I am currently in 9th grade. I want to know what I should focus on if I want to get into a good college.
Right now, I think I want to create a product and create a startup of it when I grow up, so I will definitely pursue that.
Below, I’ve listed a list of what I do or have done. Please leave some comments to express what you think I should focus on.
School:
School GPA: just tryna sustain a 4.0 uw gpa throughout high school
Clubs: science Olympiad, chess team coach, science quiz bowl, debate and model un
School sports: none, maybe I will do spring track
Outside of school:
Research at on online research program
Junior Olympic qualified fencer, d23 rating (which isn’t that good, Jo’s ez to qual for)
AMC 10 I missed aime by one prob should I sweat and try to get jmo next year? I also sold this year rly bad cuz portal crash and I panicked
Cty physics course soon
Any feedback is appreciated. Also, I think I am going towards the well rounded approach but I’ve heard angular is better
This is probably the best written, most thoughtful advice I have ever come across in regards to preparing for college. You can substitute “MIT” for any of the schools of your choosing and the advice is still true.
You’re a freshman. Everyone wants to maintain a 4.0. Few can. Most can’t. And it’s fine.
Take challenging classes. Don’t overtax yourself though. If they’re too hard, it’s ok to step back.
Get involved - sports, band, walking dogs, work. Build tenure.
If you truly want to create a start up, great. But it’s not scoring you more points than a job at McDonalds. You already have some. Stay with at least two.
Most important, way, sleep, hang out with friends, and be a kid.
You’re getting a bit ahead of yourself here.
Just be the best you that you can and it will all work out.
It’s way too early to be focused on this. You are two years early.
But having a reasonable plan can keep you on a good path for anywhere.
Thanks for the advice! However, my friends are already very talented, having already published research or won National level awards or is in prestigious music schools (julliard, curtis). I want to start early because I feel buried under all of their achievements
As a high school teacher, my suggestions to my students are:
have a set of personal goals (and practical plans to reach them), such as cooking and cleaning for self, advocating for self, getting a job, managing own budget, managing own schedule, having several true friends, driving, etc.;
get involved in classes and clubs with mixed grade levels - sports, band, orchestra, speech, etc.;
identify a few students in each grade ahead who are similar to you and observe how they navigate high school;
get involved in regular activities interacting with students from other high schools;
read books, listen to ted talks, subscribe to podcasts of various perspectives, think why they say what they say.
Do NOT make “attending ABC college” as a goal. It’s okay to have a dream school or two but it’s also okay to not have them. Grow to be a responsible person, develop interests, practice overcoming setbacks/obstacles, keep an open mind, college options will come naturally, so will grades.
Do what you enjoy. Find your passion and pursue it. Learn to do something very well - whatever it is you enjoy doing the most. Don’t compare yourself to others. Take hard classes. And learn to write well. That is such an underrated skill, yet a skill that is key to college success. There will be a great college waiting for you when the time comes.
High school is the only time in your life in which you will have the opportunity to engage in so many different activities and learn so many new things. Please do not waste that time doing stuff that you believe “colleges will like”.
You should be living your life for yourself, not for some vague, imagined future admission to “A Good College”.
Do your best, but don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work out. My kid didn’t get even close to a 4.0 and she attended a “top” college.
Are these things that you want to do, or are they things that you fell you need to do “in order to get into a good college”?
Choose your activities based on one or more of these criteria:
A. It’s something that you really like doing
B. It’s something that you have done a bit and would like to learn more
C. It is something that you have never tried, but it looks interesting
D. It is something that you want to do in order to step out of your comfort zone
If none of these are true, don’t do it.
Research is fun, but it is not always available for high school kids
If you like fencing, go for it. If your school doesn’t also have fencing, and you really want to work on your fencing, you don’t need to also have a school sport.
Only go for AMC and other math competitions if you really love math and want to challenge yourself. Otherwise, there is no point in doing it just “for college”
CTY has multiple courses, all which are great. Take whichever ones match your interests. If you really like physics or are interested in learning more physics, do that one. Otherwise, find something that interests you more.
You seem to still be all over the place, and that is actually not a bad thing. That is part of exploring what interests you, and that is what high school is all about. However, the week has only so many days, and days only have so many hours. You cannot do everything that you want to do. So my advice is that you choose a small number of the things to do, based on the criteria that I proposed above. You can always drop activities or pick up activities, based on your time availability.
We could probably count on two hands the number of high schoolers who have done any truly significant research. Generally speaking, “research” in high school is not impactful, apart from the skills it helps a student build. It’s often offered as a course. Colleges are also aware that many students currently jumping on the research bandwagon are paying to do so. Don’t worry about needing “research” on your college application and don’t worry about your friends who are doing so. Frankly, there are many better ways for a student to spend their time.
Are you at Juilliard or Curtis? Don’t concern yourself with students who are. You’re coming from different starting points.
As for National awards, you don’t need those to get into a great college.
I suggest you maintain good grades, take as rigorous a schedule as you can without going crazy, do the things that interest YOU, and not worry about what your friends are doing. You will get into the best college for you.
I second what @MWolf said above. High school is not about what your friends are doing. It’s about discovering your interests while maintaining a balance of life. Enjoy being a kid as much as possible and keep stress to a minimum.