Students Stressing Over College Prep

“hey yall! needed advice. I'm a junior and I'm planning to apply for a summer program in the US. I already applied to one but I think I'm not getting in because it's pretty selective. Are there any alternative good humanities programs I could possibly apply for? I am planning for an Econ major but I love all sorts of humanities. I'm thinking of applying to Brown's summer school too. Lemme know if yall have any advice! submitted by /u/Fake_Account_0151 [link] &#”

“Hey everyone! I'm an international student from India currently in Grade 12, applying to US universities for Fall 2027. I'm most likely planning to pursue Finance, and I'm trying to figure out which colleges would be the best fit for me, both academically and in terms of the overall college experience. For context, my IB predicted score is around 38/45 , although my Grade 11 final score was around 31. My grades improved after I started preparing more seriously. I also have a 1440 SAT”

“My son goes to a pressure cooker elite public high school in NYC, does well academically, and can apply ED0. the issue is, he has expressed reservations because of Chicago's reputation as a nerdy grind school where kids talk about philosophy at parties. I'm wondering how true this type of stereotype is for Chicago, and if there is anyone who is super smart but maybe is looking for a less quirky experience exists there. submitted by /u/Individual_Ad_7085 [link] [comments”

“Hi all. I've always been pretty interested in math which has lead to me spending a decent amount of time in competitive math. Last year, I aime qualed (couldn't take aime because covid :( but is ok). I want to try to apply for SUMAC this year but I don't know how to prepare for it's proof based questions. Any tips? Is it even worth applying at my level? Thanks. submitted by /u/SilverDonut3992 [link] [comments]”

“Our competitive NYC high school PTA held a seminar that included a few college admissions advisors/consultants. I'm following up with a few now but having a hard time evaluating whether they are actually useful. The graduate coaches they recommended so far seem a bit light weight and the former admissions officer have been out of the game for over 10 years. Has anyone used a counselor they actually found helpful who "knew the system" in new york and can understand how to navigate t”

“Im currently a senior in high school who is beginning to start applying to colleges. I've always been interested in going pre-med or pre-dental, and hopefully becoming a dermatologist or potentially an orthodontist. Right now, i'm a little unsure of what exactly I should be majoring in. Preferably, I would like to major in a science related field. Im hoping to major in either Biology, or Microbiology and I wanted to get some feedback on the rigor of each major, and also if there are any”

“I like the idea of helping students connect course choices to career paths. It’s a huge decision, and it's useful to have a starting point that feels more personal than a generic list. One thing I'd make really clear in the free preview is why a course matched, so students can judge whether the recommendations feel grounded before paying.”

“Hey everyone, I am currently studying in high school here in Europe, and I am thinking of trying to send my application to Stanford- at least try it. I want to be a bit prepared, though. So I was wondering if there is a student who could help me with that and is open to lessons or just talking about it. It would be great if it could be more focused on the SAT and essays. It would be paid; that's a sure thing. If anyone is interested, shoot me a Reddit DM! Thank you! Wish you the best of luck”

“For seniors or parents- My son is a sophomore and starting to look at college more seriously. He's at a public school, has strong grades, taking IB prep, plays sports, and deep into community service. He'll take majority IB classes but still deciding on the diploma... he's not sure. I want to help him navigate the college application process once we get there since my parents were very supportive but didn't know anything about it. I'm confident that he will go deeper into thi”

“Hi! I'll be applying to college soon and want some help gathering match/target schools that have good neuroscience programs, as I am having trouble finding them myself. All recommendations are greatly appreciated, and thank you for your time! submitted by /u/raedemarse [link] [comments]”

“My son is a senior at a cutthroat high school in Socal. UW GPA 3.9 & W 4.23. He is very good at Stem subjects but did get a few Bs for English. 9 APs in total, got one 4 and 5 for all other APs. He does not like clubs or competitions. No leadership or rewards at all. He LOVES video games and spends at least 3+ hours every single day. While his friends always struggle for homework, he never worries about it- very rare for him to do homework at home. I don’t know how he finished his homework b”

“I want to study economics next year and have to submit my UCAS application this Jan. Tbh my profile is average. After my midterms, I'm going to do a course, try to find an internship, and write a research paper. While scrolling on Reddit for how to write a research paper and how the process works, I saw many people say it's overrated for high school students and that it's better to do something else. Is that true? If so, what extracurriculars would you recommend? submitted by &”

