What do I need to do to get into the Ivies?

<p>First off...don't shun me because I'm young!
I really want to know! </p>

<p>I'm going to be a freshman next year, and I want to get into an Ivy League College. What should I do during high school to help me get into one? Or at least give me a chance to get into one. Advice would be much appreciated. =)</p>

<p>(I want to be a doctor)</p>

<p>Thanks...I hope..if you respond that is.</p>

<p>i can't wait to hear the responses to this one.......</p>

<p>Get good grades.</p>

<p>How do you know you want to be a doctor already? Isn't it a bit early to have your future planned out?</p>

<p>You've made a good start by trying to find out this information at your age. Good for you.</p>

<p>I'm a parent with one kid in college and one almost ready to apply. Here are a few ideas:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Make sure your parents know about your interest in top colleges. It's important for them to know for a lot of reasons, including reasons that have to do with money. If they went to top colleges, they probably know a lot of things that will be useful to you. If they didn't, then you and your parents can learn together, and it's good that you will have plenty of time to do this.</p></li>
<li><p>Sometime during your freshman year, make an appointment with your guidance counselor. Talk with the counselor about your interest in top colleges. See what the counselor says. Some counselors are full of good suggestions. Others aren't.</p></li>
<li><p>Make sure you're taking rigorous courses in high school. At your age, this usually means taking the honors version of a course rather than the "regular" version, when an honors version is available. Later on, you will want to take some advanced courses, such as AP (Advanced Placement) or IB (International Baccalaureate) courses. If your schedule for your freshman year doesn't include rigorous courses, see if you can get it changed (talk to your current middle school guidance counselor).</p></li>
<li><p>Do your best to get good grades. Do all of your homework. Every night. Study -- and not just the night before the test. If you're struggling with a subject, don't just expect the problem to go away on its own. Ask the teacher for help. If that doesn't work, talk with your parents or guidance counselor about getting tutoring. Even the very best students struggle sometimes with a particular subject or a particular concept. The smart ones get help to get them past the problem.</p></li>
<li><p>Get involved in something. Anything. It could be a sport, a school club, volunteer work, dance, theater, whatever. Make sure you like it. Then, get REALLY involved. For example, if it's playing the trumpet, don't just join the school band. Take lessons. See if there's a community orchestra you can join. Volunteer to be section leader in the marching band. Try out for the all-county or all-state honors band. Maybe try a second instrument. Maybe volunteer to help out at a music camp for younger kids. Etc. Having a sustained serious interest in something outside of your schoolwork is important for admission to really selective colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>In addition to #5, try a few other school or outside activities. Explore a bit. You might find something you like, and you might meet some interesting people.</p></li>
<li><p>Don't just sit around the house during the summer. Do something. Volunteer. Take a course. Sign up for a camp. When you're a bit older, maybe get a job or take a college course. </p></li>
<li><p>This one is very specific, but I mention it because a lot of people mess it up. In addition to the SAT or ACT tests, which practically everybody takes, there is another set of tests called SAT Subject Tests (they used to be called SAT II tests), which are taken only by students who apply to really selective colleges. You and your parents should find out what these tests are, figure out which ones you might want to take, and figure out when you should take them. It might be a good idea to take some of these tests as soon as the end of your sophomore year (in a few cases, even freshman year, if you're taking very advanced social studies or science courses), so don't let this wait too long.</p></li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li><p>You're planning your life out too early. When I was 13/14, I never even thought about college, that comes as you start to become a sophomore. </p></li>
<li><p>You're still in jr. high, so just go with the flow. Don't get too worried about it yet. Just be a kid, you don't gotta start worrying about it till sophomore yr.</p></li>
<li><p>There are plenty of good schools besides for your "precious" Ivy-leaguers, so don't set your sights too high is all I'm saying.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>as an ivy leaguer i would say do what u like and see where u go. Oh yeh saying that i'm an ivy leaguer doesn't carry any weight btw or at least it isn't supposed to.</p>

<p>I have to partly disagree with bearsfolife here.</p>

<p>bearsfolife is correct that you don't really need to start worrying yet. But it isn't too early to start thinking and planning.</p>

<p>If you look around this Web site, you will see threads started by people who didn't think and plan until they were much older than you are and who made mistakes that they were sorry about later. </p>

<p>For example, some people don't work hard at their schoolwork during their freshman year in high school, and then they discover later that they should have. You're ahead of the game. You already know that you should be serious about school from the very beginning of high school.</p>

<p>Some people sign up for the easiest possible courses in high school, instead of taking the rigorous courses that look good to college admissions officers. You're ahead of the game. You already know that taking rigorous courses is important.</p>

<p>Some people don't have any extracurricular activities in high school because they didn't know that they needed any. You're ahead of the game. You already know that you should be doing something besides schoolwork.</p>

<p>You don't have to plan the details of your life now, but it isn't too soon to start yourself moving in the right direction.</p>

<p>Well I think you start to plan too early, u make a lot of changes and change your opinion on stuff. </p>

<p>When I was in jr. high, I wanted to get into Geography, but I figured out last yr. in my junior yr, that's it's not a needed/high paying profession.</p>

