<p>I am aiming for a good university and have all my grades in the 'A' levels (except for Art which is a B, i will anyways drop that out next year). I have only a bit of time to get into high school so....</p>
<p>I do want to get into a good university, not that if i don't my life is ruined, but i want to try...
I thought CC will be a nice place to seek advice so:</p>
<p>I love CS and have taken one course by MIT on edX.</p>
<p>and yes, i have taken C++ course from NIIT (not online, in classroom(not school)) and recieved
a certificate...</p>
<p>I really love CS and want to go in that direction. I was just wondering, will i be able
to show universities my certificates from edX? </p>
<p>2nd... My EC's are really on the low side.</p>
<p>I have 1 instrument (orchestra instrument)(in school) and 1 sport (tennis). I also earned a Black Belt in Karate and then stopped from then on. Can someone please suggest what i should take to boost up my EC's?</p>
First of all, those classes really mean nothing. They are preparatory classes that are just for your personal interest or help. The AP physics would only help you better understand AP physics. You only get credit for AP classes by taking the actual ones in highschool. Think of these online courses as online tutoring centers with their individual specialized classes. The certificates literally mean nothing. Here’s a link: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/5/30/the-edX-student-international/?page=3
It’s good that you have all A’s so far; it really shows that you want to be educated and that you try. However, junior high grades are not counted or even noticed. Don’t worry about the Art class and you shouldn’t drop it for the sake of not getting a B grade. I got couple B’s and C’s in junior high but first year of highschool, I ended up with a 4.5 GPA weighted (4.0 unweighted) and a 5 and 3 on AP exams. Some universities don’t even take freshman year into really serious consideration.
For EC’s, I hope you continue your instrument and tennis. Try striving for leadership positions such as concert master or team captain. Just taking the classes aren’t enough so try getting involved in outside school clubs like Special Olympics, Relay for life, etc. After finding out more about these organizations, start a club at your school and really try to make it work. Pick up karate again and go for competitions. If you place in state competitions and even national ones, it would look really good. Same goes for your instrument. You’re still in 8th grade and you really can do all these extra curricular activities if you just get off your butt and look for the them. Don’t make the same mistake as me, I kept telling myself “It’s not realistic” but in reality, you can do anything you want. Your schedule isn’t set in stone; make sacrifices and it will really work out. Trust me, having great grades doesn’t feel too hot when your only EC’s are two orchestras and being an AWANA leader at church.
All in all, don’t worry about junior high and just have fun while you can. The real deal starts freshman year. Get a 3.7-4.0 unweighted GPA throughout highschool while taking some AP’s and honors. Try for some great personal achievements or leadership and you will really be a competitive candidate for great universities. Oh and don’t forget about the SAT.
There are threads on “college/universities” on people that got accepted or differed in Ivys, including their stats. Take ECs that fit you because colleges want to see ECs that you love not ECs that you are versatile just to impress. And congrats, your young age is taking challenging courses, putting you ahead.