sapphirebakes

I started my first year of high school last year and was rigorous when it came to my academics. I was so good that I was ranked number one (current GPA of 4.59) out of a class with over 600 students. For Junior and Senior year, I plan to take as many AP courses as possible (US History, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, English, Calculus, Microeconomics, Government). Volunteering is in my books as well, as I want to help out at the local zoo and at the Humane Shelter. The hospital is on my mind too when I get older. I did some extra-curriculars as well this year. Well, okay, Spanish Club is the only one that's probably going to count, b/c I had to quit Student Council due to not having a ride. But I digress-- so, I want to run for Spanish Club president this year and also start my own club, about a topic that I feel quite passionate about. I'm a paranoid person and I really want to get into college. And I do not speak of the Ivies or other schools on top of the game; in fact going to my state university is A-OK with me. I'm aware that the college admissions process has a competitive atmosphere these days, and I'm a bit worried. While still in high school, what more can I do to get into a college of my choice?

sapphirebakes

Bump ......

sapphirebakes

Bump.........

sapphirebakes

Bumpity bump bump bump..

TitoMorito

...stop panicking, for one. Bumping is meant to keep you on the first page, not at the top. There's hardly any competition at night, either.

You're going to get into college. EC's are only for the really selective colleges; most colleges don't give a whit about them, so you're only doing it for your own benefit (the best reason to do them!).

Calm down. Breathe. Get some sleep. Don't even think about college for the next half year, outside of getting good grades and maybe thinking of what you like to do, what kind of job you'd like to do as a result, and what kind of major would work with both your career and personal interests in mind. Maybe you can think of a school or two you might like to attend.

But those should be on the back of your mind. Caaaalmmm down, and sleep.

Good night!

sapphirebakes

Good morning! Haha
Thanks for your reply and advice. I'm quite paranoid about college because that's all I ever seem to think about haha. To me, it's a dream.

TitoMorito

Good afternoon!

It's okay to be paranoid about some things, but this isn't one of them. You're going to get into a college, a good one. I guarantee it, unless you miss all of the deadlines or drop out or something else equally drastic. You'll want to save your paranoid energy for when you're actually planning out your college experience, both right before you get there (once you know what school you're going to!), and once you're in it. Getting in is easy; getting out with everything you need is the hard part!

Good luck, and I hope I don't see you around here too often -- you need to enjoy high school while you're there!

barrk123

What state are you in?

sapphirebakes

Thanks Tito morito, you've eased some of my stress about the whole thing. Come to think about it, college is still quite a distance to reach for me. Haha

Barrk123 I live in Indiana. Purdue or IUB!

barrk123

I think you should have no problem getting into either of them as long as you get a decent sat/act score

brinamarie

I would think about what you want out of your college experience. Why are you going to college? What do you want to accomplish in your college years besides earning a degree? Do you have any specific goals at this time? What type of learning atmosphere are you looking for (small, medium, large)? Would you be comfortable in a small seminar learning environment, for instance? Do you prefer a large lecture hall format with 400+ other students? Where do your interests lay? What are your other personal values, and which colleges would align with them? All of these things need to be thought about as you apply to colleges. Take a few trips to colleges to tour them, sit in on lectures, and get a feel for different schools to see if attending there would make you truly happy.

Study and achieve good grades academically. Take part in extracurriculars because you enjoy them. Review for your SATS and ACTS. Take them a couple of times. Begin your college essays early. Ask your teachers for letters of recommendation. Apply for scholarships. Take part in community service and volunteer activities. Look at opportunities to take part in during summers.

Nothing can guarantee acceptance to certain schools (unless your state has a top 10% law in place). In short, do things that you enjoy. Do your research on schools that you might be interested in attending. Above all: always do your best. Good luck.

sapphirebakes

I'll definitely take those into consideration. When do you think I should gather letters of reccomendation? Throughout high school or around the time that I'm applying? Also, I heard students at my school take just the SAT but do not choose to take the ACT. Should I take both, or will taking just the SAT be sufficient?
Thanks so much!

kath4816

If you keep doing as well as you have done, you should have no problem getting into a state school. Most people don't worry about rec letters until the very end of junior year or the beginning of senior year. Just make sure you build have good relationships with a couple of your teachers or coaches, and make sure you ask them at least a
month or two before you need the letter.

TitoMorito

Try taking one earlier on, so that you can see how well you do on it, and determine if you need a retake. You might also choose to take the other one instead, as some people have found they do better on one test than the other.

M's Mom

So this is your sophomore year starting? You have only a few things to do - get good grades, find 2-3 activities that you want to put time into (not more - you can't make a meaningful contribution to more than that while keeping yr grades up and getting enough sleep), and talk to your parents about college and what their expectations are (especially in terms of what they can afford). This last point is every bit as critical as your grades and test scores in determining your options so have that conversation. It's a bit early (most don't talk about it until junior year) but before you start doing lots of college research and getting excited about one school vs. another, you should find out what your parameters are going to be.