H.S. planning for a Columbia hopeful

Colleges & Universities Columbia University
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<p>Hello everyone,
I’m a high school freshman who has his sights set on Columbia. While I understand that I’m “supposed” to be having fun, but I have personal reasons to be more concerned with preparing myself to get into a good college than wasting my time trying to pursue things that don’t appeal to me–just because they’re the norms of teenage aspirations. </p>

<p>Anyway, my school requires its students to put together tentative plans for their full high school course of studies by some time in late February. As I’ve been planning out class schedules, I’ve thought a lot about what set of classes and extracurriculars will give me the best shot at getting into the schools I hope to attend. My H.S. has a separate campus for freshman, which has no college counselors, so I’ve felt a bit lost in figuring out how to plan the next 3.5 years of my life.</p>

<p>Next year, I’ll be taking Algebra 2/College Algebra/Triginometry (yes, that’s a single course), English, Modern World History, Latin, a science, and Orchestra. All of these will be taken at the level above honors, in which grades are weighted in the same manner as AP’s (A=5.33, etc.). I was thinking of taking Chemistry over the summer (I’m currently taking Bio) and then Physics next year, but I hear that because Trig is only covered in the 2nd semester of next year’s math course, taking Physics concurrently with College Alg/Trig makes 1st semester rather tough. Therefore, I’ll take Chem next year. I can either take it before school (at 7:10), which would allow me to take German or Philosophy and a free period, or I could take it during the day and a free period three days a week and have no space for an elective other than Orchestra. </p>

<p>Anyhow, based on the presumption I don’t take German as a soph (although I could change that is having 2 languages, 4 years each is really impressive), I’ll take AP Bio or Environmental (not really sure which one to take), Precalc, AP English, AP US History, Latin, Advanced Journalism or Philosophy, Orchestra and a free period.</p>

<p>Finally, as a senior, I’ll take AP Calc BC, AP English (Great Books), AP Euro History, AP Political Science, AP Latin, philosophy (if I can’t find space to take it during previous years) or a free period, and orchestra.</p>

<p>I’d take physics over the summer between sophomore and junior years. I’m thinking I’d most likely pursue an internship at a local newspaper this summer and take a class at CU between junior and senior years, just to get a better feel for the campus and demonstrate my serious interest. Are these good enough summer plans, or should I be thinking more about applying for things like TASP and such? Additionally, if I’m probably going to apply ED anyway, does showing interest by coming for summer classes really help me much?</p>

<p>Additionally, in terms of school year EC’s, I’m an editor and photographer at the school paper, the principal double bassist of Freshman Orchestra (I won’t be principal junior or senior years, however, as I’ll be in our school’s top orchestra, where something of a prodigy will be ahead of me), the only bassist in the pit orchestra for musicals, and an active member of political organizations including Young Democrats of America and my school’s global activism club. This year, I’ll be one of the 13 students competing on my school’s Latin team in the Illinois Classical Conference Latin Contest and taking the National Latin Exam, which I expect to score very highly on. I also shoot artsier photos outside of the newspaper just for the love of photography, work on a few local political campaigns, and do a variety of community service. As someone with one Jewish and one Catholic parent, both of whom are rather devout, I am also working on creating a dialogue group for smart, thoughtful high school students who have been raised in interfaith families.</p>

<p>What advice can you offer in regards to course load (specifically, when I should take chemistry, if I should pursue two languages in place of possible free periods or academic electives, and whether taking such a heavy course load if even a good idea in the first place), summer activities, and school year EC’s.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long post.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!
-wmmk</p>

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<p>You sound genuinely interested in your extracurricular interests, so that’s a plus. It’s also good that your interests are reflected in the classes you plan on taking; consistency is important. Just keep doing things that excite you.</p>

<p>The CU high school summer program is quite expensive, and it doesn’t necessarily give you an edge. If money is an issue for your family, there are other ways to demonstrate interest. I didn’t attend the program myself, so I can’t speak to whether it really will allow you to “get a better feel for the campus” (unless you’re talking about mere geography). Most students aren’t on campus for the summer, so you probably won’t truly get a feel for what campus life is like. You might consider an overnight stay to supplement that.</p>

<p>Whether you should take a heavy courseload or not depends on you and your abilities. Ask your school’s upperclassmen about the high-level classes you plan on taking and how difficult they are. I’m not saying that you should avoid classes with hard teachers, but their responses will give you an idea of how much time you can expect to spend on a certain class (but, of course, take everything you hear with a grain of salt).</p>

<p>I’m not quite sure why you’re trying to rush through the sciences. As for your chem dilemma, again, I suggest asking around. It sounds like if you take chem at 7:10, you’ll have to manage eight classes at the same time. How does that compare to the typical courseload at your school? </p>

<p>While having four years each of two different languages would be pretty cool, it’s certainly not necessary. It sounds like you’ll be busy with many other things. I don’t know you and your work ethic at all, so I really can’t advise you either way. If it’s possible, can you try out the more rigorous schedule first and then drop a class later?</p>