What should I do this summer to help me get into college?
Asked by leap_of_faith09I'm a junior in a public high school and the colleges I'm looking at are hard to get into (UC Berkeley, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Haverford, Brown). Right now, I've received one B (all the rest are As), am #3 in my class (and the #1 is only about .06 above me in GPA), and have an SAT score of 1920 (I plan on taking it once or twice more. I take the hardest course available at my public high school. This year I'm taking three AP classes (literature, US history, environmental science and next year I am taking five more. I am the secrectary of environmental club and next year's field hockey captain. This summer, I want to do something to boost my chances of getting into my reach schools. Is it really beneficial to take pre-college programs at places like Cornell, or will it help just as much to take two classes at the community classes? Also, do I have a chance at getting into the colleges I'm looking at or should I lower my standards?
Favorite Answer
Answered by Finnegan
First of all, you are not setting your standards too high if you have an ample amount of extracurriculars or leadership positions and feel taht you can present a good application. Your grades seem good, and your class rank is essentially 1st, since the difference is so minute. Summer involvement is a great idea, and can really make a difference in your application's strength. Community service or a job show that you are reliable and interesting, but you may want to consider even more. You mentioned pre-college programs and summer classes. Pre-college courses are certainly a good thing, but you must realize that these programs are often pricey and do not guarantee your acceptance by any means. I know people who were smart and did them,thinking they'd help, and still didnt get admitted They are certainly beneficial, though. I would recommend summer courses more. They are just as, if not more, impressive, and you will have really accomplished something tangible--something that colleges will see and appreciate. After all, they take a lot of work and ambition, which are qualities that colleges want to recruit. I would also recommend, though, doing something that pertains to your career goals if you can. FOr example, I am interested in medical research, so (i'm a senior in h.s.) last summer i did some biological research (very minor) at a loval college. I don't think you mentioned your career plans, so i cannot really recommend anything, but I think that showing work towards your major is impressive. Lastly, if my own experience helps at all, I am 1st in my small class at a private school, btu am taking only 1 AP (AB Calculus,the only AP course at my school.) my SATs are 2120, and I have about 5 leadership roles and a lot of other extracurriculars. I have heard or acceptances early from the University of Chicago and Georgetown, and deferral from Notre Dame, and am waiting for some others like Penn. Although our statistics are not the same, I think they are similar enough to at least give some idea of acceptances and deferrals into these types of schools. Good luck, you sound like an excellent student and willl do well!
First of all, you are not setting your standards too high if you have an ample amount of extracurriculars or leadership positions and feel taht you can present a good application. Your grades seem good, and your class rank is essentially 1st, since the difference is so minute. Summer involvement is a great idea, and can really make a difference in your application's strength. Community service or a job show that you are reliable and interesting, but you may want to consider even more. You mentioned pre-college programs and summer classes. Pre-college courses are certainly a good thing, but you must realize that these programs are often pricey and do not guarantee your acceptance by any means. I know people who were smart and did them,thinking they'd help, and still didnt get admitted They are certainly beneficial, though. I would recommend summer courses more. They are just as, if not more, impressive, and you will have really accomplished something tangible--something that colleges will see and appreciate. After all, they take a lot of work and ambition, which are qualities that colleges want to recruit. I would also recommend, though, doing something that pertains to your career goals if you can. FOr example, I am interested in medical research, so (i'm a senior in h.s.) last summer i did some biological research (very minor) at a loval college. I don't think you mentioned your career plans, so i cannot really recommend anything, but I think that showing work towards your major is impressive. Lastly, if my own experience helps at all, I am 1st in my small class at a private school, btu am taking only 1 AP (AB Calculus,the only AP course at my school.) my SATs are 2120, and I have about 5 leadership roles and a lot of other extracurriculars. I have heard or acceptances early from the University of Chicago and Georgetown, and deferral from Notre Dame, and am waiting for some others like Penn. Although our statistics are not the same, I think they are similar enough to at least give some idea of acceptances and deferrals into these types of schools. Good luck, you sound like an excellent student and willl do well!
Read more questions about Haverford College
- Top Three Things You Need to Know Now!
- Haverford College Costs
- Degrees offered by Haverford College
- Haverford College Enrollment Information
