What classes/activs should I do Jr/Sr year? Want to get into Ivy

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

<p>I'm definitely aiming for an Ivy League education. What would I need to get there?</p>

<p>I'm currently a sophomore.</p>

<p>Classes I took as a freshman:
Precal H
Bio H
English 1H
Chinese 3
Ancient Civ H
PhysEd
(All A's both semesters)</p>

<p>I also took the PSAT my freshman year and, unfortunately, got a 198. </p>

<p>Unfortunately I could not take any AP classes as a freshman. My high school also caps the amount of APs we can take as a sophomore, but fortunately they made an exception due to my accelerated math course. I also mentioned I would be take around four APs my junior year and requested to take Bio AP this year, and they agreed. I also started tennis this year.</p>

<p>Classes as a sophomore, current:
Calc BC AP
Bio AP
English 2H
World History AP
Chinese 4H
Tennis
(all A's, currently)</p>

<p>I'm thinking my junior year will look like this:
Stats AP
US History AP
Chinese AP
English 3H
Tennis</p>

<p>There's no science there because I'm still deciding if I should take Chem H or Chem AP. I didn't take chem before I took Bio AP and I bombed the Biochem chapter test.</p>

<p>Senior year:
Math = ? Probably drive to local community college, or skip.
Government AP
(Insert visual arts here, may be Studio Art AP)
English AP (lit?)
Tennis (maybe)
Physics H (no AP offered)</p>

<p>I'm wondering what you guys would recommend for my math situation. I'm also wondering if Studio Art AP is difficult...I have some drawing experience and I'm into digital art manipulation as well as photography. Furthermore, I'm curious if it would be in my best interest to continue my sport after taking playing for two years.</p>

<p>Extracurricular activities:
List is slightly sparse right now.
-Key Club board member - Technician. Maintain website, prepare general meeting Powerpoints. 200+ paid members club.
-Tzu-Shao - community service. We go to a nursing home once a month and give them cake to celebrate birthdays (there's a lot of them there, so there's bound to be someone who's birthday is during that month.) We also have beach cleanups.
-CSF. Not much to say, I just joined this year.
-Math Club - pretty much meet on Saturdays and practice for AMC. My Calc teacher is also the advisor and holds the Saturday sessions, and he also taught me when I was in 8th grade taking Alg 2H. (As I've said before, my math courses are accelerated by two years. My dad drove me to the high school for 0 period math when I was in 8th grade, and drove me back to my middle school after class was over.)
-Science Club.</p>

<p>Jobs:
Freelance graphic and logo design on the internet.
I may start tutoring senior year.</p>

<p>So my question is, what should I alter in my high school roadmap to maximize chances of acceptance at Ivy League schools? What times do you recommend me to take the SAT?</p>

2

<p>Please do not live your life just to get into an ivy, you’re more likely to get rejected that way as adcoms may think you are just trying to impress them without being passionate about your activities…</p>

<p>Your classes and GPA are adequate, pick an area you like and run with it…everything else will fall into place…</p>

3

<p>Well, I’m interested in graphic design and industrial design, but the areas seem to offer little vacancies. Information technology seems interesting, but like graphics, the field is already far too saturated.</p>

<p>I’m also extremely interested in entrepreneurship. I definitely consider Steve Jobs to be an inspirational figure… he had the vision and will to start and nurture a company entirely from scratch, and have the courage to continue what he loved to do after he was kicked out from his own company. If I decide to go this route I’ll most likely pursue an MBA or a similar business degree. I have a Chinese background and I’m taking it as a language in high school; given how markets in China are expanding at a rapid rate, it would be fair to say that there will be numerous opportunities there by the time I graduate from college.</p>

4

<p>I see you have the first step down, all you have to do is
2) put your junk in the box
3) make her open the box</p>

5

<p>Well said, Chipmoney, well said.</p>

6

<p>Do what you want to do. Don’t live your life the way you think some admissions board wants you to live it.</p>

<p>Also, I’m virtually slapping you in the face right now for thinking a 198 PSAT is bad. For the millionth time, people, the SAT itself is only a measure of how well you take tests, and the PSAT is graded strangely. I got a 222 PSAT without doing a thing except waking up the morning of the test. Friends who are smarter than I am who studied for hours and hours got in the 190’s, some lower.</p>

<p>Anyway. Do what you love. Get a job when you’re a junior or a senior. Most importantly, read a bunch of books.</p>

7

<p>This:

/thread</p>

8

<p>take the most rigorous courses your school offers but not more than you can handle. you still need to keep your gpa up.</p>

