>

<p>Specifically for Oxford, just a few notes: </p>

<p>1) the most popular course for US students to apply to is PPE. Not sure why- b/c it’s the one most people have heard of? b/c it is the closest to the US in that you study more than one subject? Whatever the reason, if you are serious about Oxford, you might consider some other courses- for example, CS + Philosophy- that might be interesting to you. It is very important to read the course pages- you will learn a lot. You don’t have to decide now (see above!), but it leads to:</p>

<p>2) the key to Oxford is that they want people who have a serious interest in their subject. If you do end up applying you will write an essay (called a Personal Statement, or PS) that outlines why you are a good candidate for that course. You demonstrate that through the outside reading (they really like that) and activities you have done in your subject area, and by the maturity of thought about why you want to do it. </p>

<p>3) the admissions process is a series of hoops: standardized testing (SATs & APs) + letter of rec + PS + subject specific exams = interview. ECs factor in <em>only</em> as they relate to your subject area (with a line or 2 about other passions, such as music in your case). GPA is not a factor. The interview is make or break.</p>

<p>So, if you are thinking of applying for Oxford AND top US unis you will see that they run nearly opposite- one wants a well-rounded superstar, the other wants a specialist superstar. Some people succeed in getting in to both, but plenty of people get into one and rejected from the other. </p>

<p>The main reason for making these points is that you are looking at doing a lot of APs, and planning APs is actually useful if you are thinking of applying to Oxbridge. For Oxford you need a minimum of 3 APs that are <em>relevant</em> to the subject you are applying to study (though most people end up applying with more than 3). </p>

<p>So, if you are staying with PPE you might think that US Gov, Micro and Macro = 3 relevant APs, but in fact they would only add up to 1 1/2 APs, b/c it turns out that there are 2 tiers of APs: <a href=“http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/explore-your-options/entry-requirements/tariff-tables/app”>http://www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/explore-your-options/entry-requirements/tariff-tables/app&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

<p>“Relevant” can be a bit tricky - there is no Philosophy AP, for example, and if you have read the course pages you will see that they don’t expect applicants to have done any philosophy at all (but they do want PPEists to have done basic calculus). Try and think in terms of the type of work as much as the content. So, for philosophy, courses that require a lot of reading, language analysis and writing (such as English Lit or any of the histories) will be relevant.</p>

<p>There is much more to be said on Oxford, but that is really enough for the time being: go take on secondary school. Allow yourself room to grow, to play, to experiment with intellectual interests. Allow your classmates to grow as you have done- and will continue to do over the next few years. You may find that you have more friends, and a happier balance between social life and academic life than you imagined.</p>

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<p>“If you’re a US citizen, going to top university in Europe could cost a lot more than going to a top university in the US.”</p>

<p>halcyonheather is dead right to be talking to your parents about college funding now, no matter what your plans are!</p>

<p>Just to say that costs can be higher in the EU- or lower. The total cost (including transport) for my D @ Oxford is going to be about 40% less than for my D in the US (who is, admittedly, in a v pricey US college). </p>

<p>There are many variables, and it is important to be clear up front. Also, if you are planning on graduate school ask about that <em>now</em> if you all haven’t already talked about it. I know people who chose flagship state universities > ivies b/c the college $ would cover both undergrad and grad school that way, so they could graduate without debt. </p>

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<p>I think you should work hard in high school but have some fun too. In some ways, your post read like someone the week after New Year’s who decided he/she is overweight and was going to attempt a ridiculous, unrealistic diet. I would say sure and steady wins the race.</p>

<p>I agree with the other posters to be flexible. If you end up loving the computer science you have in your plan, that may totally change your college and life goals, as one example.</p>

<p>If you didn’t work too hard in middle school, you probably need to read more, especially during the summer when you are not overbooked. I went to college in England, and especially if that remains your goal, then you need to learn to read well and deeply. Start with basic classics like To Kill a Mocking Bird or modern good literature like The Kite Runner. Keep a small journal with what books you’ve read and a very few notes about each one. This is a process. Not a box to check off.</p>

<p>Agree with collegemom3717 about talking about college costs now with your parents. </p>

<p>If you do not end up going to Oxford, or the Ivies/Stanford, ALL IS NOT LOST. There are many other great colleges out there, and your hard work and drive will help you get merit scholarships and opportunities that are hard to see at this point in your life. But try to have a little fun too…</p>

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<p>@candypants16 thanks for replying! Yeah, I get that a lot. My social skills are fine, I just don’t like my former friends, the ones that have no life goals other than to get married and do weed with their kids. But thanks for your concern :)</p>

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<p>@schwann thanks for replying! Anyway, my school is huge, with about 2000 students. Yeah, my electives aren’t set in stone. The classes I was talking about convincing my counselor, have stepping stones up to them. For example, AP CS has C++ and Java perquisites, and since I’m taking those to as a summer course, I don’t have ‘official credit’, so I need to convince my counselor that I would be wasting time if I just started from C++ again. As for AP Music Theory, there is a basic Music Theory course perquisite, but I have personally been studying that from second grade and have various certificates, albeit not ‘school-official’. So I’m not 100% sure if my counselor will let me take the AP or not. I know that I could self-study, but than if I self study EVERYTHING, I have nothing to put on my schedule. Thanks again! :)</p>

