UCSD chances?/Advice for high school course selection?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

<p>I would love to go to UCSD in the fall of 2012. I am currently in the middle of my junior year of high school and I would like some advice regarding which classes I should take to make me competitive for when I apply for admission next year. Here are my stats so far
Middle School
Algebra A/A</p>

<p>Freshman:
English 1 A/A
World History/Geography A+/A+
French 1 A-/A
Geometry A-/A
PE A-/A
Biology A/A
Concert Band B/A</p>

<p>Sophomore:
English 2 A-/B+ (you have to understand…my teacher was absolutely crazy; she believed only two kids in all of her classes should earn an A of any sort each semester)
AP European History A/A-
French 3 A-/B+
Honors Alg2 Trig B/B
PE 10 A/A
Chemistry A/A-
Symphonic Band A/A</p>

<p>Note: I was going through a lot of stress second semester: my grandmother was dying, and it was probable that they would move in with my family.</p>

<p>Junior Year
Honors English 3 B (same crazy teacher)
US History A
Honors French 4 B
Calc AB A-
AP Chem B
Wind Ensemble (the most advanced band at school)</p>

<p>I have been lacking a lot of EC’s though. </p>

<p>I’ve been swimming ever since I was 4 years old and have swam on a swim team since I was 5 (swam on the high school team every season (during second semester) and I also have done a fall program this year)</p>

<p>I haven’t officially taken the SAT yet but I’ve been taking prep sessions and have been scoring about 1990 on average…I’m trying to get it higher</p>

<p>I’ve volunteered in the spring at my swim team, helping little kids learn to swim
I started peer tutoring this year (late I know) and I was able to help my student raise his grade from a 42% to a 75% and I’ve put in a lot of hours</p>

<p>I’ve been playing piano since I was four and have been taking private lessons since then. I am also taking french horn lessons (the instrument I play in band) this year. </p>

<p>I’ve been volunteering once a week for 3 hour shifts at the Cancer Research Center</p>

<p>In my freshman year, I won an award from my history teacher. At our school a teacher can give an award to only one student, out of all of their students in all of their classes. </p>

<p>I’m wondering if dropping band would be a bad decision if I want to get admitted. I would like to major in the biomedical sciences (an impacted major) Would this schedule prepare me?
AP English
Gov/Econ
Physics
AP Calc BC
Forensics
AP Psych </p>

<p>Does that schedule seem alright? Should I really just stick with band and french? My alternates are:
Physiology, Media Studies, Public Speaking or regular psych. </p>

<p>Anything would help! Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Wow… you’re in a really good position regardless.
Just don’t fail any classes and you’ll be fine.
You should also consider UCLA/Berkeley for those grades and I recommend not going all out during senior year. Like… keep some fun stuff too, like band. </p>

<p>I have similar classes to you with similar grades, but there was no history class offered at me for Fresh year nor AP Chem, AP Calc BC, French Honors, and English Honors (Only had English AP 12th grade)</p>

<p>Just don’t fail senior year and chances of UCSD is pretty high.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the input. I was debating whether or not to take band because I honestly hate my teacher. He’s really casual and doesn’t teach us anything, but still puts us on the spot all the time. Thus, he constantly turns students against each other, and next year all of my friends will either have graduated or just quit band so I really didn’t want to do it anymore if it was just me. </p>

<p>Do you think that it would look weird for me to quit after playing in band since 4th grade?</p>