Too late?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hello all. I am totally unfamiliar with the college admissions process, so excuse me if I say anything naive or ridiculous.</p>

<p>I finished my sophomore year of high school during the 2005-2006 school year. In my freshman and sophomore years, I took all the honors classes I could, getting mostly Bs. My best subject was French, where I got an A all four semesters. These less than stellar grades are not due to a lack of intelligence but to a lack of work. I don't want to brag, but I am capable of getting an A in any high school class.</p>

<p>I am spending this year studying in a French high school on an exchange program. Recently, I made a decision regarding my career, which has made me clearly see the importance of getting into a "good" college. I want to become a professor in a scientific field, which would require a PhD, which would in turn require a solid base of undergraduate work.</p>

<p>If I take the most challenging curriculum available to me for the next two years (basically either all AP classes or the IB program) and do extremely well, do I have a chance of getting into an excellent college? I'm not thinking about the Ivy League, as I'm sure my chances at an ultra-competitive school are already ruined. I simply want to get into the best school I can. What are, in your opinions, reasonable goals?</p>

2

<p>If you do well on your SATs, you should have a good range of colleges to choose from. Junior year is emphasized more than sophomore year, and freshman year is disregarded altogether by some colleges. Best of luck!</p>

3

<p>By the way, I should mention that I currently have little or nothing in the way of extracurricular activities... will that hurt me a lot, enormously, or is it surmountable in my two final years of high school?</p>

4

<p>It's never too late. There are many good second and third tier colleges. You can also start at a local school and transfer later. Many state schools are also feeder schools to Masters and PhD programs. Work hard from here on out.</p>