stanford university

happy1
Wed, 22 Apr 2020 20:00:55 +0000

It is way too early to think about specific colleges (especially the hyper-competitive ones). You don’t even have one year’s GPA and you have no standardized testing.

Stanford has under a 5% acceptance rate and must be considered to be a major reach for any unhooked student. The students I see who get most hurt by the college admissions process are the ones who pin all their hopes/dreams/self-worth on one super competitive college and then don’t get in – please don’t do that – there are so many wonderful colleges and universities out there.

You also need to recognize that HS should be an experience in and of itself – a time of learning and growth and not just a 4 year college application prep experience.

It is good to take school seriously and know that college will be on your horizon, but it is too early to start planning for specific colleges. I would highly recommend that you get off of CC until your junior year (except for the HS Life page).

As you start HS you should focus on:
–Working hard, learning, and doing as well as you can in the most challenging curriculum you can manage.
–When the time comes study for standardized tests.
–Get involved in activities you care about (there is no EC that will help more than others unless you become a star/recruited quarterback or something) and work towards making meaningful contributions to those activities.
–Enjoying spending time with your family and friends.

When junior year comes honestly asses your academic stats (including GPA, standardized tests, course rigor) as well as your financial needs and apply to a wide range of reach, match, and safety schools that appear affordable (you will have to run a net price calculator for each school you consider) and that you would be happy to attend. You will need to expand your horizons and recognize that there are many wonderful schools out there where you can have a great 4 year experience and get where you want to go in life.