I am about to be a junior in high school and I'm still planning out my courses before the first semester starts. I'm trying to decide whether to enroll in Honors U.S. History or AP US History. My interests and strengths are mainly in Math and Science so History is not one of my favorite classes. During my sophomore year I took AP World History and spent most of my time studying for it so I made A's. But in the end it took time away from other classes (although I still made A's in the other classes). I'm worried that if I take AP US this year I won’t be able to focus on the classes that I do like and want to pursue later in life. My parents are pushing me to take AP US because they feel that I can handle it like I did before, but I feel that Honors will be beneficial as well. Taking an Honors History course will make my life less stressful, leave more time to focus on classes I like, but still be challenging for my transcript. Although, I am also worried that if I don't take AP, colleges will not think I challenged myself enough. I can't decide whether I'm being lazy or taking caution for my other classes. Thank you for any advice you can give to help me decide which course is best for me. AP or Honors U.S. History?
Answer: You've done a great job thinking this out, so all I can really do is spell out some options for you, which can be hard to choose from, since we don't know for sure what the colleges will say. I get the feeling you don't want this year to be as busy as next year-- or if it is as busy, you'd like to busy and focused on something other than History. I understand-- but here's the deal. If you take Honors US History, and get As in everything, colleges may--remember, that's may--say "Hey, she took AP World in 10th grade and got all As-- how come she didn't take AP US in 11th?" In other words, they may indeed wonder why you didn't you challenge yourself. On the other hand, if the rest of your courses are demanding, they may look and say "So History wasn't her thing-- she still aced Honors." In fact, you may have the makings of a great application essay-- "I Picked Honors History, and Here's Why." On the other hand, if you take Honors US and get As in everything, and then use the extra energy to produce something extra in the field you care about, that would most likely make a splash. Example-- a student I worked with wasn't in to math, but loved history. She had a choice about math classes, and decided not to take the toughest course; instead, she took the second toughest math class, and devoted her extra energies into preparing a research paper to be published in a scholarly journal. You can do the same thing. If you go Honors US, and end up being an intern in a research lab (if science is your thing) or getting some of your poetry published (if it's English) or finding a way to get people I don't even know to stop e-mailing me and asking me to by a Rolex (if it's computers), you've got a tangible product. The idea is to challenge yourself as much as you can without driving yourself crazy or hating the life you've created-- in fact, you want to be productive and busy *and* happy; think about that goal, and you'll make the right decision...and if nothing else, you have a promising career in college counseling. Nice thinking!
I am a current junior. I attend a really rigorous Math and Science High School. Also, I skipped a grade and will only have 3 years of high school. It is very hard to get straight A's. Last year (sophomore year) first semester, I got 2 A's, 3 B+'s and one C. Second Semester I got, 2 A's, 1 A-, and 3 B+'s. I was wondering if my grades are good enough to get into colleges such as Northwestern and Washington University. I have won 20 awards in math and science sophomore year. So that might help.
My questions are, will colleges take into consideration that 1. I attended the most rigorous high school taking all the hardest classes and 2. I skipped 9th grade, so I needed an adjustment period. Also do I have a shot at Northwestern?
Answer: It sounds like you're doing some great work at your school-- this is particularly impressive, since you skipped 9th grade, so congratulations!
The big question colleges will want to know is if you have taken the most challenging classes the school has to offer. Many students with 3 years of high school graduate without having taken the toughest classes; as a result, most of the highly selective colleges will look at that applicant and wonder why they didn't just stay in high school for another year. Since you skipped 9th grade, it sounds like you might be on your way to taking the most challenging classes in the school-- if so, that's great, because that is *the* factor for places like Wash U and Northwestern.
While your high school counselor probably knows more about Northwestern (since it's in Illinois), I would say you're on track to be competitive. Generally, applicants to Northwestern have GPAs that are a little higher than yours is right now-- but it sounds like you are working on that, which is great. 20 awards in sophomore year is pretty amazing-- if you can keep that up, and continue to expand the students you're competing against (state-wide, national, international) that will also help. Finally, if there's a chance to do some research and get it published, that is a huge plus for most selective schools-- if there is a professor nearby who needs a research assistant, go for it!
