What should I do in junior year to further my chances for college?Help:)

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hi, so it's summer and I've been freaking out since I am soon to become a junior in the fall and a year away from the whole application process.So, I was just wodnering what I should do in my junior year to create a better impression on the UC's and get into a pre-med program(btw I am a California resident).</p>

<p>So far I have had:</p>

<p>Freshman Year:
First Semester-
Honors English-A
Honors Bio-A
Honors Geometry-B+
Spanish 1-B+
P.E.-A
G.P.A-4.3, in top 10% of my high school out of 1006 kids</p>

<p>Second Semester
Honors English-A
Honors Geometry-A
Honors Bio-A
Spanish 1-A
P.E.-A
G.P.A 4.4, 10% in rank</p>

<p>Sophmore:
First Semester:
Honors English 2-A
Honors Algebra 2-A
AP World History-A
Chemistry(regular b/c honors not offered)-A
P.E.-A
Spanish 2-A</p>

<p>G.P.A-4.6, rank is 6 out of 1006 for valedictorian</p>

<p>Second Semester:
All A's except one B+ in Chem and I was like 0.1% away and the teacher did not want to bump it.
G.P.A 4.5 and rank 7 out of 1006
AP Score for AP World History: 4</p>

<p>Classes for Junior Year:
AP Language
AP U.S. History
AP Physics
Honors College Math
Honors Spanish 3
Digital Art A/B
Awards:
I have gotten 3 Presidential Achievement Awards in Academic Excellence,And I have always been on the Superintedent honor roll.
Background:
I am first generation college student and the first to graduate from high school
I am from a low income family that makes less than 40K per year
Also, I have met economic obstacles
I am bilingual( I can speak 3 languages)</p>

<p>Outside of School:
I am a huge fan of volunteering and helping other low income children who are going through a situation like me, so I volunteer
* as a tutor in the local library for low income/bilingual children
* I am also a summer volunteer as a reading tutor also for younger children
* I am volunteering in the library (I love books:) )
* I am also planning to volunteer in the local hospital (as soon as school starts b/c I need a letter of recommendation and transcript from my school)
*I have volunteered for the summer school office for my house principal
Hours: 200+ counting, I just need to enter it into my school record, but I have been keeping track</p>

<p>->Honestly volunteering has been my passion and I did not know that other extracurriculars were necessary because I was not aware of the fact that I need it, but I will try to join the Leo Club (student volunteer organization). I also love to read as a hobby and I love to write:)
->I know I am not that competitive, but I really do hope to make it to some place where I can do a pre-med because it has been my lifelong passion to become a doctor and do humanitarian services
-> I am also taking classes for the SAT's and ACT's (I didn't know about these tests before, but now i do)
*By taking practice tests, my ACT has been a 30 for the first time without practice and that is just at home over the summer
*SAT wise I am trying to reach the 2000 mark, but I am practicing everyday</p>

<p>I have written all of this b/c i just need some help on what else should I do b/c my parents are unaware of the whole system,so please help and tell me if I am on the right track.Please help!Thank you:)</p>

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<p>You are definitely competitive and on the right track! Your GPA is great and colleges love to see the improvement over the years. I’m a first generation as well, so I know how tough it is. I feel like I missed out on so many opportunities simply because no one told me what I should be doing! When you go to write your college essay, focus on what is most important to you. In your case, it seems like volunteering falls at the top of that. Stick with that approach instead of making a “laundry list” that you hear many people on CC speak of. I feel like a lot of people join every club and activity then can just to put on their college application, which shows that you don’t have as much passion for one area. Junior year is tough. Remember that. I didn’t realize how tough it would be after an easy sophomore year (I never studied for any of my classes) and I thought I was going to die the first week of school. (I took the AP’s you’re taking ^_^) Just be ready to work hard and take your standardized tests early and often. It’s great that you’ve already started prepping. (: </p>

<p>Do you play any sports or are interested in any? Maybe now would be a good time to try out something new! There’s a huge time crunch junior year, so it’s difficult, but see if you like any of the ones offered at your school. Volunteering is great as an EC but you should try adding on a few more that aren’t completely related to show that you’re a well rounded student. </p>

<p>Otherwise, shoot for high test scores, keep that GPA up, try to find some time to relax, and most importantly enjoy your year! It may be the most difficult, but it was also my favorite. I made so many new friends that think like me, rather than keeping those who I wasn’t really happy with or understood. Despite how much I had to work, I tried to make the most out of each class and got together with people to study together (or attempt to) and to blow off some steam about our crazy teachers. ;)</p>