I am a sophomore in high school. My ambition is to get into a good college, preferrably princeton (which is near my family). In my freshman year of high school, my GPA was a 3.8, but I took 3 classes which were not weighted (but were weighted as soon as I went into 10th grade) If they were weighted, my GPA would have been a 4.2 or 4.3. In my sophomore year, I am taking spanish/ chemistry/ algebra 2/ english HONORS and AP Us History. Next year I will be taking AP US 2, AP Chemistry, Physics honors, AP English, AP Statstics, and Ap calc or pre calc honors. Anyway, I will probably have about 20 college credits before I even go to college. I also will (most likely) be on the varsity tennis team all 4 years of high school, and maybe be captain my 3rd of 4th year. Is this enough to get into princeton, or do I have to do a lot better than this?
2006-09-17 09:01:36 · 4 answers · asked by laverdude 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
Princeton is one of the toughest schools in the USA to get into. I was at Princeton last summer and sat in on a visitor presentation. The admissions lady said that one third of their incoming students had one or more (!) 800 SAT scores, and they turned down over 1000 valedictorians.
OK, but they let in 1300 students. You have to be excellent in your studies or they won't even begin to consider you. But then what. Like a lot of top schools, they are looking for exceptional people. What have you done that is exceptional? Written a novel? Won a national science prize? Started a home fo the homeless and raised a lot of money? What?
If you have not done anything exceptional, why should they let you in. They have 20,000 smart kids applying.... they are going to pick the one who are smart, and who do things! The ones who are going to be leaders, innovators, inventors. Do something extraordinary and they will look at you and say, There's a kid we want.
ps. They probably won't allow you any credit at all for your APs. Check out what they say on their website.
2006-09-17 09:38:39 · answer #1 · answered by matt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, you need to set yourself apart from all the other applicants.
Keep the following in mind
1. 90% of the applicants to Princeton (and any Ivy League Institution) are in the top 5% of their class
2. 90% of the applicants to Princeton (and any Ivy League Institution) have a great deal of AP credits (indeed this is the case at most good Institutions)
3. 90% of the applicants to Princeton (and any Ivy League Institution) have run or been on the board of a club/organization in their community or high school (and this includes sports)
You need great grades
You need great SATs
You need great letters of recommendation
You need a to do a lot of extracurricular work
Another factor is what do you want to study? Does Princeton the best program? How many other people are applying to that program?
A piece of good advice is to take the time and visit the school early in your Junior year, you say it is close so that should not be an issue.
2006-09-17 16:23:15 · answer #2 · answered by Robert 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to have the grades you have that's is part of it as well as the
extracurricular activities, but it takes money and lots of it. it also
helps if you have a parent or another family member who was a graduate from there. oh, did i say money, lots of it?
2006-09-17 16:17:10 · answer #3 · answered by barrbou214 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that you would either have to have really good grade as well as SAT scores.
2006-09-17 16:04:05 · answer #4 · answered by jazminda S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