9

<p>Chill! Firstly, as I’m sure you’ll figure out after digging around CC for a bit, Ivies are a diverse set of schools bound only by their sports league. Sure, they all offer great educations, but in vastly different packages. No one on this site can tell you the best route to get into one of these schools, or any other for that matter. Take classes that interest you and challenge you. Luckily, you seem to be doing that so far.</p>

<p>My advice? Don’t skip math since that seems to be a huge part of your life. Find a challenging college course if you school has run out of options, and keep competing if that interests you. Take Studio Art, whether AP or not, if that interests you. Continue playing a sport if you like being part of a team, the health benefits…you don’t need to be exceptional to gain something from playing a sport (though I doubt playing JV or an unimpressive varsity would stand out to colleges). Do what you love. It seems like you’ve got a solid educational background and some good EC’s. Just run with what you’ve got, and don’t worry about arbitrary things like community service clubs or non-competitive science clubs unless you really enjoy them.</p>

10

<p>You are a tumbling dickweed.</p>

11

<p>How about ECs and classes that you’re genuinely interested in? Isn’t that a novel idea?</p>

12

<p>

This coming from you? ;)</p>

<p>Well, as others have said, you’re on a good track. Relax a little, don’t worry much and you’ll be fine. Just keep doing what you’re doing…I don’t see any problems.</p>

13

<p>Well, thanks for the, er, positive feedback.</p>

<p>I’m actually not that sure what I want to major in. But keep in mind that I don’t particularly ENJOY math, I just find it tolerable. I was simply recommended to skip two grades up when I was in sixth grade, and took Alg 1 that year, Geo in 7th, etc.</p>

<p>I know for sure I don’t enjoy bio, so a medical field is definitely not what I’m interested in. Since I’m into digital art and photography, should I consider Studio Art AP?</p>

<p>Thanks for the comments, guys, and I understand that one’s entire life does not revolve around what college they are accepted to or go to, but personally, I have come to the conclusion that having a first rate (and in this case, name brand) education would open doors. A lot of them. In no way am I saying if one goes to a more obscure school, they would automatically fail in life; I’m just saying that going to say, Harvard, instead of a community college would increase your chances for success.</p>

<p>Also, quick question - does the job that people are recommending have to be an actual job that requires physical presence, or can I continue doing freelance graphic design work? I’m making some considerable money from this (:</p>

14

<p>Oh, and also - what are some of the extracurricular that you guys do, if there are any sophomores/juniors here?</p>

15

<p>Dude… you’re CRAZY O_O
I can’t believe a school even offers those classes to freshmen/sophomore
at least mine doesn’t, lol.</p>

<p>I’m sure you’ll be fine, but don’t get your hopes to high to get into an ivy. you’ll get into a good school even if you don’t get it.</p>

<p>the thing is apparently ivies are looking for ppl with passion in a specific field, not the all-around student anymore. so yeah…</p>

<p>just do whatever you enjoy doing and try your best in it so you won’t have any regrets. :)</p>

<p>EDIT: Um, I’m a sophomore and the EC’s I do are:
FBLA, Interact, Newspaper, Science Olympiad this year, CSF, NHS and Swim
I’m just trying out different things and if they’re fun, i’ll stick with it</p>

16

<p>Haha, the classes aren’t offered… I was just allowed to continue my accelerated math course that I started in middle school, and I tested out of the first two years of Chinese due to my education on Sundays in local Chinese schools.</p>

17

<p>Bump. I took the SAT and PSAT cold and I think I OK.
My Jan SAT score was 2200, and my PSAT score was 207. Definitely could do better for both of them so I’ll probably study a bit on the writing and CR sections on both; next year, as a junior, the PSAT score will count.</p>

<p>Right now I’m considering summer programs. Taking the advice people here have given me, I’m trying to find stuff that I enjoy. There’s tons of math and science programs out there, but I’m not sure if they’re for me. I’ve recently taken up photography and purchased a D90 and the 16-85mm with the money I made from freelancing. </p>

<p>**Basically, what photography/graphic design/industrial design summer activities or competitions out there? Which ones will be the most challenging to get into? Hopefully, the summer program is in August since I’m fairly certain I’ll be out of the country in July. **</p>

<p>Thanks for any advice in advance.</p>

<p>I’d also like to say that I’m not that concerned with getting into an Ivy League school anymore. Some of the people here at CC have pretty amazing transcripts and resumes and my self confidence has taken quite a whittling; if people like that can’t get in, I’m certain I can’t as well.</p>