“For context, I'm a person with a strong academic background: (currently the highest GPA in my class at a really competitive public school- top 100 nationwide by many rankings), 1540 SAT (800 math and 740 ERW; (ERW is on the lower side because I immigrated to the United States relatively recently, just in 2023, and I came with almost zero knowledge of English and almost no close relatives to support me in learning, so I couldn't reach exceptional levels of my English skills within the giv”

“could be about anything like ecs, mental health, academics, study habits, time management submitted by /u/Distinct-Most9153 [link] [comments]”

“Hi Reddit, My daughter is a rising senior and getting ready to apply for college. Unlike many here I don't think she's pining for a top 20 school or Ivy League, but she's a good student and focused on doing well in school. She took the SATs and I'd say she got an average score (about 1200). She's planning on taking again but not putting in a ton of work to improve. So I wouldn't expect much above a 1300. She's a wonderful kid, has a 4.0 gpa (unweighted, as they don&#3”

“Hello everyone! I need some advice on classes I should be taking in high school that would look better on my college application. I’m currently thinking about majoring in finance, and I just wanted advice on classes I should take. I have the option to choose between Physics (with a lab period one day a week) or AP Macro and Microeconomics. The AP Macro and Micro classes are taken through Apex Online Learning, but they still count for credits at my school as the school pays for the classes. Macro”

“Hi everyone, looking for some insight from parents, high schoolers, or guidance counselors who have navigated the math acceleration path. My son is entering 9th grade starting in Geometry Honors , with Algebra 2 Honors lined up for 10th grade. The standard track gets him to Pre-Calc in 11th and AP Calc (AB/BC) in 12th grade, which is good, but we’re trying to figure out the best strategy to free up bandwidth so he can hit AP Calc BC earlier (11th) and unlock post-calculus courses like Multivaria”

“i'm trying to organize my ec's and i have over 10 (with varying levels of commitment) within and without my high school. most are related to my major. the external ec's are ones i've had for a shorter amount of time and honestly a little bit underdeveloped (i can get decent metrics by november) but matter more to me. the internal ones i've had for longer but i'm not super involved with them or at least anymore (many of them i'm just a member) so should i go for the re”

“I'm a 10th grader and see these insane ec's on chanceme and I'm wondering if I need to step my game up. I started volunteering at my local hospital in August but I'm going to switch to a different one as the one I started in August is switching to summer only and doesnt fit with my sports scheduele so im dropping that in early november. Once I turn 16 I plan to volunteer at my local animal shelter or food bank (haven't chose yet) and rejoin a different hospital volunteering p”

“Hey everyone! This is my first reddit post!! I’m currently a freshman aiming for a strong STEM/Biology pathway (looking toward a PhD in biotech or something similar down the road) and looking to get into top-tier schools like Columbia or Johns Hopkins. I want to make sure I’m laying the right groundwork early on without getting burned out or chasing useless "checkbox" activities. Here is where I’m currently at: Academics: Geometry Accelerated Earth & Space Science AP Human Geograph”

“HMS meaning Harvard, MIT, Stanford. I'm a junior if that changes anything. 800 math 740 reading. 1540 is possibly the worst score I could've gotten, as it puts me in a dilemma. A 1540 is still a great score, don't get me wrong, but it's also still below average at these schools. A 1560 I would've been content with. A 1550... a bit on the fence. But a 1540 is right below that threshold, not bad but not comfortably good. Do I retake? submitted by /u/Miserable-Can938”

“Our high school is offering DE courses for the first time. My daughter is a senior - I can't decide if she should take advantage of this or just let it go. Thoughts? submitted by /u/Charliepuggy [link] [comments]”

“I'm a current junior, and I feel like I got all the hard stuff out of the way freshman and sophomore year. I got a 1550 SAT sophomore year (790 math, 760 reading). I've taken Calc BC (5), Calc III (A), and Linear Algebra (A). However, recently, I've been opting out of some "harder" classes. I opted not take IB Physics (The only physics course in our school), half because I don't like algebra-based physics, half because I was lazy I'm also really on the fence about t”

“I'm a humanities major. I've exhausted all my schools language offerings, and I took Chemistry my sophomore year. For context, my school is hyper-competitive, and classes like Lang and Calc are notoriously difficult. It's also very stem-focused, so not any real humanities offerings. My junior year schedule is currently: AP English Lang AP Calc BC AP US History AP Biology AP Art History (visual arts graduation requirement) Physics Honors How is this level of rigor for a junior aiming”

