| I think worried_mom about covered it. My daughter going into high school established a goal to attend a select school like BC. She researched what it would currently take and asked for advice from her teachers who provided encouragement. She focused on grades her freshman year, adding athletics (track) in the spring. She kept herself busy with academics, the high school experience, and healthy life activities. To demonstrate she could do the work she took honors and several AP courses that she was interested in (worked hard). To demonstrate she was well rounded she participated in a few clubs, a sport each season, and a competitive summer ball team. She took a part time job when she turned 16. Its more important to participate in activities that are fun for you than every activity available. You need to be enjoying high school. Your junior year is the most important, I think. By the way you won’t see an elective office or national honor society in her experience. I think being a team captain demonstrated just enough leadership.
She had some success and failures, earned good grades but had just average standardized test scores for BC candidates. She finished 8th in her class of 400, was captain of two varsity teams and her summer ball team, and received a couple coach awards as well as one or two game MVPs. She was certainly not a star athlete, not the #1 student, but showed she was motivated and could handle demanding academic work while living the high school experience. She is a good intuitive writer and probably wrote a essay that the reviewer at BC liked (most select schools use current students to identify applicants they would like to be part of their student community).
She was accepted by a couple Ivy league schools and BC but rejected by some less select schools. Three of her friends with similar backgrounds were not accepted by BC, while a much poorer student was accepted. So you can work to increase you chances, but it does not guarantee a thing. The friends were accepted by other very selective schools, however.
So it may be somewhat of a crap shoot in the end, and schools like BC are getting more and more selective. Many BC students of 10 years ago would not be accepted today. But if you are not going to take the chance, you will not get into any competitive school. If you do well in high school, there will be a select school that would have you. There are a lot of good ones. Enjoy a healthy and full life. Learn to express yourself well in writing.
Last edited by ColdCase; 07-22-2008 at 08:01 AM.
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