My name is Nathan Koenig and I’m currently a sophomore in high school. I’ve got a 3.8 GPA currently (4.0 scale) and I’m taking all the AP classes possible next year (only honors course offered this year; I enrolled in all of them) to get it up. Right now all I’ve done extra curricular wise so far is Science Olympiad and Key Club (volunteering) however I’m going to try to find an exciting volunteering position this summer in order to put myself apart from the others. I also have a business idea that I intend on starting for my new company this summer (again, to send the same message). My 9th grade new PSAT score was a 1000, I know, low. I just took another one (10th grade) and I’ll let you know when I get the score. I’m also getting tutoring and I’m going to practice a bunch this summer to get a very high GPA, I’m hoping for a 1450-1500. Anyway, thanks for answering my questions and enjoy your day 
Hi Nathan,
I have a few thoughts for you.
First, you are doing a great job in high school. That is a solid PSAT score, and you have a very good GPA. I also like that you are aiming high and challenging yourself. That is great.
Second, it is too early to tell much about your chances for the Ivy League. Also,Harvard Business School is not for undergraduates. The Ivy’s that offer business undergrad programs are the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell.
Third, I would be careful with the APs. Don’t just take as many as possible. I would not take more than 5 at once. Consider picking key APs and then adding a PE class and a study hall to reduce the pressure. Start with APs like English, Math, Science & foreign language. If you are interested in business add in AP Econ.
Fourth, for top schools, it is usually more helpful to put time and effort into being really impressive at one extracurricular than to pursue many of them. Hopefully, one that you like the most, and are good at.
Fifth, it is a good time to begin to think about colleges. I would schedule a meeting with your Guidance Counsellor. S/he can help you begin to identify colleges that may be a fit for your interests and discuss which colleges that students similar to you have been able to get into. Ideally, it is also helpful to begin to involve your parents into that discussion because it is good for them to know what your interests are, and the cost of different college can be a lot different.
Good luck!
Thankyou so much for the helpful feedback! I will talk to my parents about meeting with my couselor and looking at colleges. Lastly, thanks for the heads-up on Harvard Business School not accepting undergrads
You’re a sophomore?
Get off this site and don’t let it suck you in. Stay on top of school, then come back during the end of your junior year to get advice. A lot can change (for better or worse) from now until the end of 11th grade.
Study for the SAT and keep your grades up. Make sure your class load is the toughest your school has to offer. Go out and make those ideas happen, but don’t lose sight of your academics. If you get around 1000 on the actual SAT, you’d probably need a Nobel prize to get into Harvard.
I’d advise against taking every AP possible just for the GPA boost. You’re gonna underestimate the amount of work each AP takes and at some point taking 6 AP’s and getting B’s in most of them is worse than taking 3 and getting A’s in all of them.
Also, you should focus now on picking one or two extra-curriculars that you can really excel at and spend time pursuing them instead of picking up volunteering positions or hours in fields that aren’t related to your intended major. For instance, someone who wants to major in early childhood education would volunteer in a children’s organization rather than racking up hours picking up trash at the beach. Both are volunteering and both give you community service hours, but one is more applicable and demonstrates interest, which is what top schools want to see.
@NathanKoenig As mentioned above HBS does not have an undergraduate business program. Amongst the ivies only Penn and Cornell have undergraduate business programs.
Penn has the best undergraduate business program in the country, Wharton.
Thankyou for all the comments, I would be lost without them!