“Let's start with this. I go to a very competitive and small school (only junior and senior year), where roughly 60% of the school gets straight As. I did NOT get straight As, I got a B in math. I have high AP scores and a perfect SAT math as well as an excuse for the B, regardless, I have a B. I know it's just a B, but 60% get straight As!!! Luckily, this school does not report class rank nor GPA. Moving on, I have very strong ecs, awards, recs and essays (hopefully), and straight As oth”

“hi. I'm a junior in HS and I took trig/calc A last year and did not do well. I decided to take BC anyways because I felt like I wasn't as focused last year + I wanted to show upward growth + I've usually been good at math. Now I'm worried that I won't be able to do well enough without putting in a crazy amount of effort and with rigourous ec's and 5 other AP's idk if I will be able to manage all that. I'm also worried this might be my plateau in math! I was just w”

“I’m an incoming sophomore attending a top 20 highschool in the U.S, and I’m trying to pursue finance/business. I’m personally targeting Baruch’s Zicklin Business school as it’s affordable and it still offers great opportunities. My parents want me to push towards a school like NYU’s stern or UPenn Wharton, even if it means that I potentially take on tons of debt. Background info: I’m personally struggling with my mental health and I’m can’t see myself pushing further to get into a top business s”

“how bad is it to not take calc in HS if i intend on pursuing medicine? science rigor is good but senior year rigor is a bit standard due to mental health issues submitted by /u/L0veHteRelati0nship [link] [comments]”

“Hello, I’m an IB student, who’s an american citizen looking into mid range colleges to apply. I wanna take Biology as my degree with a track of premed. I also want something in the city cause i think it’ll be my only shot to maybe get a career in singing and try to do more shit outside of college. I’m also trying to apply for aid. Overall my grades were pretty average during highschool. My pg is around ~34. althought my ECs were amazing. I was looking into colleges like Hunter college, Case west”

“Hi! I’m a sophomore in high school and I’m trying to plan my classes for the next few years. I’m interested in going into pre-med (more specifically emergency care/internal medicine). I’m also doing dual enrollment, so I’m taking college classes alongside my high school classes. Right now, my high school schedule is: 2 AP classes (AP Pre-Cal & AP Chemistry) 3 AICE classes (AICE Psychology A , AICE European History, & AICE English Language AS) And through dual enrollment, I’m taking 4 col”

“Hiii I'm going to be a senior, and I have yet to figure out my schedule lol. For reference, my school only allows 3 APs per year. Currently, I have calc bc and psych confirmed. I'm also hoping to major in public health. I listed out the possibilities and really would like some guidance. school hasn't started so can't ask my gc. I know some colleges also like 4 years of foreign language Option 1: Half year AP Macro+Chinese 4 *(AP Chinese self-study) Option 2: Regular Econ+ AP Chin”

“I'm an international student passionate about mathematics. submitted by /u/user2039381 [link] [comments]”

“Hi I'm a senior applying to college this fall, but throughout high school, I've basically done zero college planning and haven't looked into colleges at all until now. Applying, I realized I have no idea what colleges I want to apply to or attend. I am really hoping some of you could help give some suggestions! Here's a little bit more about me: In high school, I followed my passion for math - leading me to be interested in physics and sciences in general. I realized early on tha”

“Hi! I'm a freshman who just started high school. I'm also attending an international school outside of the US. I want to go to top universities, not just in US but worldwide, and get merit scholarships. But I'm honestly lost in what I have to do in high school for unis. For context, I want to apply to engineering majors (US unis, NUS, NTU, Yonsei UIC, KAIST, etc) I understand I have to have a good GPA , good SAT score, take AP classes, do clubs, leadership (in school clubs), but I do”

“Hey! Would appreciate any advice. I'm taking DE calc 2, linear algebra, and calc-based physics 1 at CC, AP lang, and AP gov as my core classes. I wasn’t planning on taking a 3rd year of language (Latin) bc my HS doesn’t offer it with a teacher bc there’s genuinely like 5 kids who took Latin 2 and theres no demand for it. You take it online and are pretty much teaching yourself advanced Latin. ( doesn’t sound fun to me esp with my stem classes) My dream school (t25) has 2yrs of language as a”

“Most aren't very high up on rankings but based on prestige, and to get the most out of the experience, which schools would you recommend looking into? I've done a lot of research into a few but want to hear more opinions. There aren't any more options since it'd be for a year abroad. California Lutheran University Clemson University Colorado School of Mines Drexel University Nazareth University Rhodes College Salve Regina University University of Florida University of Kansas Univ”