<p>Just things like that, that make you think that oh yea maybe you think you know what u wanna do, but U CAN EASILY CHANGE YOUR MIND.</p>

<p>I disagree with you about extra-curriculars.</p>

<p>UNNECESSARY UNLESS YOU WANNA GO TO ONE OF THE TOP 10-20 SCHOOLS IN THE NATION.</p>

<p>I BARELY DID ANY, AND I STILL GOT INTO THE UNIV. OF ILLINOIS</p>

<p>The original poster was specifically talking about the Ivies, which ARE among the top 20 universities in the nation.</p>

<p>But yes, you can get into some fine schools, including many well-known state universities, without them.</p>

<p>well yes, I understand. But I think this kid, who's only 13/14 yrs. old is setting his sights a little too high. </p>

<p>We all had crazy thoughts when we were in Jr. High. He thinks he can go to Harvard, but maybe things will change. </p>

<p>He's just becoming a teenager, he don't know what he wants yet. He thinks he does, but he doesn't know.</p>

<p>I feel like there's a tendancy to think about extra-curriculars in the wrong way. You should persue your interests to the best of your ability but don't do extra JUST to get into school. Also, why are you specifically asking about the ivys? You should keep your mind open as there are lots of amazing schools that aren't part of the 'ivy' league. </p>

<p>I'm not going to "shun" you because you are young, but I am going to say that I think you're too young to be thinking about this. Enjoy the years ahead and begin thinking about colleges at the start of your Junior year. Many people say, fervently, "but it's never too young!" I think that's wrong. There's more to high school than a segway to college. There are some great years ahead of you, enjoy them without the stress of college over your head.</p>

<p>yes, i couldn't have said it better myself. He needs to just be a kid, worry about that stuff probably during or after his sophomore year. </p>

<p>I really don't like kids who try to plan out their future when they are 12 or something. They don't know what the hell they wanna do or be. They think they do, but they're naive, they're young. </p>

<p>Stay young as long as you can.</p>

<p>Waaaayyyy To Early To Think About That Kinda Thing!!!! Enjoy Being Young</p>

<p>That was...wow...a lot of replies.<br>
Everyone, just relax.
One, I'm not obsessed with this, I don't HAVE to go to an Ivy, I don't know for a fact I will be a doctor-it was just an idea.
Two, I am enjoying being young thank you.
Three, OMG I GET THE POINT! Don't plan your future too young. But I'm not planning out my whole entire future, just trying to figure out what I MAY want to CONSIDER for next year in case I want to go to one of those colleges.<br>
But thank you for the responses and for reminding me to "stay young". Where I live, counselors come into classes multiple times during each month and get us planning our careers (including the kind of college we will attend and for how many years) in 6th grade. Again, thanks for the reminder. </p>

<p>Oh yeah, whoever went on about how how I think I can go to Harvard but I can't or something:
I'm not a "he".</p>

<p>i apologize, you are a she. Sorry.</p>

<p>You know, jus don't listen to those frikin counselors. You're worried about it. Don't be. You still got a couple yrs. until you have to really think about it. </p>

<p>At least you are concerned, that's good, but don't put much thought into it now.</p>

<p>A few yrs. ago when I was 14/15, I never really thought about college. All I knew was that I just needed to get good grades, thats all I concentrated on.</p>

<p>And to the parent guy,
Thank you for putting a parent's perspective into it.
I think my parents are aware of me wanting to go to a good college since they're the ones who got me thinking about it in the first place. And yes, my parents and I are aware of the tests.
Yeah, I'm in all the intensified classes-although I'm not too excited about those. I'm also in Pre-IB, which is gonna a ****load of work as well. Uh...study every night??<br>
About getting involved- I'm in JV and I already participate in a few other sports, and plan to continue with similar clubs that I have been involved in this year, I volunteer at some orginizations, and I also do a lot of other crud I don't think I'm going to bother listing.<br>
I already work during summers and volunteer, but don't worry people- I have fun doing normal summer things as well. Plenty of it too.</p>

<p>Are you going to go on to do the full IB? I've just finished and I definately recommend it.</p>

<p>Yes I plan to. All I hear about it is how incredibly HARD it is...at least you hear about fun in the other programs.
Once I visited the school, and all the IB kids were busy in the library an hour before school started...it was weird. </p>

<p>I can't curse on CC. That was funny. **** **** **** ****.</p>

<p>I'm the parent (and I'm not a guy, either, not that it matters).</p>

<p>It sounds like you actually can relax since you have knowledgeable people advising you. </p>

<p>I wrote what I wrote because I thought you might not have well-informed parents or good guidance counselors to rely on. Not everybody does. Some kids do unfortunate things early in high school (like not taking any honors courses) becuase they don't have anybody to tell them that they should do anything different. Some people's parents didn't go to college and don't know anything about it. Some guidance counselors have 500 kids to counsel and spend most of their time on the ones who are in serious trouble. So some kids don't have any idea what to do. Luckily, you are not one of them. </p>

<p>And pre-IB is indeed a ****load of work. I have a daughter in IB, so I know. It's a good program, but you will have to work hard.</p>