<p>I'm currently a sophomore in high school with a 4.0 GPA. I'm in a well-known college prep school and will be completing the IB diploma program. I took the AP Human Geography exam last year and scored a 5. This year I'm taking AP World History and hope to score well on that as well. I'm involved in my school model UN (very much), Student Emergency Response Team, HOSA, French Club, UIL, and I'm an officer for my school Muslim Students Association. I also play golf. I moved to the US a year ago from Asia, so I'm not financially stable.
Over the summer I interned at a human rights' organization and loved it. But I also have a passion for medicine and a wish to work with Doctors Without Borders or in the UN as a doctor in the future (I don't know whether this is practical or not). I also have the goal of learning the Arabic language to work in Arab countries and just because I have a love for it.
So far I'm interested in a double major in Biological Sciences and Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. Is this a good idea?
I also prefer to go to a college that might have a study abroad program in which I can utilize both Arabic and medicine to work in developing countries. Keeping all this in mind, what colleges do you think would be suitable for me? I am not very financially stable, like I said before, but I am an excellent student with a strong passion. Could I get into an ivy league school? Though that is not my set goal.</p>
<p>I live in Dallas, Texas</p>
<p>You’re a sophomore in high school. You have taken the easiest classes of your high school career and have no standardized test scores. A lot of schools won’t even consider anything you did in your freshman year. Chill. Out.</p>
<p>I understand that, but the only reason I’m asking is because my school encourages us to start looking now and seeing what suits us. I also like knowing my options.</p>
<p>Well the thing about Ivy League schools is that applying to them is a lot like buying a lottery ticket. Even if you have the best stats, ECs, and recommendations, so do thousands of other kids. They just get SO many qualified applicants that no one can ever consider an Ivy a “match” school.</p>
<p>Your grades and rigor and ECs look terrific at this point. If you keep that up, score very well on the SAT/ACT and especially if you do some cool summer internships or ECs that demonstrate passion for something, you would probably be a reasonable candidate for Ivy League schools. But you need to understand that they are going to be a long shot, even with top-notch stats. So you need to broaden your view and look at other schools as well.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider is that Ivy League schools are all VERY different from one another. They are not interchangeable. It makes absolutely NO sense to just say, “I want to go to an Ivy League school.” You really need to start by identifying what sort of things you are looking for in a school. For instance, do you want to be at a large research university where there are graduate students and most classes are huge lectures and there is little underclassman contact with professors? Or do you prefer a smaller school that is mainly undergraduate students where classes are smaller and there’s a lot more contact with professors? That would be a LAC - Liberal Arts College- and there are lots of really fantastic and well-regarded LACs with equivalent educational quality to the Ivies, as well as equivalent prestige in many academic/professional circles.</p>
<p>If your school is encouraging you to be thinking about this now, maybe that’s the sort of thing you should be thinking of. Also what sort of environment do you want to be in? Where do you want to be geographically? Do you prefer a big city or a smaller town with “traditional” campus? Do you want more of a liberal, artsy environment or a preppy, conservative one? Do you want a school focused on football and Greek life or one where those things don’t exist?</p>
<p>It’s probably going to be really hard for you to answer those things without having visited a variety of schools, but I think that’s where you should start. Once you figure out a few of those things, then you’ll see that some of the Ivy League schools might be better matches for you than others, and you’ll be able to start identifying other great schools that would be great matches as well.</p>
<p>I don’t think that sophomore year is too early to BEGIN thinking about college. You certainly cannot make a real, viable college list at this point because you don’t have enough relevant grades and test scores, but you CAN start identifying the types of schools that appeal to you. My daughter did some very casual college visits during her sophomore year, and it was actually very helpful. She’d thought she wanted to go to a big urban university, like NYU or BU or Northeastern, but those sophomore visits really changed her mind and she realized that what she really wanted was a small LAC with a beautiful campus, a student body full of passionate and engaged people, a sense of community, and easy access to professors. Identifying those things early really helped her junior year when she started building her real college list.</p>
<p>Your thread title is asking two wildly different questions. You should be doing research and introspection to answer the first question “Which college would suit me?” There are variables such as region, size, Research U vs. LAC, finances, campus culture, etc. You need to do that on your own or with the help of a college counselor. Your second question “Do I have the potential to be accepted to an Ivy league school?” is irrelevant until you have identified the kind of school that suits you. Even then, it is an unhelpful question because the Ivy League schools are all very different.</p>
<p>@staceyneil “Another thing to consider is that Ivy League schools are all VERY different from one another. They are not interchangeable. It makes absolutely NO sense to just say, “I want to go to an Ivy League school.”” </p>
<p>This>>>>></p>
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<p>This is a 15-year-old child you’re talking to; is that attitude really necessary? Perhaps you could offer some constructive suggestions for steps she can take in the next 2-3 years that would help make her a stronger candidate for whatever colleges end up being on her list.</p>
