redacted

[ilove2eatsand]

-

Edited December 15, 2022 by ilove2eatsand

[Zack Morris]

Yeah it's never too late to do extracurricular around the school, I joined my schools student council my junior year and that really helped when it came to apply to schools/scholarships. Also doing work in the community looks really good especially if it's a longish-term thing.

I think you should think about college as what will most benefit you, and I know it's hard to not take other people's opinions to heart. But they're not the ones who are gonna be living on campus and dealing with all the shit that comes with different universities. Once I started to look into colleges that met my needs rather than which ones everyone hyped up it definitely made my path clearer and less stressful. Like I was able to focus on what other people did to get into my current school, their essay, etc. I can't give you any academic stress advice tho because I just suffered. 

and I hope this kinda helped and if you any specific questions I'd be glad to answer them! 

[pace]

I used to stress about the school I would get into when I was a senior in high school, but really, when you're looking for a job, GPA and the school you graduated from aren't as big a deal as you think it is. Employers really are looking more for the experience and skillsets you have. 

I would say moreso than good grades or extracurricular activities, schools are really looking to see your resilience in college apps when doing those statements/questions they have. They want to know what are the things you've struggled with and how you have tackled those problems. Do you have the coping strategies and problem solving skills to overcome hurdles especially ones you may face during your time at the university? They also want to see where your interests lie and what initiatives you've taken to further that passion of yours. 

When you're looking into a university, maybe consider one that is ranked decently at least for the major of your choice. There are some universities that have contracts with companies so if you are a part of a certain major and graduated from that uni, you are most definitely guaranteed at least an interview for that company right after graduation. If you are really dead set on going to a specific school like an Ivy League and don't get into it, you can try going to a community college first and transfer over. Lastly, I know there's probably a lot of pressure to go to a certain kind of school, but just go where you want to go. Do what's best for you because it is your life!

University is just an extended version of high school with more freedom and responsibility. Your teachers aren't going to give you constant reminders to do things and to study like they did in high school. You need to rely on the syllabus and go from there to set up your own time to study, review, do any assignments, etc. The bulk of your grade comes from exams so you have to make time for yourself to study.

I would recommend talking to your high school counselor on ways to de-stress! Let them direct you to resources to help you out. There are probably lots of resources you will have at Uni for stress management, and I do believe a lot of universities have mentors that can help guide you in your first year of college too.

Hope this helps!

Edited August 20, 2022 by pace

[dulce]

other folks have already covered the main points but also please remember that college admissions are more so a game of chance than anything else. schools have spots to fill and sometimes it's tossup between two or more similar candidates. don't take it personally if you don't get in somewhere! i'd also say don't stress too much about not having any extracurriculars -- not only because it's never too late to get involved in one, but maybe other circumstances have prevented you from joining them in the past.

i'd say make sure to spend a good amount of time finding safety, target, and reach schools as well as crafting your application essays. you want to have a good experience at a college that fits you. i know that names may seem to matter, but at least in my field it's the actual skills and work that you do that matter to employers. also, because so many applicants look similar on paper, it's important to make sure you stand out somehow in your application essays. at my high school we had counselors to help us with this.

i don't wanna give away too much but i actually did go to an ivy, so feel free to reach out if you have any questions! (i was a recruited athlete though so not entirely in the same playing field ) as for my time in college, i spent so much time studying in addition to my athletic commitments that i didn't have time for anything else. it was the same for me in high school, except less studying and i had more time to just watch youtube lol

lastly, it's not totally necessary to go to college immediately after high school! gap years are an option as well. although i don't have any personal experience with this, you could use the time to do new things that you could ultimately use to help you get into college.

[Mrs. Morale]

I never really participated in extracurricular activities. But it might differ per country. In my country, it didn't really matter. Once, your grades are good, that's all you need. 

Edited August 20, 2022 by Mrs. Morale

[ilove2eatsand]

-

Edited December 15, 2022 by ilove2eatsand

[eunheart]

I’ve always thought that flying colors are just tickets for you to have a kickstart for your college life. Although I made it sounds small, but there's a great difference when you're academically savvy. I do have my fair share of relieves and regrets looking back into my academic years over things that I can had done and those if I have different mindset and exposure back then. If I were you, I’ll be grateful to be in competitive environment that leaped your efforts to have better academic grades.

Activity wise, I can share yours sentiments cause I was in pretty much the same situation as you back then too. I would say you shouldn’t feel too burdened over your next to nothing extra activities. You can always explore and engage in them during your college days you have plenty of time to get invested in them. You should use the freedoms and opportunities you’ll have in college days to learn as much things you’re interested in as possible. That defines the meaning of being a student as your career anyway. If you do that, I can hardly see how you won’t strive in college. Just don’t feel too rushed about it.

Learning is a never ending process and everyone has their own pace of learning things in life. Again, just don’t feel too rushed about it. One step at a time. No baby born a talker nor a runner anyway