<p>So, I've spent a long time thinking about applying to colleges, all the way since freshman year. But now that I've finished my junior year, I am starting to become worried, and I wonder if all of this worry will make me produce applications that are poorer in quality. I'm also realizing a bunch of pitfalls that I haven't thought much about, things that could keep me from getting into the schools I wanted, like a couple B minuses and a couple C pluses in freshman year (It was a really really bad year for me, but I have a pretty huge upward trend and I hope the schools I am applying to value that a lot). I'm also a bit worried about the SAT subject tests. I took the Math 2 and Physics, but I don't know if I got 800s on them. Getting an 800 on Math 2 I might have a slim chance at, and the same for Physics, but I wouldn't be surprised if I got like a 720-740 for Physics, and that just wouldn't be enough for me because it has a huge curve. I don't really want to be taking subject tests all the way to December, but I also want to take the Literature test and a Spanish test to cover up the fact that I don't have room for a 4th year Spanish, and I'm also retaking the SAT in October. I am also worried about the fact that some of the schools I'm interested in ask for all SAT tests. There are just so many things going on and I don't want to lose myself under the stress.</p>
<p>Did any of you have a similar experience, and how did you cope with it?</p>
<p>Breathe. You will be able to find a college that is a good fit for you. Just do the best you can. Start with an admission and financial safety on your application list and build from there. Good luck.</p>
<p>Worry is a useless emotion. There is no one right college, and there is nothing that can’t be achieved at a different one. </p>
<p>Those SAT II scores are fine. What’s done is done. </p>
<p>If you have Naviance, use it to estimate your chances of admission based on your SAT/GPA. </p>
<p>If you have those chances, and if you have a preference list, you can assume independence (which factoring out GPA and SAT is not that unreasonable), and estimate your probability of attending a given school. That probability is the probability of gaining admission to that school and getting rejected from all more preferable schools. </p>
<p>This will tell you what’s worth spending time on. Personally, I wouldn’t bother with a school where the probability of attending is less than 5% unless it’s your top one or two choices. </p>
<p>By doing this, you’ll also see that it’s very likely that you will get to attend somewhere good. </p>
<p>Stop worrying. Figure out how to spend some time now being happy. If you can’t figure out how to be happy in HS when are you going to figure that out. Have some fun!</p>
<p>I would say don’t worry about the past that much. Write some killer essays and have some great teacher recommendations and you will be alright. The key is to find a school that you will be happy at (not everybody is happy in the competitive and elitist environment at Harvard, for example). You should be able to see yourself at any of the schools that you are applying to. </p>
<p>Serenity prayer. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the ability to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference between the two. </p>
<p>Work on what you can going forward. Freshman year is what it is. </p>
<p>The problem is I don’t have much going on over the Summer. I’m taking a math class but that doesn’t count because it’s curricular and at my school. I might be tutoring kids with autism but that’s not for very long. I’m completing a lot of online courses over the summer but I’m not sure how much those count because they’re free (Although Coursera and eDx I think are somewhat reputable). I’m going to study for the SAT some more to get 2300+ but studying in itself you don’t put on an app. There were so many things I could have done had I known about stuff earlier. I wanted to get a science research position at the museum of natural history, but I needed to take 3 courses there and I only heard about the courses there in time to take one. Sigh. I should just read a lot of books related to Math and Physics. Hopefully in an interview that will count.</p>
<p>Get a job. That will help a lot</p>