<p>*“Again, does anyone have suggestions for the summer?” *</p>
<p>Seeing that you are a freshman in HS, I’d recommend going to the beach and, as twinmom said above, chill and be a kid. If you’re this torqued up this early about planning things, your head is going to explode off its stump before youy make it to senior year. Take it slow – you need to realize that you are running a marathon, not a sprint. You seem to have your act together and you seem to have perspective, but don’t let the game suck you in. Many many people get into Harvard every year who just woke up in October of their senior year and said “Hmmm, maybe I’ll try for Harvard”. Don’t be one of those poor souls who show up on here every Spring, after pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into four years all focused on getting into School X at any cost to their own personal enjoyment, and then when that does not come to be they are lost. In the end, you can only do so much. </p>
<p>I work at AwesomeMath, and I agree it’s expensive. But if you really like math and you’re interested in math camps, I’d suggest looking at MathWorks Honors Camp. It’s $500-1000 cheaper than AwesomeMath and it’s twice as long. I have friends who attended/worked there and it provides a great foundation in math, especially number theory, but it builds more toward research than contest math. It’s just something to look into.</p>
<p>Maybe try to get an internship at a lab at a university? It would be unpaid, obviously, but you could create an interesting science fair project…aka possibility of money and achievement. Also, the experience would help you land real jobs next year. Other stuff…you’ll want to read a lot, to prep for the CR and writing sections of the SAT. You could volunteer, or learn a programming language, etc. Learning a programming language would probably be interesting to you, considering your abilities in math.
I know a kid who got a 2290 on his SAT in 7th grade. Crazy, but real. He also owns his own company which he founded in middle school and got a $25,000 scholarship for it. Among various other awards. He’s ALSO involved in speech and debate and…yeah, you get the picture.
So the OP’s stats are great and he has a lot of potential, but it’s what you do with your potential that counts. Real activities, not just taking math tests. Obviously if you get to the IMO, that in itself will pretty much guarantee you Harvard (assuming that you’re a genius who does other cool stuff as well), but the probability of that happening is low and you need to have some concrete stuff which you can count on.
If you got into CTY, I’ve heard their programs are cool. But expensive.
Whatever you do, MAKE SURE that you have time to chill and relax with friends. This is your youth, the best time of your life. Don’t waste it on getting into a school. It’s not worth it at all.</p>
<p>First of all, 9th grade is a bit too early to be on CC. It’s harmful to mental health.</p>
<p>This is an excerpt from another thread that I think has just as meaningful an application here; keep doing what you’re doing- your stats will almost undoubtedly end up on par with Ivy standards since you obviously have both talent and dedication- but remember to relax, especially as a freshman, or you are going to suffer when you reach unior and senior years. Good luck, but don’t stress yourself out this early!</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure you’re on the right track… I skipped a grade and thus I had a ‘whoop de doo, I’m a genius mentality’ and made a lot of mistakes frosh year. However, you’re definitely on the right track, and keep in mind that a solid academic/EC standing frosh year paves the way for a much easier high school career. Just make sure you don’t burn yourself out, and show continual progress throughout your four years of high school. Make you sure you have the mental stamina and overall energy left after freshman year to grow as an individual, or else grades or no grades, Harvard will reject you, lol. </p>
<p>Did you study at all for the SAT? A 1990 is a very high score, even for a high schooler. I am in awe. It makes me feel like an idiot. I took a practice earlier this year (grade 11) and got a 1950 (I am acing a tough schedule right now, so I am at least somewhat smart). </p>
<p>My suggestions for summer activities would be:
-Possibly build up service hours
-Take classes
-Relax!
-Get a job (Once you’re 16)
-Do something fun, like a summer camp.
*-Most of all, try to become unique. There are plenty of people with all the stuff you have. Try to stand out somehow. I cannot tell you what it is you need to do, because then it wouldn’t be unique.</p>
<p>P.S.-I would think long and hard about why you want to go to Harvard. Of course the education is top notch, being on the campus is like meeting a celebrity, and the reputation is impressive. However, I decided just recently that I am going to go to the University of Florida, ace everything, and look good for grad school. Money is a factor. My father went to Princeton, and has been able to tell me pros and cons of going to an Ivy. I’m not saying don’t go, but think of an underlying reason to go besides “the academics are great”. The atmosphere can sometimes be cutthroat, the classes can be hard, and the going can get tough.</p>
<p>I wish you good luck, and I hope you achieve your goals.</p>
<p>You MUST do something to make you INTERESTING! All the other kids applying are going to have near perfect accolades. Since you have started early, you have time to think about what you want to do before you apply, whether it be coaching a youth sports team, doing something in India, ect… Good luck</p>
<p>Enjoy your summer; “develop interests” if you want (I’ll leave that to you for interpretation) but remember it’s your vacation and you’re still young.</p>
<p>By the way…1880 on my 9th grade SAT -> 2400 on my 11th grade SAT, fewer than 24 months later. You’re definitely primed to do exceptionally well on the SAT at this point.</p>