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<p>@PengsPhils Wow, thanks for that long reply! Anyway, first off, I understand that I should enjoy life. But I have this weird thing that I ALWAYS feel like I’m wasting/losing time, so unless I’m accomplishing or working on something, I feel wasteful. Basically, my natural high is succeeding, as my health teacher puts it.
To your number two Big Issues, yes, my schedule isn’t set in stone, but I like planning. I like to think about the future.
To your number 3 Big Issue, I really do hope these kids mature. I can’t say that I myself am fully competent in the ‘adult language’, but I sure do feel a lot better than most of these monkeys in my grade. As examples; A girl in my grade, J, who is supposedly my friend, said “Sometimes I lay awake at night and thank God that I’m not a loser Indian.” K, another girl in my grade, when asked about her life goals, said “I wanna smoke weed with my kids.” Wow. These people are the future.
To your overall paragraph under Big Issues, I guess that I just want to reach a point in my life where I can look back and be satisfied.
Thank you for your two pieces of advice! I will reread them throughout the school years.
To your question number one; CS is sort of a personal thing to me. I don’t particularly love it or obsess about it, but first of all my dad, who I care very much about, does this for a living, and I would very much like to understand it more. Secondly, I want to be fluent in such a futuristic language. CS is a study hat I personally think is very important in a future of robots and such.
To question number two; The self studying is mostly for me. First of all, I think that a AP score is a verification of my efforts, and I need that. Also, I feel like you can never have to much knowledge. Life is for learning and the learning should never stop.
Congratulations on your college choice! Good look :slight_smile:
Yeah, I get that just because I could doesn’t mean I should, but isn’t that wasted opportunity? I am fortunate enough to be born into a nice suburban community with great public education, so if I could enter fifty contests and receive AP’s, why not? I think that I ought to take advantage of my good fortune. Thanks for your thoughts, though:)
About that ‘love’ thing… yeah, I guess I really haven’t. During my promiscuous stage in seventh grade, I had three boyfriends, and I can honestly tell you that that was something I regret. I really can’t wait until the boys mature…but right now, with my plan, I’d like to stay single until I’ve received all my education and have a stable job.
Again, thank you for your time! :)</p>

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<p>Yeah, I definitely would not get too much into self-studying; although as halcyonheather said, there are AP requirements for international students. Just browsing the Oxford reqs page, it looks like you need about a 2100 on the SAT/32 on the ACT as well as 3 700+ SAT subject tests or three 5’s for APs. Because you already have so many other APs planned, you could probably get away with not taking the CS or Music Theory. Or you could always take subject tests- what I would do at this point is decide what route you want to take; I personally would work on your ECs and raising your SAT score. </p>

<p>From freshman to junior year (if I counted correctly) you have 6 APs scheduled. THey’re spaced out pretty well, so you have a good chance to study hard and get 3 5’s. For that reason, I wouldn’t add any other self-studying ones. They would just drain time. (Even if you convince your GC to let you take them, they might still be harder than usual; the prereqs are there for a reason.) </p>

18

<p>@halcyonheather thanks for checking out this post again! Yeah, the AP thing is sort of a self-verification thing for me. I need proof for myself that I have succeeded in a subject. As for the thing with friends; I can honestly say that I am not a people person. I tried to create a study group once, and it worked out great for two minutes, until one of the girls decided that talking about a boy was more important than her failing grades. As for the price of college… yes, Oxford has a hefty price tag for an American. I guess Oxford is sort of a long shot, but if I am lucky in the next for years, and get enough recognition to qualify for some scholarships, then that will help. My family isn’t much of a support. My dad is, but my mom likes to spend. In New York. Daily. Ah, you’re lucky your school lets you test without taking the course. From what I’ve heard about my high school, the scheduling is quite flexible, but I’m not sure. Thanks again! :)</p>

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<p>@collegemom3717 Thanks for having so much feedback!
Thanks for the suggestion on CS + Philosophy, but I am mainly interested in PPE for economics and politics. Philosophy is just a self-interest.
Wow, thanks for such a great break-down of the admission process!
I didn’t know that the AP’s would only add up to 1 1/2! Well, My European history and American History should help.
Yeah, Oxford is really expensive. I’m just not attracted to Princeton or Harvard for some reason. I don’t know why. Well, I guess I have to first get myself qualified before I can be picky about them.
Thanks again! :)</p>

20

<p>@Picapole Thanks for posting! Yeah, I guess I’m a bit over-excited :slight_smile:
Oh, my reading is fine… I am a fanatic reader. I’ve always read about three books or so a week.
Yeah, the thing with the Ivies… I better get qualified before I can be choose-y about them.
Thanks again for your time! :)</p>