<p>chinese American girl who goes to an independent school,
intellectual passion in biology and medicine
GPA: 4.1
have and will take all AP courses at school
My ECs are:</p>
<p>violin: city’s youth orchestra
figure skating: syncronized skating team, won silver at mid-america, will pass a bunch of skating tests
Quiz Bowl at school: contributor of scientific knowledge, 3rd at state-regional tournament
school newspaper: feature editor, will work way to co-editor
school magazine: submitted essays and will become editor
mandarin teacher’s assisstant: grading, tutoring, plannning
volunteer at science museum with hands-on “Do-lab”
Extras: Rubik’s Cube and ping-pong maniac
SAT and PSAT not taken yet, but got a 780 on biology (M) SAT II
summer: will take a job, Ohio Summer Honors Institute for the Gifted (forensics and medicine subjects)</p>
<p>You’re a rising SOPHOMORE. Alot of things will still happen; for example, chances are that your GPA can drop with an increasingly difficult courseload. With so many unpredictable factors, it’s very difficult to chance you, and compounding that fact is that you’re asking for chances for the top schools. Chancing for top schools even for rising high school seniors is a very difficult task, and most times they’re pretty inaccurate. For now, I’ll tell you this: Please go outside, enjoy life, and remember that you have only just finished freshman year this year. There’s still alot more that can happen. </p>
<p>I can tell that you work very hard in school; keep up that hard work and good things will come to you. It takes alot for a high school freshman to find a site like this one; you must be really academically inclined. Remember this: Work hard, and play hard. (not too hard) If you want to, you can use some of the rest of the summer to visit campuses to make sure that you can fit in the life. At the tour, ask them questions about how academics are like at the school — Does the school offer an open curriculum where you can choose your own classes or does the school offer less freedom by choosing the classes for you based on your major choice? For example, Brown features an Open Curriculum system where you can opt to take a class as a Pass/Fail grade so that you can explore more, ensuring that your chosen major is the major you would like to be involved in for the rest of your life (that’s huge btw). Simply put it, does the school philosophy match your learning style? Even the smartest kids cannot perform optimally if their school is not the right fit. Your college list right now features one of the most prestigious schools in the nation — they’re very good schools. However, prestige isn’t everything.</p>
<p>If you have any questions about your upcoming years, please feel free to PM me, because I don’t think any one will post comments because, as rising seniors, we’re very anxious about filling out our own college apps and looking for chances … it’s for real for us … </p>
<p>you are a sophmore still. you have so much time. just read around the site and see how other kids got into the schools you are looking at. you have SO much time. just continue makign good grades, score well on your standardized tests and get some great ECs.</p>
<p>You are doing an excellent job. In time, I believe that you will become even better. Just start doing research on your college choices and which ones offer the best programs for what you want to do there and good things are yet to come. Good Luck!!</p>
<p>If you are a sophomore, this is when you need to start doing well in your classes, but also when you need to start getting involved in academic clubs that will be competing. These competitions will be necessary if you plan to go to top schools like UPenn, Cornell, and Brown. Get involved in the ones that interest you the most, and find out what it takes to get onto the teams that will be competing against other schools. Also, consider competing personally in any fields where your school doesn’t field a team. Also, consider volunteering to work with local government officials or non-profit groups.</p>
<p>Some sample areas for competitions or volunteer work: debate, math, science, writing, political activities, junior UN programs.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>P.S. Don’t just kick back–well, maybe a bit in the summer. But the people at your school that get involved will be the ones going to the Ivies and other top schools. Remember–you have to be not only in the top 3% grade-wise, but also in the top 2% activity-wise to have any chance at all at an Ivy–regardless of how good your school is.</p>
<p>Every year becomes a little harder, with challenges you won’t be able to predict at all. I was a star student in freshman year, and then I got hit with the chickenpox during the start of the sophomore workload - you will never know what happens.</p>
<p>The only thing you should be learning right now is to maintain your level of work ethic, maybe strive higher, but please, please; learn how to deal when things go wrong. Freshman year is idyllic in that sense, for nothing ever really happens. </p>
<p>By the way, I wish I was in your shoes - it would’ve been nice to discover CC in my freshman year. I’m sure you will be successful in the future.</p>