<p>School matters a lot to me. I want to get into a good college and want to be successful as a scientist…I’m not sure what kind yet. 
Incase it matters, I’m a girl and get 4.0s. I try really hard in school (though I’m not the type to spend all night studying) and am wondering what I can do to prepare for a career in science. I’m in junior high and will be going to high school next year. I’ll volunteer at our local science museum during summer camps this summer and will take science electives in high school. My mom keeps telling me to be well rounded. What can I do to better prepare for college? </p>
<p>Make sure that when you do something, whatever it is, that you are doing it because you enjoy it and you are passionate about it, not to simply impress a college admissions officer. :)</p>
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Remember to keep an open mind, both now and when you’re in high school. The career I wanted at the beginning of high school has very little to do with what I want now. </p>
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Your middle school grades won’t matter for college admissions, though they could matter for your course placement in ninth grade and in your applications to summer programs you go to while in middle school.
Being a woman in a male-dominated field (pretty much any STEM field other than biology) or applying to a college with a lot more men than women can sometimes help your admissions chances. There are also some summer programs specifically for girls interested in STEM fields.</p>
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From a Yale admissions officer ([source](<a href=“Q. and A.: College Admissions - The New York Times):”>Q. and A.: College Admissions - The New York Times)):</a></p>
<p>“The thing we are looking for outside the classroom is not a series of check boxes on a resume; we’re looking instead for a high level of engagement or leadership in whatever it is that the student cares about most. For some students, community service is at the forefront of their extracurriculars, in which case we pay a lot of attention to what they have accomplished in that area. For other students, some other passion or interest holds primary sway, and we evaluate the engagement in that area. We know that very few students can fully engage more than one or two primary activities at a high level. Though it is fine for a student to have varied interests, a significant number of students make the common mistake of spreading themselves too thinly in a resume-building exercise.”</p>
<p>Basically, well-roundedness isn’t so trendy anymore.</p>
<p>@halcyonheather Thanks! That’s super helpful! I’ve wanted to be a scientist starting in kindergarten when I wanted to be a paleontologist, so I can’t see myself changing my mind, but you never know! I definitely will use my gender to my advantage in programs for girls and such things. I’m going to a science conference a few weeks from now for girls, so I’m super excited! And that quote is great! Thank you! :)</p>
<p>@dfafd2dfafd That’s so true. I can have fun doing practically anything, though, so this does not narrow out a lot of possibilities for me. 
Thank you for your feedback! </p>