<p>I think that it would be a good idea to start a thread in which high school seniors and juniors (who are in the midst of the insane college admissions game) shared what the wished they knew before it was too late.</p>
<p>I wish that I realized how much grades really mattered... I really should be in the top ten students at my high school (I'm in the top 10% at least), but I slacked off, underacheived, and generally did not do my best. My advice would be to apply yourself.</p>
<p>I don't really understand how you could not realize how much grades mattered, but I also slacked off, underachieved, and did not do my best.</p>
<p>I wish I knew that ECs mattered. I had no ECs at my school before 11th grade, and only 1 outside of school. I also wish I had known that it looks bad not to get a job.</p>
<p>grim,
I hope you don't mind my jumping in for a sec. While grades are paramount, e.c.'s are almost as important these days. I never recommend that students stay with an e.c. they have grown to hate, or on other hand, begin an e.c. they have no genuine interest in or talent for, but I want to remind students to consider your timing, as it affects college admissions.</p>
<p>Students with less than perfect GPA's (say 3.3-3.6 compared to lots of 3.9's-4.4's in their h.s.) can still get recognized by admissions committes for different kinds of consistent accomplishment that rise to the level of distinction. But it is very, very difficult and unusual to achieve that distinction if one begins such an activity in 9th grade & applies to college 3.5 yrs. later. This is esp. true of performing arts & some sports. Again, I do not recommend drudging through an activity on the same level of previous involvement, if one has grown tired of it. But students might want to maintain a token involvement with a long-standing activity, if such an activity keeps them in a path which attracts consistent awards. I know of too many cases where students have summarily dropped a life-long activity altogether at the start of h.s. freshman yr., & lived to regret it. </p>
<p>It's not uncommon, to discover entirely new passions in h.s. But if so, I might reference in my apps how my <em>_yrs. in previous _</em> activity prepared me in specific ways for this (more appropriate?) interest, and/or how I've applied lessons learned from previous long-standing stage, speaking, service, musical discipline, athletic teamwork, etc. constructively to this (new) h.s. activity.</p>
<p>I wish I had read epiphany's post</p>
<p>What grim and Flipsta said is extremely true for me. I didn't do many ECs (though I have one that I started in 9th and continued throughout, fortunately) and my grades slipped terribly from middle school (which is very different). I picked them back up in second semester of 10th but mostly in 11th. Like grim, I could have been in the top ten (maybe even contender for val/sal) but I'm in the top 10% now.</p>
<p>My biggest problem starting high school, regarding grade slip, was that I didn't try hard enough since I never had to in middle school, and when I did poorly, I always blamed it on the teacher, even though I was the one who'd made the mistakes. So incoming high school freshmen and current underclassmen, make sure you don't make that mistake. Take responsibility for your work and make sure you work hard.</p>
<p>I wish I would have known to take the SAT subject tests right after finishing the courses (while the info. is still fresh) instead of waiting a couple of years later.</p>
<p>oh me too worldshopper. I didn't even know about SAT IIs until the end of my junior year.</p>
<p>yeah grades are the biggest concern for me. I thought weighted grades were what mattered, so i took all honors classes and got b's. that was the same as a 4.0w, but i didnt know that it was only a 3.0uw. also, i took all honors classes in 9th grade so weighting helped me a lot in the ranks. i slacked off and still got 11/360. then next year when everyone was in all honors classes, i was still slacking off and my grades went down.</p>
<p>So yeah, i'm positive my bro will be able to get into Hypms because he is about as smart as me, but he also will know how important grades are. (seriously, classes are pretty easy for me; now that i actually work, im getting a 4.9w, which would be first in the class for the semester)</p>
<p>1- save classes you're only taking becuase they're required ( like P.E. and art) till your junior year. having these easy classes relieves the load that AP classes and PSATs and SATs add. Also, doing this allows you to take classes you want in freshman/junior year.</p>
<p>for example, if you like science, then you might take two sciences freshman year so you can take more AP sciences. you might also take science classes that you want to take but otherwise wouldn't be able to. for example, last year i took human A and P and i think that's one of my best choices.</p>
<p>furthermore, waiting to take requried classes will allow you to discover alternatives. </p>
<p>for instance, i thought about starting an archery team/ class, and there might have been teacher willining to do it. however, because i had already taken PE, i wouldn't have been able to participate in the class, therefore i decided not to try.</p>
<p>it's a convient way to arrange an easier senior year without 'slacking off'-- you're taking the easy classes because you have to.</p>
<p>My advice would be to not even think about college until the beginning of senior year. I started worrying around October of Junior year and pretty much convinced myself that I wouldn't get in to any of the schools I wanted to go to, especially my top choice. By the time I started filling out my first application a year later, I was already exhausted of the whole admissions process. Luckily, I was accepted to my top choice early and so I didn't have to complete any more applications and I couldn't imagine having to fill out more apps if I had been rejected or deferred. The whole process is hell, so don't even start until the last possible moment. There's just so much waiting...I can't imagine what Regular Decision people are going through.</p>
<p>i wish i had known to try harder at making friends. i didnt feel like i needed them in high school, but now i don't have that many people to come home to on winter break, and everyone else at my college is still super close with high school friends.
i wish i had talked to my teachers about my schoolwork more; i should have asked why i got a b not an a, instead of being content with a b since it wasnt a c. this probably would have made my recommendations better.
and i also wish i had rebelled against my parents more. not in a "i'm going to fail all my classes just to spite you" type way but in a "i'm going to go to concerts on a school night" type way.</p>
<p>Ill keep it short so people read it.
