<p>Since finishing my GCSEs, I’ve taken some time off school instead of going straight into sixth form to deal with some health issues. I’ve been struggling with my mental health for the better part of the last three years and my results weren’t great because of it - 2 A*s, 2 As, 4 Bs, 2 Cs. Because I’ve still got quite a way to go with my recovery, I - along with my parents and doctor - have decided to do my AS-levels by distance learning company. So, essentially, homeschooling with the possibility of returning to sixth form for A2.</p>
<p>The problem I’m having now is which AS courses to choose. I’m thinking about doing English Language/Literature (as one AS course, not separately), Pure Maths, History, Politics and maybe Sociology. </p>
<p>If I’m aiming to apply to top LACs as a History major (Barnard, specifically, would be my first choice), is this a good range of subjects to do?</p>
<p>I should clarify that I know not to be taking things just to look good. I’m just conscious of the fact that US schools like students to be more academically well-rounded. I’m interested in all of the listed subjects and I’m mostly just curious as to whether or not they compliment each other from an American perspective.</p>
<p>Also, I will be applying to universities here as well in case my recovery does not progress quick enough for me to move across the world in eighteen months or so.</p>
<p>Your choices sound good – all of your choices are academically challenging. However, you should bear in mind that you will have to satisfy the testing requirements for your prospective colleges. This will normally be SAT I and two SAT II Subject Tests. As you are taking maths and English, you’ll do fine in the SAT I and a Subject Test in maths. It is important to heed that A Level History will not prepare you enough for the history subject test. Therefore, you’ll need to think of self-studying.</p>
<p>Given your MH problems, I think it’s especially important to keep your options open for going to uni in the UK. If you are presently unable to go a mile or two down the road to school, then I would question your chances of being reliably well enough 2.5 years down the line. The US is a long way from home if things go wrong, and with a pre-existing medical condition, you may find that US health insurance is either prohibitively expensive or denied to you (though I’m not an expert on US health insurance, this is something to explore).</p>
<p>The usual advice for choosing A Levels is to choose subjects that you think you’ll enjoy. If you do that, you’ll be more motivated to work harder, so get better grades, so you’ll have more options open to you. Plus, then they’ll lead onto degrees that are interesting to you. </p>
<p>Speaking entirely from a UK perspective, at the moment, you don’t need to do maths for a history degree (and having maths by itself, without any other science, opens up relatively few additional degree courses, other than economics). Given that 5 AS is a lot of pressure, and it’s not worth taking a fifth AS if it causes your other grades to drop, I would suggest that you don’t do maths unless you love it (and even then, drop another subject). </p>
<p>The point of a school like Barnard is that they look at you as an individual. Barnard will want to see that you have pushed yourself intellectually, but they are plenty smart enough to put your academic transcript in context. You don’t need to try and ‘Americanize’ your transcript: pick the subjects in which you will be happiest. I imagine that part of the reason for going to a US uni /LAC is to broaden your study options- that’s one of your application essays. Remember that US students usually don’t declare their majors until 2nd year- you can talk about your subject interests in your essays if you like, but ‘undecided’ is considered honorable when applying to a LAC.</p>
<p>However, I will second Boomtings concerns about going overseas for uni with pre-existing mental health issues- not b/c of health insurance, which your uni will provide (at a moderate cost), but b/c it is very challenging to move to an all-new world far from all your support systems. Even with a great attitude, lots of excitement, nice peole around you, regular Skype calls home, etc. there are times when it is hard / lonely / overwhelming. I have done it, one of my daughters is currently doing it, and it can be great overall- but some dark days are inevitable. </p>
<p>SO, for someone with a three year mental health issue serious enough to keep you from going to school, it could well be more than you could handle. In the US the majority of students go away to uni- still in the same country, most often to colleges in the same region- and even so many of them struggle to adjust. Up to a third of people with eating disorders, for example, develop them during their first year at uni. </p>
<p>I would stongly urge you to get your feet solidly under you before committing yourself to the US path. There’s always graduate school.</p>
<p>If you are planning to go to college/uni in the USA, it really doesn’t matter what A-levels you take. American colleges and unis tend to look for “well-rounded” folks, not the “specialists” that UK colleges and unis look for. If you know for a fact that you will be going to college/uni in the USA, then just take whichever A levels you will get the best grades in.</p>
<p>The thing was my anxiety is that it stems specifically from THIS school. I was bullied pretty badly in my first year there and while there was a few, manageable element before that, it was then that it really blew up. I’m confident that if I’m in an entirely new place with entirely new people I’ll actually feel better. The reason I’m aiming for LACs is that I feel that the community atmosphere would provide more support if I started to struggle.</p>
<p>That being said, I’m giving equal weight to applying to unis here as well. If I’m not well enough to go to the US when the time comes, then I’ll stay here and that’s not the end of the world to me.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the advice. I think I’ll swap Maths for Sociology because it seems like it would be a little more relevant for me.</p>
<p>Have you spoken to your doctors / CAMHS etc. about your plans to go to the US? They might have some useful info - and will be more useful than us speculating about the future state of your MH. </p>
<p>Don’t set your heart on the US, do try to keep your mind open to UK unis that you might enjoy too As someone else said, there’s always grad school, and you could consider doing something like Camp America in your summer holidays too :)</p>
As someone else said, there’s always grad school, and you could consider doing something like Camp America in your summer holidays too :)</p>