<ol>
<li>learn both french and spanish 2. read more of the classics. 3. NOT take accounting. 4. date more. 5. research colleges more.</li>
</ol>
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ECs. Partially due to the fact that 90% of extra curricular activities offered at my school are buisness or “art clubs” that would bore me, partly my own decision that clubs were a waste of time, I only joined one club freshman year (and that ended up as a prime example of a club for slackers due to the nature of the president). As a senior who has finally started joining more clubs although way too late for it to impact my apps, I’d love to smack my former self and demand that I’d at least join a different initial club.
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Get a social life. Due to a grade skip in middle school (and the honors courses that kept me away from what kids I did know), I had very little social life arguably up until the last 9 weeks last year (and not due to any extracurriculars or studys). I had opportunities to become more social, but I ignored all of them again thinking such chances were wastes of time. Heck, if it weren’t for my social life I would have never found clubs that interested me.
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Choose a different middle school. I got two middle schools to choose between as I ended elementary school; one of which I had not heard a ton about and one of which I took 6th grade science at. I choose the later of the two. Fast foward through those years and it seems like the students who went to the other middle school were much more high school ready than my “never taught grammar or how to write an essay thanks to poor curriculum” self. The school was so bad that my GT coordinator reccomended that my brother and sister should go to the other middle school instead if the school was still open. This is STILL causing about most of my problems with college stuff; my relativly low English and History grades for the first two years of school (if a B is considered low) brought down my grade substantially, I’ve still never had a strong enough grammar base to truely excell at that section of the SAT (though the ACT’s varient gives me no troubles), and the grade skip forced me to take Algebra I and Geometry at the same time freshman year, putting me behind in elective credits and ultimatly limiting the number of APs I could feasibly fit in my schedule. But hey, hindsight is always 20/20.
I wish I would have joined clubs freshman year. At the time, I said to myself “I’ll just join some next year.” But then I didn’t want to because I thought I would be the only non-freshman joining. And then junior year, my friends in clubs were already holding officer positions. So I really figured it was too late then, even though it wasn’t. The best advice would be to join clubs freshman year, but if not, join them ASAP.
I wish I was more studious in school and did not get distracted by other things like manga, TV shows and boys. I know that I could’ve done much MUCH better if I had only put my heart and soul into studying.
I wish I had begun volunteering since 9th grade at a nearby soup kitchen which I discovered was actually a fun place to volunteer so that I wouldn’t have to cram all my hours into these few months before college apps are due.
I wish I had studied much harder for the SAT so that I could get a significantly higher score and feel more secure about getting into colleges that have average SATs higher than what I got.
I wish I had gotten involved with more clubs rather than just sticking to two clubs and doing a bunch of honor societies.
I wish my ECs were more diversified - I really wish I had joined the English Honor Society because I’m not that great in English but I’m still passably good enough for EHS. Instead I did Math Honor Society and Science Honor Society… BAAAAD idea because it doesn’t show that I’m a well-rounded student.
I wish I had challenged myself to take Architectural classes since 9th grade rather than settling with Art classes that didn’t require any brainpower and were just a waste of time in the long run.
I wish I knew what I wanted to be since I was in 9th grade and where I wanted to go for college so that I could’ve been more focused.
I wish I had read more books and enlarged my weak vocabulary.
I wish I was a better student in class and participated more so that I’d be sure that my teachers who are writing college recs will write really great ones about me.
I wish I had interacted with my counselor more so that her rec would reveal my good qualities more than it probably will do right now.
I wish I had exercised regularly starting from 9th grade so that I could have been healthier and fit and could have even joined a sports team.
I wish I had done something more substantial in between the summers of high school.
I wish I had gotten a job earlier on so that I can start raising money for grad school (assuming I get into this undergrad program that gives accepted students a free ride through undergrad).
There are lots of things I wish but there’s nothing I can do about it but to regret not making wiser decisions. On the bright side, I now know to be smart enough to plan for the future 
The same should be true for you, Person Who Has Read This Post This Far. Learning from your past mistakes is the way to go! ^.^
Go out for a sport. Even if you don’t think you’re the best. Usually the athletic standards aren’t as high for freshman, so you can make the team, gain a healthful hobby, and have a tight niche of friends.
I wish that I procrastinated less and got better grades throughout the years.
I wish I had volunteered as a freshman. Asides from the community service looking great on a college app, I get a lot of joy from it.
I wish I paid more attention in drivers ed, and drove more carefully.
I wish I spent less time on my social life. I am not the partying type, but I let having fun interfere with my school work.
I wish I met my current boyfriend as a junior. Dating him senior year is slightly painful, as we realize that our relationship has no future beyond graduation. (too different future goals)
<ul>
<li>Spend less time on CC</li>
<li>TALK TO THE TEACHERS. </li>
<li>Make connections, build your own network</li>
<li>Use Facebook</li>
<li>Don’t text a lot</li>
</ul>
I wish I would have tried harder, and searched for colleges and their requirements freshmen year. I wish I studied for SAT more than I did.
I wish I was more serious.
<ul>
<li>Don’t watch Bollywood films the night before TOEFL. </li>
<li>Have a strong back up school in your country.</li>
</ul>
I wish that i had realized that working really hard in high school would ultimately affect my standard of living as an adult.
I wish I had had follow through instead of quitting things when they got boring or hard.
I wish I had chosen to go to a big high school with lots of options instead of a tiny but well regarded one with very few choices for classes or ECs.
