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How to Strengthen Your College Applications at a Young Age

 

By Shreya Deo


College applications. They only really start to matter to people in junior year, right? But knowing the right path to make your college applications well formed from an early age will save you a lot of time and effort when it comes to actually applying. I would like to mention that this blog is not written from personal experience, as I am in 10th grade, but it is made up of all the people I have spoken to over the last year, along with teachers and parents. 

Introduction

College applications, if you think about it, are the final stage of your schooling, after all the studying you have been doing since you entered elementary school. Before submitting your application, you technically have 12 school years to make your application as dense and strong as possible. In today's blog, I wanted to share some tips I have been given that can help you make the years leading up to junior year productive and useful for college.

The importance of choosing the right classes

Going into middle school, you are provided the option of taking either regular or Pre-AP/honors/AAC lasses. How these classes differ is the workload and rate at which the material is taught. Honors classes generally go at a slightly faster speed, with more material being taught in comparatively lesser time to regular classes. When it comes to choosing these classes, students should take the decision based on a variety of factors. I would recommend taking into account time management skills, ability to handle a heavy workload, willingness to learn, and overall understanding and performance in that particular subject. If you feel that you are strong in math and English, but not the other subjects, it is completely okay to take a few regular classes. Middle school grades don't go on your GPA, so taking a regular class won't look bad on your transcript just yet. 

Although regular classes are good if you want to have a few light classes in the day, taking honors classes come with their own set of advantages. First and most importantly, honors classes are excellent ways to prepare for future AP classes in high school. They prepare you for the intensive workload and effort required in AP classes while also not being too hard. Secondly, being in an honors class keeps you in a good environment, where students around you are generally hard-working and put in a lot of effort into the class. A productive environment in class will help you strive in the class and encourage you to put in the same effort as your classmates. 

Honors classes in high school are especially important, though, because they serve as GPA boosters while adding 5 points to your final grade while calculating your GPA, which appears on your high school transcript. 

AP Classes

Generally, AP classes begin to be offered to students in high school in all subjects and electives. Students have the option to take the AP class or a regular. For example, you can take either AP Physics or regular Physics. The difference is more significant between AP and regular than it was between AAC and regular. AP classes are introductory college classes, which means that the workload will be significantly more and the content will be more dependent on independent study. 

While making the decision on whether or not to take an AP class, you should take into account your passion for the subject and desire to continue forward with it in college. For example, if you want to have a career in medicine, taking AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and possibly AP Physics, along with the AP maths would be extremely beneficial, as attaining a 4 or 5 on the AP exam will help you skip the introductory class in college. Furthermore, AP classes can save a lot of money heading into college. If you get a passing score (4 or 5) on the AP exam, you won't have to pay to take that class in college. If you would like more information on AP classes, you can visit College Board and learn more.

Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars are something that can be started from a very young age. Sports, clubs, and competition events are extremely important components of your college application. It shows colleges that you are a well-rounded person with multiple dimensions and interests. Playing in a sports team shows colleges that along with studies, you engaged in a team sport, demonstrating teamwork, leadership, and selflessness. These are all traits that show colleges that you will be a responsible student on their campus. 

On-campus clubs and organizations

If extracurricular activities don't fit in your schedule, you can always opt for joining or creating clubs in school. Most high school students join anywhere between 2-6 clubs over their high school years. These can include a mix of cultural, academic, and fine art clubs. A good path to follow is joining a club in your freshman year of high school, being a member for two years, and applying for an officer position in your junior year and possibly getting promoted your senior year. For example, if I join Math Honor Society in my sophomore year, attain an officer position junior year, and lead the club senior year along with the sponsor, my college applications will show that I stuck to that one commitment throughout college instead of switching around and being all over the place. Attaining leadership positions in clubs is a very good addition to your application. 

Conclusion

College applications. The reason so many students stress over it on top of their already stressful junior year is because they only really started to care about it in high school. I hope this article can give you some tips on how to start strengthening your applications from as early as elementary and middle school! College applications are the best ways to show colleges who you are, so don't stress about them! Find a few key activities you are truly passionate about and stick to them throughout your schooling, while maintaining your grades at school. This will ensure that you are an all-rounded student! I hope this article gave you some tips and lightened your load about college applications!









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