<p>Mary, are you an international or were you born in the US and your parents just moved back? I think admissions are tougher for internationals, especially those who need aid. If you have to apply as an international, look for the threads that mention international admission requirements and/or financial aid. Good luck.</p>
<p>@austinmshauri They are insanely competitive. There isn’t much you can do to “improve” your chances. No one knows what they are looking for. Get good grades and test scores. That’s self explanatory.</p>
<p>@AnnieBeats, we do have an idea what the Ivies look for though, don’t we? The Common Data set can give students a general idea about minimum GPA and test scores colleges look for, as well as how many kids are accepted. CC is loaded with threads that talk about ECs, and the similarities and differences among the Ivies. Others list alternatives depending on the student’s state and/or field of interest. If ‘chill out’ is the best advice you can give a 15-year-old, maybe you should consider doing something else with your time.</p>
<p>It does seem like you have the drive and ability to be accepted into an Ivy. As for suitable for you, all places are different. You might like Columbia because it is in the city or you might like Cornell because it isn’t. You also mentioned financially unstable. Perhaps that means UT makes sense due to cost and availability of the programs that interest you. Also UT has an excellent reputation. But keep up your good work and you will do well in life.</p>
<p>@austinmshari “Chill out” is actually the best advice the OP can get. The Ivy League is just an athletic conference. Each school is VERY different from one another. That’s like saying “Do I have what it takes to get into a PAC- 12 school?” Um, what? Which PAC- 12 school? They are all different. There is very little in common between the Ivy League schools aside from selectivity. That’s why I said “chill out”. We all need to chill out with this Ivy League stuff. It’s insane.</p>
<p>You have time to become acquainted with many quality non-Ivy schools, including some state schools and liberal arts colleges (LACs). IE, time to broaden your pool of potential applications.</p>
<p>Work hard but don’t forget to have some fun too. You’re only a teenager once.</p>
<p>@AnnieBeats, I’ll agree with you there. I’m afraid this “Ivy or bust” mentality drives many families to take on more debt than they should for reasons that don’t make a lot of sense. The young woman who blew her college fund and took on debt to attend NYU for (her first) 2 years comes to mind. Your points are good ones; I’m just saying it’s helpful to elaborate on them every chance you get. I think these children, and their families, could benefit from your perspective. </p>
<p>If you want an excellent education, you don’t have to go very far from Dallas to get one. Look at Rice University; it’s almost as tough to get into as an Ivy League school, and you’ll probably get as much academic excellence as you would at an Ivy League school.</p>
<p>Since you have some time before your college decision, you might want to read “Excellent Sheep” by William Deresiewicz for a different perspective on the Ivy League.</p>
<p>^^
Wondering if Dr. Deresiewicz will write this book had he was tenured by Yale?</p>
<p>OP, you sound like a great kid, smart, hard working, and interested in the world. Keep doing what you have been doing and check back in a year. By then you will have more test scores and have taken more courses and have a better idea of what suits you. </p>
<p>In the meantime: do think about Texas schools that will work for you. The state schools will be much cheaper; your folks will like that. Can you get into to UT or A&M? Does one of them suit you? UT Dallas is generous with scholarships and is a good STEM school. UTSA (and maybe some other places) have BA/MD programs if that is what you want. </p>
<p>Also in the meantime get an idea of what your folks can pay. That will temper your expectations. </p>
<p>Get one of those big Guide to Colleges books and look through it. Read about each Ivy and see what it is all about. Then read about each liberal arts college. Then some STEM schools. </p>
<p>I don’t think the recommendation to read Deresiewicz is that helpful at this stage. He is at best controversial, and at worst disingenuous.</p>
<p>I know that at this point in your career, most kids (and even most parents) are most familiar with ivies and other ‘name’ schools, and that those schools represent the goal set out for you. What you’ll find, as you look around, is that there are many excellent choices. In addition, if you’re at a good college prep school, the counselors there are more than happy to advise you, and more capable than random CCers at figuring out your “fit” schools. </p>
<p>Thank you all for your wonderful advice!
And gosh, I shouldn’t really have mentioned “Ivy League”. I’m very practical and so no, I don’t plan on getting accepted to Harvard or Cornell. But I believe in aiming for the moon, so that in case I miss, I’ll land among the stars. Just my way of thinking.
@staceyneil yes, I will be doing some college visits this year. Both with my school and some by myself. Thank you for the help, I will look into it definitely and start considering the details while broadening up my view.
@austinmshauri I moved here about a year and a half ago, and I’m a permanent resident. In a year or two I’ll be a citizen too. Thanks for your polite response.
@gandalf78 and @Lizardly You’re both correct and I am actually very interested in in-state colleges. But I’m not very sure if any of those offer the majors and programs I would like. I know, I need to do much more research. I’m only using this forum to find a starting point.</p>
<p>Searching for the right college at this point can be a bit daunting. But now I know a little better on where and how to find my info. I’ll read some of those guides people mentioned.
Finally, sorry to those who thought my question was ignorant and stupid, but then again, I am only BEGINNING to look.</p>