3.38

You are a good student and will get into a good college. If you want to go to a Top 20 or Top 50 college you are going to have to step it up a bit during high school to a 3.8-3.9.

Your 9th grade is not going to count that much toward your college admissions file so try your best and learn from your mistakes. Learn better studying habits and try to get ahead of your homework and reading assignments as much as possible.

If I were you, I would try to contact some 9th graders or go to the high school before it ends and figure out what textbooks you are going to have next year. Then I would take them out of the library or public library and study them over the summer before school starts so you are ahead in the material before you go to 9th grade. If you know that you are taking Algebra or Geometry, then open a Khan Academy account and study those subjects over the summer. Similarly, if you know you are going to take Spanish 1 or US History, study those subjects as well. Good prep is paramount to your future success.

Good luck.

Personally, I would not hyper-focus on college admissions just yet. I highly suggest you focus on doing very well in your academics and branching out in extracurriculars in 9th grade. Take some honors classes, join some clubs, or try out for a sport. Think of freshman year as a free trial year. Learn from your mistakes (and yes-you will make mistakes, which is 100% okay) and start thinking about which classes you like the most. This can set you up on a pathway to a career in that subject. For example, if you really like science, specifically physics, and are also interested in space, then you may want to pursue a degree and career in astrophysics. If you enjoy writing about current events, you may want to get a degree in journalism and work for a newspaper!

As for academics, I recommend taking some honors classes as a freshman and an AP class as a sophomore (if your school allows sophomores to take AP classes, of course!). If your high school uses a weighted GPA system, these classes will raise your GPA if you excel in them. I took honors classes this year in 10th grade, and even though I had a few B's, I am still maintaining a 4.0 GPA, as my school uses the weighted system.

I'm currently a sophomore and I have a similar outlook to you regarding the college search. I love planning ahead. Right now, I'm currently looking at the career I want to do, and then I am establishing which colleges have the best programs for that career. One thing I've definitely learned in school is that in reality, fit is one of the most important aspects in finding the perfect college/university. When searching, keep these in mind: is it in an area you feel comfortable in? Does it have some really fun and exciting clubs/activities? Can you see yourself feeling comfortable in the dorm rooms? You have to make sure you can see yourself actually going there. :)

Academics and extracurriculars in high school can only tell admissions officers so much about you. It really comes down to those essays and you personally. Make yourself shine!!

As for your current GPA, it seems as though you are a good student. As long as you do your best and truly put in the time and work towards your academics, I can totally see you succeeding in high school. Good luck, and don't put too much pressure on yourself!!

You are off to a good start. You have a long way ahead of you. Colleges mainly look at your highschool years. Maybe you could take more extracurricular and APs during your highschool journey and you might possibly get into the top colleges :)

Just wanted to let you know that colleges aren't going to be looking at middle school GPA's (you don't really have a GPA until high school). Also, the rigor of your high school course work is important, keep in mind that while in high school AP/IB/Dual Credit class count as 6 points and Honors classes count as 5 points, which will make your weighted GPA looks much more impressive. I would recommend taking all the AP classes that you are interested in that are offered at your school and think about Dual Credit options if that is available at your school. You could also talk to your high school counselors about enrolling at a local community college to earn college credits while in high school, which could be appealing to college. Also with the GPA's you have listed you could easily get into most state schools fairly easily. Unless you want to go to more prestigious schools, something around a 3.5 unweighted is more than great.