<p>I might be excessively ambitious, but these are the goals I had for my entire high school existence at the beginning of freshman year. I’m near ending my freshman year now and understand some of these things are completely out of my control, but I believe goals, dreams and a great work ethic can lead you places. I don’t think some of my goals are too unreasonable. I want to attend NYU (possibly Tisch) if I could get a gigantic scholarship.</p>
<p>These are my ambitions (feel free to tell me I’m absolutely delirious):</p>
<p>4.7 weighted GPA (4.0 unweighted) by end of high school (As of now, I have a 4.5)
Top 20 percent in my class (I believe I am right now)
1910 SAT score
25 ACT score
Transcript:</p>
<p>9th grade:
English 1 Honors A (achieved)
Common Core Math 2 Honors A (achieved)
Biology Honors A (almost certain this will be achieved)
World History Honors A (almost certain this will be achieved)
Gym A (almost certain this will be achieved)
Spanish 1 A (achieved)
Spanish 2 A (almost certain this will achieved)
Introduction to Communications and Mass Media (pre req to Newspaper) A (achieved)</p>
<p>10th grade:
English 2 Honors A
Common Core Math 3 Honors A
Chemistry Honors A
US History 1 Honors A
Spanish 3 Honors A
Newspaper 1 (yearly) A
Creative Writing 1 A </p>
<p>11th grade:
AP English 3 A
Pre Calculus Honors A
AP Environmental Science A
AP US History (yearly) A
Newspaper 2 Honors (yearly) A
Peer Discovery 1 (TA) A</p>
<p>12th grade:
AP English 4 A
AP Calculus AB A
Civics and Economics Honors A
AP Government A
Newspaper 3 Honors (yearly) A
Peer Discovery 2 (TA) A
Technical Theater 1 A</p>
<p>ECs (Beware: Craziness ahead):
Publish YA novel (and earn a five book deal) (sending queries now)
Editor in chief of newspaper (hoping the Newspaper teacher loves me)
Writing a total of five scripts for short films with my school’s film club. (involved already and have written one script)
Vice President of Book Club for two years (involved now)
Chair Committee Member for Spanish Club for one year (involved now, might be able to snag this)
Sisters Mentor Club (involved now)
Educational trip to Costa Rica during sophomore spring break (Praying on money)
Educational trip to Europe during the summer after junior year (Praying on money)
Attended UNCW’s Creative Writing summer camp in the summer after sophomore year
-Volunteered for countless hours at local library and Halloween attraction
-Job as an ice cream scooper after school </p>
<p>Is it bad to set up these impossible standards or does it keep you focused?</p>
<p>If you do not perform or do well at some time at something, and if you are never disappointed in your results, then you are not challenging yourself enough and taking the easy way out. </p>
<p>However, anyone can create / schedule more work for himself than is humanly possible to complete well. That is not setting impossible standards; that is just crazy. Set high standards; just don’t be crazy.</p>
<p>Good advice. Most of these things I don’t think are humanely impossible though.</p>
<p>I did not say humanly impossible; I said humanly impossible to complete well. I guess I should have added what I thought was implicit - humanly impossible to complete well in a given amount of time. </p>
<p>The issue as I understand it is that you have a lot to do, but only so much time. Sure almost anything is possible if given as much time as needed, but that is not the problem is it? You have too much to do and not enough time. At least, that is how I see the scenario as you set it up.</p>
<p>High standards can only be accomplished well if you have the time to do them well. That was the entire point I was trying to make. It is crazy to have more activities than time available to accomplish well.</p>
<p>I think it helps keep you in focus. Granted, some of these things will be difficult (yes, I’m staring at the book-publishing goal). Just make sure that you can keep your sanity.</p>
<p>^^ Yes, sanity is good. </p>
<p>Well, I know I can’t control the craziness of the publishing industry. I’ve written a MS I believe could be published (edited and had beta readers). I’ve written queries and sent them out and continue to do so. All I can do is rely on faith.
And I won’t cry if it doesn’t happen (even though it’s my absolute passion) because writing this novel was important for me. (The others I’ve written haven’t even come close to this emotional depth).</p>
<p>I set pretty big goals for myself for the reason of motivation. Usually when I don’t meet a goal, it encourages me to try 100 times more on the next one! This year I didn’t get past regional science fair. When I got home from the awards ceremony, I pulled out a new composition book to start taking ideas for my next project.</p>
<p>I think a higher SAT/ACT score and grades can make up for some of the EC’s you may not succeed in.</p>
<p>To the OP, it’s good to aim high.
What I suggest though is to prioritize your goals, because you will always be looking at time trade-offs.</p>
<p>You’ll want to raise those test scores a little bit to help you get a scholarship.</p>
<p>I just put an average score (I think it’s at least a little higher than average) because I have absolutely no idea how I will do on those tests. I’m planning on winging my PSAT and PACT sophomore year, using my natural intelligence, and then going from there.</p>
<p>Good advice by all of the above. Agree with the SAT/ACT, I think you will come to reevaluate those goals as you get farther into the process, but it’s not a worry now as it won’t affect you until later.</p>
<p>In terms of goals, I think there are two interesting schools of thought.</p>
<p>The first is the “aim for the stars and land on the moon idea”. The idea is to always set your goals higher than you think you are capable, and be okay with landing below it because that point is still remarkable. It also can help eliminate underachievement.</p>
<p>The second, what I use, is to set very realistic goals. Not easy, not hard, but very calculated. In this, you usually have a pretty even spread of achievement, with most met, some not and some above expectation. This method requires you to know yourself and your capabilities well however, and to account for the factors out of your control. You do risk slight underachievement, but I think if you are happy, you don’t need to be perfect. I have had a running goal document since sophomore year, and I am now a senior. I have achieved most of my goals and I am very satisfied with this process.</p>
<p>Find what works best for you and your happiness, but keep making expectations for yourself. It helps a lot in life.</p>
<p>I think it’s great to try to set as high expectations as possible. Even if you don’t achieve those high expectations, you’ll likely be a step higher because you endeavored to meet those lofty expectations. I advise following your passions and to not adhere strictly to some list of things you want to accomplish, because that could ultimately be hurtful in the long run.</p>