College Applications- What gets the Goods?

[MolecularMan14]

I know Im just a freshman this year, but I have big plans for college. What types of activities are the absolute best of the best for getting into a university such as say, University of Michigan? (ie-debate, amnesty international, Future Problem Solvers...what else??)

I want the best application possible. I know grades and GPA count but as long as I get above a 4.0 I'll have no problem there.

Any and ALL help is appreciated!

Thanks!

[LucidDreamer]

I would suggest joining a group related to your chosen major in college. If you want to be a chemistry major then join the science or chemistry club. Amnesty international is a good one. You might also join Habitat for Humanity. But honestly there isn't alot of need. The three clubs you have plus a good score on the SATs plus your high GPA should make getting into University of Michigan a given. It's if you were trying to get in a school like MIT that is a bit trickier. .

 

If you are really this ambitious then I suggest studying for your SAT now. Get a book on SAT vocabulary; you can start there. Don't forget to have some fun and don't take life too seriously. Oh, I almost forgot. Do something creative. This looks really good because it makes you appear well balanced. But make sure you take up something you will enjoy

[MolecularMan14]

hmm... sounds good. I'll need to contact Amnesty International, and organize an FPS team (there's only like 4 people signed up now lol). Im on debate, but I dont know if I'll do it for another 3 years...it takes up a load of time, and I really dont want grades to slip.

Definitely, I'll get a book on the SATs ASAP. Thanks!

What would you suggest as something creative?

[LucidDreamer]

What would you suggest as something creative?

Art, writing, music, film--totally up to you of course. Don't do anything you dislike. Find something you really like and then find some way to express yourself so that you can impress University Admissions people. But true creativity will not flow only to impress other people.

 

BTW, if you really did all this then you could not only get into UoM you could get into practically any school with a scholarship.

[MolecularMan14]

Well Im looking for a University that has an awesome genetics/microbio program, with an awesome technological campus, and that I could get some respect as an undergrad in (as an undergrad, my father had a personal office, and a personal lab- he was a respected student of a "good old boy")

U of M isnt a bad school, but I know there are better. Which ones have nice campuses, with awesome genetics/microbiology depts?

[MolecularMan14]

Im really looking to do a lot in Highschool, mainly for college. I went and studied at college this summer and loved it! College life is so much better than being a highschooler- much more independance!

[Rasori]

I'm shooting for MIT. Right now I'm trying to keep my grades up. I'm writing a book too

I don't think there's much I can do through school that's anything at all related to Aeronautical Engineering, but if I were to get a job *coughstupidchildlaborlawscough* then I could always do stuff oustide of school with my spare money...

[MolecularMan14]

*coughstupidchildlaborlawscough*

lmao' date=' true. If I ever get a job while in school, it'll have to be @ my dad's labs, I cant deal with anything but science

I'm writing a book too

lol, what about?

[Rasori]

Err... *gets all defensive-like*

stuff!!!!

Dunno why I always do stuff like that...

But don't feel sad- I've yet to tell my FAMILY.

MY FAMILY, for crying out loud (yes, I do know what it's about, just don't want to share lol)

As for working in school, I can work for my mom, my dad, or this nifty discount store down the street (the owner knows my family).

[MolecularMan14]

lol, a book would look good on an application.

but published findings would look nice too lol.

What exactly is Amnesty international. Ive heard some just call them socialists; that they're good in theory but bad in practice. I dont want to get involved w/ something that would take points off my college application!

 

Edit* post #500

[badchad]

Yeah Molecular man. If you want science and genetics program, IMO nothing will look better then work experience (assuming you take care of the grades and stuff first). Getting your name on a publication (peer reviewed journal) would be icing on the cake. Are there any labs in your area? See if you can get a summer job working at one. Talk to your dad, maybe he can hook you up. I started working in a science lab at 16, and when I applied to both graduate school and my undergraduate college it looked really nice, especially the recommendation my boss wrote me.

[MolecularMan14]

sweet, I'll look into lab work. What kinda lab did you work at?

[ydoaPs]

I know Im just a freshman this year' date=' but I have big plans for college. What types of activities are the absolute best of the best for getting into a university such as say, University of Michigan? (ie-debate, amnesty international, Future Problem Solvers...what else??)