I would also encourage you to visit both campuses, and be in contact with them regularly. Some colleges include a student's interest in the college as a factor in an admissions decision, so you want to show them you really are interested. Of course, you don't want to drive them crazy, or call for no reason at all; but if you managed to go to campus a few times to look at various points of interest (research labs, etc.), that would establish your interest, and help you determine if that college is really for you. I hope this is of help...do well!
Can I take a year or two off in between high school years, i.e. between the US 10th- and 11th-Grade? And, can you please tell me the distinctions/differences between home-schooling and taking a year off since I'm thinking of studying on my own (Advanced Courses), doing scientific researches, patenting my products, learning graphic/web designing and so on during the year off? The way I see it that it doesn't have much difference. So, how can I explain to the universities that I'm taking a year off and not homeschooling myself, i.e. I'm still not in the 11th Grade yet.
Answer: There are a couple of differences. The biggest one has to do with how many years of education you'll be getting. If you take a year off, then go back for 11tn and 12th grade, you would actually have 4 years of schooling and a year off. If you go through a home schooling program, you would have 4 years of schooling without a year off.
The other difference is that taking a year off in high school is pretty unusual-- some students end up doing this because of health issues, or because they moved around a lot, but this isn't a very large number. If you're wondering if colleges like to see this kind of thing, it's a lilttle hard to say, since they don't see it very often, and taking a year off is usually not done for academic reasons-- on the other hand, if you tell colleges you took a year to patent products and learn things on your own, they may see that as great initiative on your part!
In order to get a good idea about what to do, I would suggest you call the colleges you're thinking of going to, and ask them which they would like to see-- four years of schooling plus a year off to do massive independent study, or four years of schooling, with one of them being home schooling. If you choose to call this a home schooling year, you'll want to look into the homeschooling organizations that have homeschooling curriculum-- that may provide some of the structure you need to make the year a success. Lots of students are homeschooled now, so colleges can tell you how you would view a year of homeschooling.
Either way you go, I hope you will let your heart guide you-- if this is something you really want to do, there will be a college that will respect that, and think it's pretty cool, and that's the college that's for you! So ask around and see the best way to do it- but do it!
As a student looking to apply to colleges, what do you think is the best application to submit. The Common Application, or the application directly related to the college/university?
Answer: If you're going to apply to more than one college that accepts Common App, I would recommend the Common App. Colleges that accept either their own application or the Common App agree to review both applications the same way-- in other words, they aren't going to look at a Common App student and say "Oh, he only applied to our college because he was also applying somewhere else." There was a bit of a cotrvoersy about this 5 years ago, when some colleges allegedly did discriminate against Common App-- but I haven't heard anything like that since then. In fact, some colleges have now made the Common App their *only* app!
Of course, the only thing to keep an eye on with Common App is supplements-- extra questions a college wants you to answer that aren't on the Common App. This usually happens when a college has an extra essay for you to answer, so you have to make sure to submit the Common App and the supplement. How do you find out if a college has a Common App supplement? Go to their admissions Web site-- the answer should be there.
I'm a high school junior who is very interested in attending Northeastern University. At the end of sophomore year my average was approximately 92% and I was in a rigorous science program at a top specialized high school in NYC. There I was involved in many extracurriculars and was in leadership positions. I had a summer tutoring volunteer job. Then this summer my family relocated to Florida. My new school does not offer many extra curricular activities, and I'm struggling to find something to join. My grades have slipped a little bit while I'm adjusting to my new location which is extremely different from what I'm accustomed to. Will this reflect poorly on my college application? Or will I be able to explain the slight drop (and huge transcript issues because of different class curricula and grading systems) in the personal statement? I really want to go to NEU pharmacy school and will need a great deal of financial aid/ scholarships.
I am applying to volunteer for the Red Cross and I am taking 2 APs and well as several honors classes in addition to a computers elective and a required Personal Fitness class (I need it for graduation). Next yr I intend to take English honors, newspaper, AP Calc B/C, AP Macro, American Govt. Honors, AP Span Lang, Forensics Honors, and Psychology 1 or Anatomy and Physiology Honors. Do you think I even stand a chance? According to a GPA converter my gpa is approximately a 3.73 and if I can score a 2200 on the SAT in January as well as raise my GPA to a 3.8 then I will be above the minimum requirements for a full scholarship to NEU.
