How can I up my academic game?Answered
I am an upcoming sophmore in high school and I'm a pretty average student, I want to know how to become a better student that can impress colleges more. I already do dance as an extracurricular, but I feel I could do so much more. I tend to compare myself to others because I'd see all my friends doing so much better than me. Especially SAT all my friends started prepping in 8th grade summer, but I only started to think about SAT the summer of my freshman year. I also didn't take a single ap or honors class in my freshman year, so that made me realize that I should try taking at least 1 or 2 ap or honors classes in my sophmore year. I even tried taking courses over the summer, but nothing screams "I'm an amazing student!" I'm also planning to email a few professors from colleges to see if I can join in any research programs. Especially if you have asian parents the pressure is a lot on you. Can someone please tell me how to become a better student, and I don't want to hear advice like this again and again; "just pay attention in class more and take notes."
-Thank You!
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3 answers
Hello, I have a couple of things to say
1) Of course you should start early, but prepping for SAT a couple of years later than your friends won't kill you. I think you have a lot of time to prep since you are a rising Sophmore
2) Taking AP and Honors classes is good. Take as many as you can, but try and aim for classes that you are interested in as well (For example, if you wanted to be a journalist, don't take a bunch of AP STEM classes because it makes you look smart, take some writing classes instead)
3) Colleges usually look for kids with a good amount of community service, and with kids with a good list of extracurriculars. I would pick clubs/activities that interest you. I would also try to sign up for competitions because they usually seem impressive for colleges. If you can't find anything that interests you, maybe make your own club. Making your own club will be impressive for the colleges.
I would check these websites for clubs/research/etc.
blog.collegevine.com/50-clubs-and-activities-9th-graders-can-join
blog.collegevine.com/research-opportunities-high-school
lumiere-education.com/post/25-summer-research-programs-for-high-school-students-in-2022
teenlife.com/category/summer/?program-type=summer
summer.harvard.edu/high-school-programs/
I would also check for opportunities on college websites. They usually have research opportunities, internships, summer programs, etc.
Just try and continue)
Hey there @nsarvani08!
I'm also a rising sophomore trying to figure out how to impress colleges in upcoming years, so I wanted to chime in even though this question has already been answered.
1. As @victoria-0987 said, community service is pretty important for most colleges. Over this summer and next, try to find summer camps, libraries, food & clothing banks, and animal shelters that may need volunteers. It's a great way to get volunteer hours and if you pick a cause you're interested in, it can be really fun. I've gotten over 160 volunteer hours this summer alone by volunteering at a summer arts camp in my town, so try looking for something similar.
2. Dance is a great extracurricular! Competitions, performances, and increased training hours will make you appear more dedicated to colleges, so aim to do one of those things this year. Try to join some clubs at school or take up an instrument, join a sports team, or take up theatre or scouts if you need some more activities.
3. School-wise, try to take as many honors/AP classes as you're comfortable taking. During freshman year I took four honors classes and no APs, which was the maximum amount of honors classes and no APs were offered to freshmen. In sophomore year I will be taking three honors classes and one AP classes, which are the highest-level courses offered for that grade. Don't take an honors math class if you struggle with math, however; try to stick to things that you're interested in.
4. If your school offers a PSAT or Pre-ACT to sophomores, take it. If not, both College Board (which makes the SAT) and the ACT website have free practice tests that you can take with answer keys. You probably don't need to worry too much about these tests yet, as they usually aren't taken until junior year. I try to take a practice SAT and ACT twice a year from their website, just so I have a benchmark to see what I need to work on.
5. Joining a summer research program would be great! You could also try a pre-college program at a university, take dual-enrollment classes, or attend a workshop next summer in an area you're interested in. These are great programs!
You're right, the pressure can be a lot, but if you focus on activities and classes you enjoy and don't overload yourself, it can be a great experience!
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Tysm ! This was very helpful and I will make sure to use some of the links u have listed.