I want the best application possible. I know grades and GPA count but as long as I get above a 4.0 I'll have no problem there.

Any and ALL help is appreciated!

Thanks![/quote']

 

I chose the easy ones. I am in FCA, SADD, Academic Team, until a few months ago I was in CAP, and next year I will be on Brain Game.

 

Grades don't count as much as SAT scores. Remember, you can take it as many times as you want. They take the best score you get.

[badchad]

sweet, I'll look into lab work. What kinda lab did you work at?

 

LOL, actually, I worked at a lab completely unrelated to my major. I worked in a turf grass lab (entomology), and now I study pharmacology/toxicology.

 

However in a basic sense "science is science". I still learned basic things such as: how to plan an experiment, (with adequate controls, sample size etc.), and how to interpret results (statistics). This gave me a larger advantage versus other students who had little experience when applying to graduate and undergraduate schools.

[MolecularMan14]

LOL' date=' actually, I worked at a lab completely unrelated to my major. I worked in a turf grass lab (entomology), and now I study pharmacology/toxicology.

 

However in a basic sense "science is science". I still learned basic things such as: how to plan an experiment, (with adequate controls, sample size etc.), and how to interpret results (statistics). This gave me a larger advantage versus other students who had little experience when applying to graduate and undergraduate schools.[/quote']

Yea, that makes sense. What kind of work did you do there? Was it fetching coffee, or doing some lab science. I dont want to be stuck fetching things for the scientists when I have some good ideas

 

I chose the easy ones. I am in FCA' date=' SADD, Academic Team, until a few months ago I was in CAP, and next year I will be on Brain Game.

 

Grades don't count as much as SAT scores. Remember, you can take it as many times as you want. They take the best score you get.[/quote']

I know what SADD, and the academic team are, but what are the CAP, and the FCA, or the Brain Game for that matter. I hope my school has some cool intellectual stuff. As of now, our website doesnt offer much but "Additional information will be added as the year progresses."

[ydoaPs]

CAP=>Civil Air Patrol. It is the United States Air Force Auxiliary

FCA=>Federation of Christian Athletes

Brain Game=>It is a game show in Indiana. It is a team quiz show for high school students.

[MolecularMan14]

cool! I wonder if a game show could be organized for my district. Unless there already is one (Tinyboy21 could probably answer that)

Im fairly sure we have something like that called the Quiz Bowl. I think that's national, and Im not sure if it's televised, but we have our own network, so it could be . One more thing to look into

[ydoaPs]

o yea, i forgot, i am in quiz bowl too.

[MolecularMan14]

lol, cool, how does it work? How does the competition work? Is it all over the internet, or do you have to go to an arena where you compete team vs. team?

[ydoaPs]

arena(usually a school). i don't think quiz bowl is televised

[MolecularMan14]

cool. is it like a game show, where whoever hits the buzzer first gets to answer or is it turn based?

[Hitman47]

lol' date=' a book would look good on an application.

but published findings would look nice too lol.

What exactly is Amnesty international. Ive heard some just call them socialists; that they're good in theory but bad in practice. I dont want to get involved w/ something that would take points off my college application!

 

Edit* post #500 [/quote']

 

I'm in Amnesty International. I was recognized as the member who wrote the most letters last school year lol . Well, anyways Amnesty International is an organization about human rights. What you basically do is write letters to governments across the global to make them aware atrocities occuring in their countries... e.g women abuse, child abuse, journalists who were taken in jail.. etc.. genocide and stuff like that.

 

It's in no way or shape or form socialist. They're not pretty pro-socialist. They attack capitalists and socialists. Although, i sometimes disagree.. because I'm a Marxist-Leninst.

[MolecularMan14]

ok cool. do these letters actually ever make a change? You would think that govts would just kinda throw them out. Oh, well it doesnt hurt to try

[ydoaPs]

we had our first quiz bowl practice today. my team sucks. i answered the majority of the questions.

 

our first meet is thursday. we may be screwed.

[MolecularMan14]

lol, I'll have to look into our quiz bowl. We've got a lot of other smart folk at the school, but we're all so loaded down with honors and AP homework, we can hardley do anything outside of scholastics.