Throughout high school I was only concerned with short term goals. I didn’t see my grades as being as vital as they actually were, and as a result I let myself get Bs in classes that I could easily pull an A in. I’ve never had a problem understanding anything in any of my classes, and I have a 33 ACT score. I also didn’t look into volunteering or research, even though I am interested in being a scientist. As a result of all of this, I will be attending my local state school. If I regret anything, it is not knowing the value of my time while I still had it, but now that I am going into my freshman year of college, I feel like I may have a second chance. I want to work harder this time around and see if I do better. I am more interested in a quality education than the prestige of graduating from an Ivy League college, but I like to set my sights as high as possible in order to do my best work.
I know it is possible to go from a state school to an Ivy League, even though I also know that it would be very difficult. However, I want to be prepared and informed from the beginning this time around, so I don’t feel like I am cheating myself again. Basically, what is everything I can do during undergrad to maximize my chances of going Ivy League? High GPA and test scores are a given, but what about extracurriculars? What else do graduate programs look at and how can I stand out? I am currently looking at doing a BA in physics and the premed requirements, although I am undecided about what I want to do from there.