lost about EC, could use some guidence. my goal is for top rated premed program. I feel, I have the SAT/ACT covered and GPA will be a non-issue. Due to age restricition, not sure where and how i can gain experience that will enable me to pursue my passion in top premed or BS/MD program. I took my first ACT test few days ago and anything less than 30 will be a big disappointment. Math is only subject that is keep my scores from 34-36, but after taking algebra 1 and geometry class, this issue will be resolved.
why are you taking the act in 7th grade…? why are you worrying about college in 7th grade…? i get wanting to start ec’s early but there’s no need for guidance from cc about this, just do what you want to do and don’t do what you don’t want to do. if you’re doing stuff you care about it might help you get into college.
I was picked by school to take ACT for DUKE tip. So i took few practice test and did pretty well on them except the math part (26-28). Thanks in advance for your suggestions. I like UNC, harvard, or duke for premed so far and Boston for BS/MD program.
@zindabad The ACT tests some trigonometry and more advanced algebra topics. Pretty hard to get a 36 after having only taken a first year algebra course and geometry.
I am year or two ahead in math already. so i am planning to work on advanced algebra and intro trig on my own and hope for 34 in ACT at least by 9th Grade. The plan is just to focus on GPA afterward and some EC. Right now, 5-6 math problem i can get with extra time, and get my math score in 30’s but i have not had lot of practice so i loose valuable time in trying to decide how to aproach the problem.
I have several classmates who took the SAT in 7th grade, so good on you for taking that, but why does it matter if you get a 30 this year or even get a 34 freshman year? You have until your junior/early senior year to get a stellar score; if you get a 34, colleges won’t care whether you scored that in 9th grade or 11th grade.
What kinds of extracurriculars have you done related to premed? If you haven’t done many, it may not be your true passion and you’re just limiting yourself by focusing on premed. But if you really are interested in premed, some advice is to take courses and study as much as you can related to premed so you can get ahead in/skip science classes when you reach high school. Having this knowledge will also help you gain internships and in other extracurriculars.
A few things –
Don’t worry about scores now. Take the ACT again at the end of sophomore year when you’ve had a bit more math and you’ll save yourself a lot of time.
Be open to changing your career path. Maybe you’ll continue wanting to go to med school, maybe not; be open to learning as much as you can from high school regardless. Similarly, you’ll enjoy these next years a lot more if you do things because you like them instead of because you want to go to XYZ college, and it will be a lot easier to do that if you forget about college until the beginning (or later!) of junior year.
What are you interested in? Read books and go deeper. Look around at the community you’re in: what opportunities are there? You’re young, so you have time to try out anything your heart desires. Art? Social activism? Conlanging? Fencing? Debating? Building things? Origami? Volunteering at a local hospital? Piano? Rock climbing? Novel writing? This is your time to explore. There’s a lot of learning about oneself that gets done in middle school and high school – embrace it.
Last, make sure that you have good study skills going into high school, whether you need them now or not!
I guess my concern is I have asked my primary to volunteer and she said no problem once you turn 16, I am only 12 now so i will keep looking to spend my extra time. I am little overwhelmed when i see long list of EC on these forums. Thanks for suggestions.
7th grade is a good time to become involved in sports, music and theater/arts. Find something that interests you now and work hard at it, by the time you are in HS you will have a good start. Any sport has health benefits and may help you for college - either as an athlete or an EC.
Whatever ECs you do now would not be counted toward your collage application (same as taking those tests now). Better study hard in middle school now and make a strong academic foundation for the future years in HS.
I enjoy participating in sports but i enjoy reading much more. I love to learn about sciences, particularly, biology. Too bad that alone will not be enough, since i am ORM (south asian ethinicty).
@zindabad You are in 7th grade. Stop worrying about what to do to get admitted into college.
Are you aware of JHU CTY? They have a section for high scorers called SET. You need to have scored 700 or higher on one section of the SAT by grade 7. Sounds like you might have a shot.
Agreed with the poster above, you sound like you qualify for JHU CTY. If you are able to pay for it (they’re expensive), CTY offers summer and online courses for middle school students that are incredibly rewarding and will give you high school experience in the science field. Disclaimer, I attended CTY, but it’s a great way to get ahead of your peers.
You should stop worrying about college and find something that interests you (in or out of school)
Taking the ACT in 7th grade is doing nothing for you, if not adding possibly a bad score on your application.
Excel in the classes you are currently attending and find something you like.
As soon as i get my ACT score (probably in march) i will post them. I am expecting 30 or above for comp with math dragging my score down. I am in TN and would love to pursue economical viable option toward my goal. I read some of these extensive EC experiences & thought i should get started. I am sure I won’t be making much atheltic strides anytime soon. Thanks for everyone reply, this gives me something to think about about my upcoming summer.
you’re in 7th grade. it’s sad that you already know terms like ORM/URM. please just enjoy the last couple years of middle school, and wait till high school to get stressed over these things. for extracurriculars, just do what you want to do and what makes you happy. dont worry about what colleges want.
most of the time, your test scores from middle school won’t even be admissible in college applications so you’ll probably have to take them again anyways. and this isnt a bad thing, you’ll naturally increase many points over 3-4 years.
about the BS/MD programs, a few years from now you may not even want to go into medicine. just relax a little, and have some fun.
@actuallysad, the OP is already applying to Duke TIP, which is similar to CTY. Both have (expensive) summer enrichment programs; CTY has a wider range of online programs as well, but they are fairly similar.
What @sgopal2 refers to is a specific CTY program called SET (the Study of Exceptional Talent), which is free and is for students who get 700 or better on one or more SAT sections before age 13. It doesn’t pay for the summer programs, but it provides free counseling and access to other very bright kids. SET is based solely on SAT scores, and doesn’t accept ACT scores.
The other useful free service for highly gifted kids is the Davidson Young Scholars program, which also provides free counseling. Davidson has a complex acceptance formula, but does accept ACT scores. The cumulative score for a 7th grader is a 24, with section scores ranging from 23 (math) to 28 (reading).
@zindabad, if your actual ACT scores are in range you should look at the Davidson Young Scholars program. It might open some doors. SET might also be helpful, but would require an SAT score over 700. But in general, I agree that thinking specifically about colleges at this point is counterproductive. You are obviously quite bright and ahead of the curve. Starting your ECs early is great, as it gives them time to develop. Don’t focus on a specific career path, as that is likely to change. But identifying areas of interest for their own sake, and investing your time in them early on so that you develop proficiency, is a wonderful goal. “Apply sideways” and it will yield dividends down the road.
Please stop obsessing about this, and don’t worry about what kids are posting on this site. It’s not a very accurate reflection of reality. Just go enjoy your life and do things you like. You aren’t going to believe me but all the obsessing you are doing is not going to be helpful to you. It really won’t. You are turning yourself into exactly what the schools don’t like. And some day you will look back on these years and just be sad that you were so anxious and narrowly focused.
Oh, and don’t come back and post your 7th grade ACT scores. Outside of those talent search programs no one cares. They really don’t.
You are way too young to be worrying about this.