“Hi everyone, looking for a reality check on my senior year schedule and course rigor. I plan on applying to all my schools as a drama/theatre major, and my target school is UVA (and other similarly selective colleges). I took IB Math Applications SL early, and finished SL 2 in my junior year (got an A- both years). I also just generally dislike math and struggle with it. For senior year, I’m currently planning to take a Dual Enrollment Pre-Calculus w/Trig (1.0 GPA boost, same as an IB). But my c”

“Hi y'all! Long time reader, first time poster. My oldest is a HS senior and college applications are around the corner so I figured I would tap the group's expertise. What are suggestions / best practices / pit falls to avoid, etc.? What is something you wish you knew before/during your kid(s) college application? Any FAFSA secrets? Drop some knowledge on me, anything you want to share is appreciated. submitted by /u/comomellamo [link] [comments]”

“So I’m currently going into my sophomore year, and it’s a dream/goal of mine to get into a T10 school for undergrad, like Johns Hopkins or Stanford. Over the summer, I’ve been trying to study for competitions, work on research, etc., but I’ve realized that I’ve been pretty inefficient and have found myself constantly comparing my progress to other people’s. I know that I’m often comparing my beginning to someone else’s months or even years of work, but I still find myself worrying that I’m falli”

“I'm helping my child set his schedule for 11th grade. Due to challenges with HS classes and periods classes are offered, here's what we're looking at (difference from original in bold): Original Plan: Stat 101 (DE), Business 001 (DE), AP Euro, AP Eng Lang, Advanced Calc, AP Physics C, Spanish 3 H, Advanced Broadcast Journalism Option 1: Stat 101 (DE), Business 001 (DE), AP Environmental Sci , AP Eng Lang, Advanced Calc, AP Physics 1 , Spanish 3 H, Advanced Broadcast Journalism Option”

“hi, i’m a rising senior whose very indecisive and i need a good list of schools to apply to i want to go into finance so looking for schools with good job placement. preferably a school somewhere along the atlantic coast but open to as far as midwest. i’m for CT so for safeties i have a pretty good lock on at least fairfield U and Uconn (parents are alumni and have grandparents that taught there). i feel like it’s easy to stack a list of reach colleges but im not super sure where to look for tar”

“For context, in my area, high school starts in Grade 10 and not Grade 9 (weird Canadian province). I'm entering Grade 11 in three weeks. I'm aiming for fairly high-level universities cause my dad went to Cambridge and I feel like I have to be around that caliber lol. My school offers 17 AP classes but due to scheduling conflicts I can only fit 5 in my schedule (3 in Grade 11, 2 in Grade 12). I'm self-studying for an additional 5 AP exams to take this year. I already have background i”

“As a sophomore my son took ap calc ab, ap psych, ap gov, ap csp, and apes. Now, as a junior, we are planning courses. We know fs we are taking micro, bio, and bc, but we don’t know what else to take as we are doing dual enrollment for English and history in the cc. What to do? He wants to do AP Chem or physics 1. our physics c teacher is AWFUL, so therefore I’m not advising him to take that, as I know how concept based it is. We are aiming for top level universities, and also want to give time f”

“My son is currently a freshman in high school. He has been dreaming about going to MIT.He wanted to accelerate to precalculus honors in freshman year so he can take multivariate calculus in junior year at a neighborhood community college. His application will be anchored on math, as that’s what he wants to do. His fellow math buddies who are similar level motivated as him in math have all accelerated to pre calculus honors. However my son did not clear the placement test to accelerate and will E”

“Hey Reddit friends. Have a kid, a rising senior, that just got back from a year in Germany through CBYX. He did great but his US high school counted the grades he got in Germany 1 for 1. In other words, he got mostly As and Bs and one C... but he was taking the classes in German, a brand new language to him. His 4.0 from his first two years will now be about a 3.8. We're hoping that the 1/2% acceptance rate and the program itself will outweigh the knock on his GPA, but wondering what you all”

“I'm a upcoming senior in high school, trying to seek some suggestions for where to apply. For context, I am a LA public high school student, 4.0uw and 4.5w, mid EC's/awards but no research/intern. My activities surrounded chemistry because I was interested for chem, but for my career I decided being a doctor is my best fit (considering personality and career stability). My family income is low, but family assets is pretty high so I can't qualify for any need-based aid, my parents wil”

“I want to get into an Ivy League (Harvard or Stanford) and want to go the medical route. I need tips on what to do in high school, but please start with simple must-dos and go to better and more important things. Right now for sure, I'm doing the following. (In High School) Piano in Korea for 5 years (will continue) In the top St. Cecilia Music Center Youth Orchestra (Philharmonic) at a younger age (14) Taking AP World History to understand how people developed in the past. (Our school does”