I would have requested to test out of my History/English classes well before this year. I’m taking college courses now and it’s much better.
If you think you can aim higher and do better, then I think it’s worth taking the chance (in anything, not just your schoolwork).
This is easy
9th grade
- Join Jazz Band
- Take Latin
- Take AH English
- Join FBLA
10th grade - Not take AH Chem
- Not take Spanish 2/3
11th grade - Not take AP Chem
- Take AP Psych instead
- Take US History II Honors in the beginning of the year (I dropped out of AP before it counted on my record)
As a result of my screw-ups.
<ul>
<li>As an alto saxophone player, I missed two years of band classes. In fact, this year, my junior, I have to take Symphonic Band (rather than Wind Ensemble) because of AP Chem and its double lab periods. If I took Jazz Band… damn my options would have been endless. I could have taken Jazz Ensemble AND Wind Ensemble this year…</li>
<li>Spanish is kicking my ass. The 88 in 2/3 (my only middle B besides AH Chem… getting to that next) ruined my chances for Spanish Honor Society. That teacher could not teach…</li>
<li>I don’t even want to go to the medical field after I realized that, when I grow up, I shouldn’t just be what my parents want me to be. Too bad I decided that last month, and now it’s too late to drop AP Chem. At least I can still push for an A- in that class… but sophomore AH Chem was TERRIBLE, I nearly had my first C…</li>
</ul>
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I would’ve tried to focus more on my social life and less on school work. Maybe I would’ve gone to a less challenging school where I could still do very well but with less effort.
I wish I didn’t sleep through the first semester of sophomore year.
I wish I did all my assigned reading in AP World–instead of blowing it all off and trying to patch everything up at the end of the semester.
I wish I kept up with my art skill. It’s kind of being wasted away now. All I did was take one art elective sophomore year. I’ll try to get back into it when I go to college. I’m sure it would’ve looked good for admissions too.
I also should have gone for stronger leadership positions and taken Spanish freshman year instead of listening to the BS that the counselors said to deter freshman from taking foreign language classes.
Also, I should have tried harder to get a job this past summer rather than just doing one application.
And lastly, I should have looked into summer research programs earlier on. By the time I found out about them, it was already too late.
rising junior…
-Don’t do science research unless you are really dedicated to it. I did it my freshman and sophomore year and realized that I didn’t have enough time to dedicate to it and ended up wasting a whole lot of time that could have been used better other places.
-Research stuff on your own. Don’t let your guidance counselor be your sole decision maker. I definitely would not have taken an ap that my top two schools don’t even accept. Again, lots of work for time wasted.
<ul>
<li>DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! You look at people who make calendars and schedules as nerds, but seriously, it helps! I started keeping a monthly calendar this year and its really saving my butt. My teachers often assign homework on monday thats due friday, or similar long term assignments, and i found myself starting it the day before. This especially hurts when I get home from track meets at 9 or 10 and then have to do my 3 hours of home work that i saved up. </li>
<li>Instead of being a social butterfly, get a group of maybe 6 or 7 core friends that are always available to hang out with, share similar hobbies/interests. I started off with many groups of friends and like 15 okay friends. Its easy to say that almost all of them didn’t really care whether I was with them or not, now its a lot better because i have my own group of 6 guys and 7 girls and we hang out, and yes sometimes drink together.</li>
<li>Don’t be afraid to experiment! I’m not saying become an alcoholic or a pot head or a sex addict/pregnant. But establish morals for yourself and follow them, and don’t judge people for drinking/smoking/having sex. I wouldn’t recommend doing drugs, but some kids that do really aren’t horrible kids.</li>
<li>Any clubs that you think could interest you at all, do. I did one club my freshman year and it was such a bad idea. Now i’m a member of three clubs, two of which I’m an officer in.</li>
<li>If possible, join a sport. My track friends are all really great together and there’s really no learning experience like a team sport. </li>
<li>And finally, make your summers count! Whether you go to camp, summer program at a college, get an internship, or get a job at a local store. Everyone I know wishes they made the most of their summers when they were freshman/sophomores. You would really be surprised at the amount of money I made working at my local pizza place. (got paid off the books =])</li>
</ul>
Good luck, Everyone’s advice is really good. But follow your gut!
I concur! Exactly what happened to me!
I wish I’d gone to private school. There was a major difference in quality between the education I received (public, 400 kids, 3 AP classes available, only education center within 40 miles) and the quality of education my kids received at their private school in the city.
-I wish that I had not slacked off as much. Senior year I have seen how well I can actually do in school, and it just stinks that I could not have done that throughout the rest of high school.
-I wish that I had done marching band freshmen year. Joining sophomore year was the best thing that ever happened to me, but I am sad that I missed out on the first year.
-I wish that I had dropped down in geometry. Made then I would not have had such a terrible grade on my transcript.
-I wish I had studied harder for the ACTs.
When I talk to kids that are freshmen, I always tell them the mistakes that I made and remind them that high school can be hard and really does require a lot of work. Somedays I wish that I could go back and fix my mistakes, but I can’t. Besides, senior year is awesome and I would have to leave it 
I wish I’d had more fun, partied a little harder, and developed some decent sleep habits. As a senior accepted to her #1, I plan on starting that now. I wish I’d started SAT prep earlier. I wish I’d read more; I wish I’d taken classes I was actually interested in; I wish I’d spent more time with people I enjoy.