I’m going to be a freshman in August and I was wondering if you have any tips on what to do in high school to make me a good candidate for getting into Wesleyan? I am female of mixed race (African American/ white) and I won’t be taking any AP classes in freshman year( I kinda fudged my grades this year) but I am going to work really hard on excellent grades in the coming years and try to get AP classes for the rest of high school. I know it’s a long shot but I really have my heart set on Wesleyan. If you understand my screen name you know why.
Your general plan seems like a good one. But here’s something equally important: don’t fetishize any one particular school. The numbers of 7th and 8th graders who come here and shocking declare they MUST attend Harvard one day or the earth splits in two is shockingly regular. Don’t be one of those.
LMM’s genius didn’t come from Wesleyan (I’d like to think our shared high school had a larger influence on him 
)
But in all seriousness, don’t get your heart set on one school so early. Don’t get me wrong - I absolutely love Wesleyan (it’s actually one of my top choices), but I guarantee the you will be able to find what you’re looking for, whether it be theater or hamiltrash or whatever else, at other schools as well. Keep an open mind.
Good grief! 8th graders on CC? I know early starts can be useful but good grief… live a little!
I’ll tell you what I’ve told similarly positioned people. This is how you get into college. You have four, golden years of HS left. Spend them passionately, thoughtfully, and without regrets. INVEST yourself into what you love. What do you want to study in college? If it’s theater, do THAT! If it’s physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, English, French, sociology, or even basketweaving, do THAT. THERE IS NO SECRET GUARANTEE IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS!!!
Every year, the majority of the passionate, deserving, and extraordinary students that apply to these ‘elite’ schools are rejected. Do not be one of those students who gets rejected and is then filled with regret because they wasted their high school years. The way to get rejected without regrets is to live every single day in high school thinking about how you can contribute, learn, flourish, grow, thrive, succeed, and help others to do the same. And here is the best bit: whether or not you get in, you will have done everything you could to receive an offer of admission, and that’s a fact.
Good luck with your start to high school and don’t come back to college confidential until maybe, MAYBE the summer after sophomore year.
Well done Senior 2016!!
I came one CC my freshman year asking the same question you are: I wanted to know the fail-safe way to get into Reed College, my then-dream school. Now, as a rising senior deciding which schools to apply to, I know I’m definitely not applying to Reed. My interests and personality have changed, and Reed no longer fits who I am.
I agree with @Senior2016M… Go and have an amazing first two or three years of high school. Grow and change as a person, choosing classes and activities based on what will make you happy. When you evaluate where you want to go to school in three years, maybe you’ll find that Wesleyan is the perfect fit, or maybe you’ll find somewhere else that you like more. You’ll change so much throughout high school (I know I have), so don’t focus completely one school that you love as a freshman. I know that if you work hard, focus on your passions, and (above all) have an amazing time in high school, you should be prepared for admission to many wonderful schools.
Good luck with HS!
Yes, freshman year I had little to no extracurriculars, took fairly hard classes but certainly not AP! Figure out how you are as a freshman then think about college maybe junior year! For Wesleyan aim for maybe top 1-5% SAT scores, do well in classes, take harder classes especially junior and senior year, and do awesome extracurriculars! I got admitted to Wes my senior year but turned it down after I got into a different LAC. I would’ve gone in a heartbeat if I hadn’t been admitted elsewhere.
As delighted as I am that Miranda is generating positive buzz for Wes (Class of '84 - loved my time there), loving his show is absolutely no way to decide that his alma mater is the right school for you. Take the advice above. Take rigorous classes, work hard, do well, get involved in things that interest you. Then, in a couple of years, you can start doing the research to figure out which schools are right for you.