“hi guys i need help :( as a rising sophomore should i take my school's advanced orch (guaranteed to be principal player if i do) or should i take an extra ap course (i'm taking ap euro + i'm a humanities kid and the teacher is easy so i'll probably do very good)? having an extra ap course would definitely boost my weighted gpa but also missing out on a year of orch means that i'll have one less year (of school orch, of regions/all-state orch, pit orch etc) when i mention my m”

“i go to a pretty competitive high school (nothing absolutely insane, but still), and i'd say i'm pretty smart. i've had straight a's throughout high school, scored a 1540 on the sat in 9th grade, and qualified for usamo. but that's basically it. then i look at other kids in my grade and, even though i don't think they're that much smarter than me, they're taking a ridiculous number of ap classes, running some huge 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and somehow publishing isef p”

“okay, international high school junior here - really interested in business, finance, economics, math. I have amazing grades, decent ECs that I'm building but one really bad issue. so my school system/board provided the opportunity to drop science (physics, chemistry, biology) before high school (9th grade) and take up business and economics with math as the replacement subjects. now that really fucks up my application because I apparently don't have the basic requirements. now the only”

“So I am in 12th right now studying commerce with applied math and I was thinking of making a college list for the colleges I want to apply to I was planning to either do acca or cfa in the future along with the undergraduate degree I was thinking of b.com(hons), BAF, bsc in finance and even BFM what do you think is the most suitable? And what colleges do you think I should put on the list? Cause I am sure I am going to get between 85 to 90 percent in my boards not more submitted by /”

“do you have any suggestions for what should be done over the summer/before the start of the school year? submitted by /u/Odd_Tea_1455 [link] [comments]”

“Hey guys! I'm currently g10 rising to g11 and my mom wants to get a counselor for me soon. The organisation offers research with ivy league mentors, but I'm not sure if its actually necessary for applications, can any currently undergrad student be open to share their ECs, the major they wanted to take & the school they got into? I'm just hella lost right now. Thank you!! submitted by /u/Major-Character2615 [link] [comments]”

“Hi, this is very long, so, sorry in advance, but if anybody would be willing to give me some advice/outside perspective it would be very very much appreciated. I'm a rising senior this year and have toured a few univeristies, but I'm also very indecisive at nature and I am so unbelievably paranoid that I'll make the wrong choice. For context: I am very interested in the arts. I absolutely love creating, specifically painting and pottery, and it would be my dream to do something with”

“hi all! throughout high school over the summers i have taken some high school classes through ut austin high school just to get some credits in, but i'm applying to a couple schools that require you to self report courses and grades and i'm wondering how i should report these since they weren't taken at my school, but i didn't technically attend any other high school if that makes sense? submitted by /u/wowCAT12345 [link] [comments]”

“hi! I'm a rising junior in NYC interested in majoring in neuroscience / doing research in epilepsy. I'm taking my first SAT this October, just started studying and I got a 1040 on the practice 4 SAT with no prep, calculator, and idk how to use desmos. i took algebra 2 and geometry my sophomore year (doubled up) and currently doing a mid neurology internship @ columbia (accomplished). i want to use the rest of my summer wisely, but I'm also worried I'll be slacking on SAT studying”

“Can anyone recommend a good workbook that can take a student through the college search process? Admissions advice/prep seems abundant, but I am looking for something that precedes that. I imagine it must exist, I may just be searching wrong. So can anyone point me in a good direction? I’m thinking that the book would lead you through questions such as why you want to go to college; what you prioritize; then the financial questions; the geographical questions; and guide you from there to help yo”

“Hi! I'm an upcoming freshman in college planning to major in finance. and I want to prepare my TMAY for future competitive business clubs. I'm trying to keep it under a minute but let me know if I can add anything. Also my second to last paragraph seems too broad, if theres anything finance specific things you would suggest me to add I'd love to know. Lastly please give me any suggestions, feedback about my TMAY or anything in general. Thanks! Hi, my name is __, and I’m a business st”

“NOW is the time to figure out if you can afford the school you got into. Not August when tuition is due. NOW. (Ideally you should have had these discussions when applying but here we are.) Talk to your parents. Talk to financial aid. Read the student loans subreddit. Understand how the money will work and where it comes from and your repayment obligations. I can’t count the number of “omg tuition is due tomorrow and I didn’t get enough financial aid! What do I do?!” panicked posts in late summer”