I'm not sure what to start preparing for so I can have a successful high school career?

Pre-College Topics High School Cafe
1

<p>I currently go to an extremely easy middle school, where I only have 3 main classes (Math, Humanities, and Science), I always get an A+ (97%+) in Math, A (95%) in Humanities, and an A (95%) in Science. I always get A+s on all my test/quizzes but I never study and when I do it’s simply scanning through notes, and classwork. My only extra circular activity is tutoring kids in elementary school, and after that I have allot of time on my hands. I scored in the top 10 percent of my state with the standardized tests, but allot of kids I know don’t take it seriously since it doesn’t count on your grade.</p>

<p>I was invited to a very rigorous public exam school (USNWR ranks it at #1 in the State). Based on GPA and ISEE test scores, I was ranked in the high 20’s out of the 138 students that were invited, with a total of 1500+ students (all 8th graders taking the test). The reason why I think anyone would get a high rank is because of having a high grade average and speeding allot of time practicing for the ISEE, which is what I did.</p>

<p>Next year I’ll take Latin 1, Spanish 1 (if I get in), Algebra 2, English 9, and Biology 1. I’m worried because I might not be prepared to succeed in that school. I’ve already started practicing for Spanish, I’ve ordered the Latin 1 textbook, and I wan’t to dive into Algebra 2, but I’m not done with Algebra 1, and I don’t think my math teacher will finish the whole textbook since it’s not going to be on the state’s standardized test.</p>

<p>The high school I was invited to matriculates about 20 kids to Harvard, and about 40-50 to other top colleges. I would like to take advantage of that but I’m not sure where to start. I know that a competitive applicant needs at least a 4.0 GPA, and 5+ AP classes with 5’s on all of them before senior year, not counting awards, and extra circulars etc. The problem is although the school has 15+ AP classes, it only allows a maximum of 3 AP classes each year starting junior year. </p>

<p>Everyone says junior year is really difficult with taking the SAT/ACT’s etc. I would like to get 5’s on at least 2 AP tests before the start of junior year. I’m considering self teaching myself one of the three: AP Physiology, Computer Science, Human History, this summer. Along with that, I wan’t to start preparing for the ACT’s which I intend to take in my junior year of high school. </p>

<p>I’m someone who doesn’t have tons of brain power, so I like to prepare for whats ahead. My conundrum is in order to get accepted into selective colleges, I need a high GPA in high school so I need to start practicing for all the classes listed above, but i also have APs to worry about, and the ACT’s. Should I go for all three things, or should I start worrying about APs and the ACT’s later on. Do you think I should consider other AP classes.</p>

<p>Thanks for reading. </p>

2

<p>I would say the biggest thing you’re going to need to do is develop study habits. I was in basically the same situation; cruising through school without effort. It’ll probably be a rude awakening, at least it was for me. I know it is easy know, but you need to be prepared for it to get harder.</p>

<p>So you said AP Physiology, are you talking about Biology or Psychology, or am I just confused and they’ve added another one? And AP Human History, do you mean Human Geo or World History?</p>

3

<p>Another thing to think about. Somewhere on the order of 90%+ of the students all have 4.0 GPAs, 10+ APs with mostly 5s, 2350+/- SAT and 35-36 ACT that apply to the HYPs and they only take around 5% of those that apply. Putting all your effort into something like this could set you up for some major disappointment.</p>

<p>Work on your writing skills to create a good essay will help some but you still need something to write about. Have some ECs that show longevity. Have them showing breadth in your experiences and interests. Do something different and unusual will help if that can be a topic of your essay. You need to stand out from the others. This still won’t guarantee acceptance but could increase your chances by a few percentage points.</p>

4

<p>If you can only take three AP, I would take three each year. It makes sense if you want to gradually go into AP classes though; I took one 9th grade, 2 10th grade, and I’m going to take more from there. Are the classes you signed up for Honors or Standard level, as far as weighting goes? Either way, I wouldn’t worry too much about the rigor. Most high school students don’t look too much into material ahead of time. I think it’s amazing that you’re taking Latin and Spanish!</p>

5

<p>@louie412 Sorry, AP Psychology, and AP Human Geo
@awakeningvenus‌ The school doesn’t have honors anymore, it’s just AP and IB courses. Thanks, but Latin and Spanish (my World Language) are required courses anyway. </p>

6

<p>@wow617 Required or not, it’s still great. I’ve taken two years of Spanish and one year of Latin, and both languages are pretty important. (Albeit one is dead, haha.)</p>

7

<p>Find current students in that school (preferably upperclassmen) and ask them about everything. What teachers give out good/great recs, particularly hard or easy classes within that school, how to make a club, etc. </p>

<p>If you want to start out in a sport, you can ask about what sport teams have a better reputation. If your school happens to have different types of debate teams, you may want to ask about the differences and how well your school’s teams do along with size/relative popularity (which could affect your chances of obtaining a leadership position.) </p>

<p>It’s not just about improving your studying skills, but you’ve got to think practically. If you have an idea of what you want to do in the future, then set up a plan based around that interest. If not, you could also do some self-reflection, figure out your strengths, and find ways to accentuate that in your resume.</p>

<p>Also, it’ll be really convenient if you finish your SAT by freshman or sophomore year. You’ll regret waiting to prep for it by junior year, especially if you mess up and are forced to take it again October of senior year.</p>