general questions about high school :P

Test Preparation
1

<p>So I’m a junior in high school, although that really doesn’t matter, and I wanted to ask the general population i few questions about test scores. It’s a long passage down there so I have provided topic sentences for each question. Basically just read the first sentence of any question and answer them if you do not have the patience to go through it all.</p>

<p>1) If we have taken the test, do we have to send the test score?
Most people do not understand what I mean by this question. What i am asking is say I have taken a subject test and received a bad score on it. If i do not plan to retake it in the future, am i obligated/forced to send that bad score? If so, score choice seems completely worthless to me.</p>

<p>The thing is I have good other scores, 2330 on my SAT and 750+ on biology, physics, chemistry, and math II. I just happened to receive a bad score on one other subject test.</p>

<p>2) Is it considered impressive to be a semifinalist? I was far past the cutoff score for my state and am sure to be a semifinalist (I’m not trying to sound cocky. It’s just college talk i suppose), but I don’t know what the point is. I’ll become a finalist and be able to apply for a scholarship. But in terms of the college application, I don’t see much I can gain from this. Any thoughts?</p>

<p>3) ACT. Should I take it although I’ve already proven myself in the SAT I and several subject tests? I feel as though I want to take it for the hell of it. I am familiar with the testing format, but do not quite understand the scoring for the test. Could someone link me to a page or explain to me how that works? That would be much appreciated.</p>

<p>4) Ascension in grades. I am not perfect. I’ve had a B+ here and there due to the rigor of my school’s classes and my weaknesses in history. If i pull off A’s for both junior and senior year, will these grades (B’s) turn into a good thing? It shows that I worked harder in AP classes to pull off better grades than I did in freshman and sophomore year, hence the ascension of grades. I heard I would be equal to, if not better than, those who had straight A’s throughout the high school career. But I just wanted to hear the opinions.</p>

<p>5) Community service. I have done a couple hundred hours of community service purely to experience what it is like in the hospital. But it has occurred to me that a couple hundred hours isnt “enough.” Why should there be a set amount to be enough. I thought the point of community service was to reach out to the public and experience what it is like. I will come out with more hours, but I’d like to hear what the public has to say on this issue.</p>

<p>6) Rigor of classes. Please list your most “exotic” classes that you have taken in high school. I’ve heard of people taking the most interesting classes in high school, such as differential equations. It astonishes me that high school students get to that level. In return, if anyone answers this question, I will be happy to list the “exotic” classes that I have or will take in the future.</p>

<p>That is about it for now. So if anyone could answer or at least voice their opinions about any of these it would be much appreciated. This could also be a learning experience for the general problem. I basically just listed out many major components of the college application. Anyways thank you all for reading</p>

2

<p>no need for ACT imho</p>

3

<p>Congrats! You have an impressive record and are especially well-situated considering it is only mid-junior year. </p>

<ol>
<li>Score Reports - You are probably safe on that “bad” subject test unless you ordered and didn’t cancel the 4 free score reports for that test-taking session. See [Send</a> your scores to colleges and scholarship programs](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Send SAT Scores to Colleges - SAT Suite | College Board)</li>
</ol>

<p>IMPORTANT: Please carefully review the SAT II test requirements for each of the colleges to which you are applying. You may be okay, but some schools may not accept all math/science. I am guessing what you call a “bad” score may have been in a humanities/language subject. While showing you are a balanced science guy is important, schools understand folks have strengths and weaknesses, so talk to your GC or some knowledgeable person about that so-called “bad” score if you discover you may need to submit it to one of your schools (or take a replacement–because you are a junior, you have the luxury of time for a re-do).</p>

<ol>
<li>Semi-Finalist/Finalist - Schools that are into the ratings game like boasting the number of semi-finalists/finalists they admit, so in some instances, your status means your app will automatically be fast-tracked into the “must read” pile. The NMSC scholarship is modest; but your status opens all kinds of other scholarship and honors program opportunities (e.g., there’s a list on CC somewhere, I think in the financial aid section, of the schools that offer free rides to finalists). You will receive a lot more college marketing mail (and possibly even some gifts, e.g., bumper stickers, t-shirts, etc.) because of your status! A great thing for whoever is paying your application costs is, you’ll get a number of invitations to apply for free, i.e., the application fee will be waived.</li>
</ol>

<p>As for the rest, your B’s are not a big deal as long as you continue to excel in the most rigorous curriculum available to you (not necessarily the same thing as “exotic”), and you’re absolutely right, CS isn’t about quantity, it’s about pursuit of a passion. EC’s, too.</p>

4

<p>Exotic classes - I don’t think HS offer diff. eq. (I might be wrong.) But I know HS students taking diff eq from colleges. For example, one of the high school students is taking that course in the college I’m teaching and she is one of the best students in the class, among all the college students. that’s pretty impressive. You may consider that in your senior year, if there is a college nearby.</p>