Also the school considers diversity, and I'm a multi-ethnic person. Any additional info on what I can do to help ensure admission is greatly appreciated. (more info: a 4 on AP biology exam soph yr., 550 sat 2 world history (I know this is a very low score.), 650 biology sat 2, and participated in the NYC science and engineering fair with a proposal on the disease HSAN 1). Thanks for any advice!
Answer: Wow! I would say you are doing a great job of covering the landscape. You've shown great poise in making a transition to a new school and environment, you're creating opportunities outside the classroom where very few exist, and your grades look solid (50% of admits to NEU last year had a GPA between 3.3 and 3.9).
I don't know that I have much to add-- these are very minor points, so if they don't make sense, I would say you're still doing great! Here goes:
* Build a good relationship with your school counselor. Part of their letter to NEU should talk about how well you made your transition-- this is good for colleges to know, since transition is a key part to a successful first year of college, and many students don't have that kind of experience. If you keep in touch with your counselor (maybe once a month-- don't be a nag) and let them know what you're up to outside of class, that wll help a great deal.
* If you see the need for an extracurricular at school, start it. It's one thing to join an existing group and be its leader, but its another to start something from scratch that benefits students besides you and will last after you leave. You want to start something that's of interest to you-- a club, a sports group, or perhaps some kind of science-based or pharmacy-based study group or team. If you have any connections from your old school, they may have some suggestions on national student science clubs to start.
* This is a big if, but if there's a university with a pharmacy program nearby, see if you can do some work as a research assistant. I've had students do this (especially over the summer, when college students aren't around to help) and it can be-- that's can be-- a real bonus on an application. If that could lead into getting some recognition in published research, that would truly rock.
* Get in touch with NEU, if you haven't already. Getting on their mailing list can keep you informed of events or admissions visits in your area-- and those can be of great help.
* In addition to going for the scholarship (go for it!), check out www.finaid.org, and see if there are some scholarships there you qualify for. It's a great place to start a hunt.
* Finally, I hope you will enjoy all of what you're doing. To reach a goal, you sometimes have to do things you aren't crazy about-- but if your four years of high school are only about doing all these things you don't like, that's not great. Be sure to take some time to catch your breath, enjoy the opportunities you have and some time with your family, and appreciate your fellow students-- those are keys to a great life and a great transition to what's next.
Currently I am a college freshman. I graduated from a private college prep high school with a 4.0 g.p.a. which was 3rd in my class. Also included in that g.p.a. was 12 hours of college credit at a 4.0 g.p.a.(my 4.0 was consistent for the entire 4 years of high school as well) --- surprisingly, I scored only a 27 on my ACT ( yes, I tried more than three times to accomplish it)- and therefore did not get the free ticket to nearly any college of my choice - so I settled with a local University with about 1/2 of my tuition provided. My question to you, (aside from all the unfortunate things I have to say about how the ACT standardized testing did not reflect my high school history or my college potential) is this: What are the best things I can to do to receive scholarship money next year and the year after that?
Answer: I'm sorry you got caught in the "great grades, less great scores" trap-- but a 27 isn't shabby work!
There are two things you want to do. First, go to your school's financial aid office, and ask if there are scholarships available to upperclassmen that aren't available to freshmen. The answer is likely to be yes-- once you are at a college, they do everything they can to keep you there, including offer you money. You'll also want to create a good mentoring relationship with a professor in the field you're studying-- this can lead to access to internships or teaching assistantships that are usually assigned by the department, not the financial aid office.
The second place to go is www.finaid.org. This is the best Web site with all of those unusual scholarships, and there may-- that's may-- be some for students currently in college. It's worth the 10 minutes to look.
Of course, these answers are based on the assumption you're staying at your current college. If not, ask the college you're transferring to if they offer transfer scholarships; usually these are reserved for community college students, but it's worth asking.
