<p>So i’m getting the hang of high school and have been curious about colleges recently. I come from a very gifted family, although i assume i didn’t inherit the good genes ;). All my cousins go to ivies, and i’ve come to terms with the fact that I probably won’t. Since i’ve grown up in this environment, I don’t really know what else is out there. What kind of colleges do non-a students go to? I know there’s plenty of good colleges out there. So far my average is about a b+, i’m going to try harder though. I took the SATs in the fall and got a 1900 (700R,650WR,560M) and i haven’t taken algebra ii yet so i hope to improve on that dramatically. By jr/sr year i’ll probably be above 2000. To make up for lacking grades, i do a lot of extracurriculars such as science olympiad and the school newspaper (prestigious, win state journalism awards, blah blah). I’m very committed to extracurriculars. So, just out of curiosity, what kind of colleges do students like me even go to?</p>
<p>As a freshman, just get the best grades you can. As far as extracurriculars, it sounds like you have something you can emphasize on your personal statement. Also, a B+ GPA is not horrible, and you still should be able to get into a high quality school. I do not know which state you live in, but many states have a state school system that generally has lower (or should I say, less extreme) admission standards, and many are still great schools, even if they do not carry the ivy league brand name. Lower admission standards only mean there is more space to admit students. It does not indicate a worse school.</p>
<p>There are some websites that you can find on the internet where students rate the colleges they go to. You’ll find some schools that have students who love their school, even if it is not an ultra top notch school. Then, you’ll find schools whose students absolutely (and consistently) hate their school for various reasons (academics, bureaucratic disorganization, immature students, repeat of high school, etc.), so you’ll know which schools to avoid. You want to go to a school that is not only challenging, but also a school where the majority of students are more happy than not.</p>
<p>That said, when your senior year rolls around, you should have a list of about six different schools, ranging from -------- State University all the way up to Harvard; and like I said before, get the best grades you can from here.</p>
<p>A 1900 as a high school freshman is nothing to be worried about. You’re right, once you take algrebra II (along with upper-level english and math courses) your scores will drastically improve. I second everything hesdjjim said. ^^ That’s good advice. Just keep working hard and don’t start worrying about college until the start of junior year. You’ve got a few years to enjoy high school.</p>