1. whoever said startin the process early sux cause u get tired of it is wrong- i started it senior year and got tired of it. You should start early and space it out so you're not doing everything all at once (it really blows).
2. SAT IIs- i didnt know we had to do 'em til November senior year...</p>
<p>Agreed with spiderman, start college stuff early (definitely don't wait) and start thinking about SATs/SAT IIs early.</p>
<p>1.take satIIs as soon as u finish the course else u'll find urself screaming over 6 dif. satII books in ur junior year(like me)</p>
<ol>
<li>ECs matter. they do. they do.</li>
</ol>
<p>3.keep a record of things you did(such as community service, ect); or you might forget about them when it's time to fill out a resume</p>
<p>4.find a passion and stick to it/stick to a thing and pretend that's your passion (lol)</p>
<p>5.find a few teachers whom u like and who like u (kiss up if u have to...lol jk)</p>
<p>6.listen to your GC and parents.they can be annoying but they know what you need; and u def. need ur GC. (how sad)</p>
<p>7.have fun :)</p>
<p>apparently my guidance counselor knows my name.<br>
i don't know how, i don't know why. </p>
<p>it's freaky, but i figure that's good.</p>
<p>yea, and i'd say, definatly develop a good relationship with a few teachers.</p>
<p>i have two teachers who've known me since my freshman year. one's english, and i'm on academic team which she sponsers, and the other's chemistry, becuase she sponsors robotics, which i'm very involved in. </p>
<p>i figure it's a good sign that she tells me i better find myself a replacement or she doens't think she'll do robotics after i graduate. </p>
<p>then again, i can't find a replacement, and i want robotics to survive. </p>
<p>yup.</p>
<p>grim67 - i was in your exact position, not knowing the importance of grades, being lazy and underachieving..freshmen year i didnt like some of my teachers and got two Cs for final grades (Global I and English)...now in junior year and getting straight As</p>
<ol>
<li>Take SAT IIs at the end of every course </li>
<li>You don't need EVERY SINGLE AP your school offers - this mostly applies to the students are large high schools with 20-30APs or w/e </li>
<li>Don't be a serial joiner; long lists of clubs and activities are virtually meaningless so save those 3 meetings of Key Club you went to in sophomore year off your app cuz no one cares </li>
<li>1-2 ECs are fine if you have loads of dedication and that is evident </li>
<li>GOOD GRADES AND SAT SCORES will get you into most universities: There is no need to get a dismal GPA with loads of ECs that can't be vouched for and are meaningless in the end </li>
<li>Maintain relationships with your GC and 2-3 teachers </li>
<li>NHS is not impressive; you won't DIE if you're not in your NHS </li>
<li>Don't pay attention to people who brag about doing community service at 20 million organizations </li>
<li>Don't freak out that you didn't get perfect attendance for 4 years - most school awards are stupid. </li>
<li>Your life won't be over if you get ONE B --- but maybe at 2 :rolleyes:<br></li>
<li>DO NOT TAKE CC/JC classes unless you want higher math or you have some interest in a subject: whatever's available at your school is OK. (Sometimes kids transfer to less-competitive schools to stand out more :rolleyes: ) </li>
<li>Your GC and peers are lying about it being impressive to be a serial joiner and a Bright-Well.Rounded-Kid. Ignore them!!! RUN AWAY!!!!! This advice is dated. (What I mean by this is joining every club at your school and being mediocre at all) </li>
<li>YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO TO HYPSMC!!!!! There are many many fine institutions that you've probably never heard of... so don't think in black and white terms!!!!! <em>Mostly applies to new CCers with WAMC threads with HYPS at their headers!!!</em> (Harvey Mudd, St. John's, Swarthmore, among others)</li>
<li>Private unis are not necessarily better than public </li>
<li>Rolling admissions is always an option </li>
</ol>
<p>Okay these are some off the top of my head - I know I repeated some from others but I thought it'd be nicer to have a list...</p>
<p>
[quote]
7.have fun :)
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yes!!! YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER SHOULD NOT BE SOLELY TAILORED TO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS!!! HAVE SOME BALANCE!!!!!!!!!! </p>
<p>It's okay to have fun. </p>
<p>:eek:</p>
<ol>
<li> Do those EC's which I wish I could now (and seeing their importance would have made sure I did them), because they would have been fun.</li>
<li> Known what kind of school to aim for.</li>
<li> Taken some different class, some more difficult.</li>
<li> Known more about SAT II's</li>
<li> Try for awards. I had no idea about so many awards that I would have had a shot at.</li>
</ol>