eleventh grade
Junior year is THE most important year for your college application. Second semester junior year grades are your most crucial grades. So, it is very important to distinguish and prepare yourself!
Step 1: AoPS
Enroll yourself in extra math courses, particularly form the Art of Problem Solving. Buy the books and look into all they have to offer. They are a very detailed math website. For more information, visit my Fifth Grade page, artofproblemsolving.com, and http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/School/recommendations.php#g8up.
Step 2: Competitions
If you are not already involved with competitions, do not worry. However, if you have already started on the competition tract, make sure to continue.
Step 3: Research and Projects
There are many, many competitions open to high schoolers presenting research projects. It is important to start research by junior year, so you can have at least a full year's worth of experience going into college. For more information, visit the ISEF and Davidson Fellows websites.
Additionally, MIT offers two research programs available to two students nationwide.
- RSI: MIT RSI (Research Science Institute) is a six-week summer program in which students work with MIT professors to create graduate-level research projects which they can then enter into competitions. THe requirements are a high PSAT score. It is a very valuable experience! Visit http://www.cee.org/research-science-institute for more info.
- PRIMES-USA: PRIMES-USA is a national year-long mentorship program in which students work with an MIT professor, gaining ideas and information for projects and research. It is a very hands-on and involved program. Visit http://web.mit.edu/primes/ for more information.
Step 4: Scholarships
For a very complete list of junior year scholarships, visit http://www.highscholarships.com/high-school-junior-scholarships.html.
Step 5: Community Service
Because colleges tend to use your two highest years of community service (and most is done junior year), start looking into projects for community service. Community service is more than beach clean-ups. You should try to create a large project, and do something that will create a lasting impression on the people you served.
One example is the OC Scholar newsletter. The founder was a high school student, looking for a service opportunity. She created an academic newsletter that is still running and very up-to-date.
She now attends Harvard.
(See ocscholar.org!)
Step 6: PSAT/SAT/Subject Tests
As I'm sure you've heard, with a PSAT/NMSQT score, you can be offered a National Merit Scholarship. These are highly prestigious and given to very few. Hence, make sure to get a high PSAT score! Additionally, take your SAT I and work for a very high score! Also, take the subject tests for those in which you excel.
(See my Tenth Grade page for links.)
Click here for a list of colleges that require SAT Subject Tests.
Step 7: AP/IB
Obviously, take AP classes junior year, and take the AP tests! Try to get as much credit as you can before college; it's a tremendous money and time saver!
Also, if your school offers an IB program, look into it! Not all colleges accept IB, but look into the schools of your choice and see their AP/IB policies. It might just be the factor that gets you into your dream school!
Which schools accept IB credit? Scroll through the list.
Step 1: AoPS
Enroll yourself in extra math courses, particularly form the Art of Problem Solving. Buy the books and look into all they have to offer. They are a very detailed math website. For more information, visit my Fifth Grade page, artofproblemsolving.com, and http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/School/recommendations.php#g8up.
Step 2: Competitions
If you are not already involved with competitions, do not worry. However, if you have already started on the competition tract, make sure to continue.
Step 3: Research and Projects
There are many, many competitions open to high schoolers presenting research projects. It is important to start research by junior year, so you can have at least a full year's worth of experience going into college. For more information, visit the ISEF and Davidson Fellows websites.
Additionally, MIT offers two research programs available to two students nationwide.
- RSI: MIT RSI (Research Science Institute) is a six-week summer program in which students work with MIT professors to create graduate-level research projects which they can then enter into competitions. THe requirements are a high PSAT score. It is a very valuable experience! Visit http://www.cee.org/research-science-institute for more info.
- PRIMES-USA: PRIMES-USA is a national year-long mentorship program in which students work with an MIT professor, gaining ideas and information for projects and research. It is a very hands-on and involved program. Visit http://web.mit.edu/primes/ for more information.
Step 4: Scholarships
For a very complete list of junior year scholarships, visit http://www.highscholarships.com/high-school-junior-scholarships.html.
Step 5: Community Service
Because colleges tend to use your two highest years of community service (and most is done junior year), start looking into projects for community service. Community service is more than beach clean-ups. You should try to create a large project, and do something that will create a lasting impression on the people you served.
One example is the OC Scholar newsletter. The founder was a high school student, looking for a service opportunity. She created an academic newsletter that is still running and very up-to-date.
She now attends Harvard.
(See ocscholar.org!)
Step 6: PSAT/SAT/Subject Tests
As I'm sure you've heard, with a PSAT/NMSQT score, you can be offered a National Merit Scholarship. These are highly prestigious and given to very few. Hence, make sure to get a high PSAT score! Additionally, take your SAT I and work for a very high score! Also, take the subject tests for those in which you excel.
(See my Tenth Grade page for links.)
Click here for a list of colleges that require SAT Subject Tests.
Step 7: AP/IB
Obviously, take AP classes junior year, and take the AP tests! Try to get as much credit as you can before college; it's a tremendous money and time saver!
Also, if your school offers an IB program, look into it! Not all colleges accept IB, but look into the schools of your choice and see their AP/IB policies. It might just be the factor that gets you into your dream school!
Which schools accept IB credit? Scroll through the list.