Undergraduate Admissions Office Admissions Bulletin High School…

  Undergraduate Admissions Office
  Admissions Bulletin
  High School Choices and College Chances

High School Choices and College Chances                                           youlike:more-advancedmathorscience(especiallyifyouarethinkingof
                                                                                  pursuingamajorinmath,science,orengineeringincollege),specialwriting

A   s you enter and progress through high school, it's natural to feel excite-
    ment about the new prospects open to you, as well as some anxiety
about how and what you will do with all those opportunities. At the same
                                                                                  classesinEnglish,morelanguages,evenindependentprojectswithteachers
                                                                                  who share a special interest with you. This additional work should be inspi-
                                                                                  rational and enjoyable, since you'll be pursuing what you like best.
time that you are trying to decide what classes to take, clubs to join, and
                                                                                  Activities Outside the Classroom
sports to play, parents and guidance counselors are encouraging you to look
                                                                                  Your high school experience shouldn't be limited to the classroom, however.
even further ahead, to consider how your high school career will affect your
                                                                                  Life outside class can be valuable, too. You might pursue something related
admission to college. It can seem overwhelming!
                                                                                  to an academic interest--working with a veterinarian if you're interested
You don't need to decide in ninth grade where you'll go to college or what        in a career as a vet--or an activity that provides a balance to schoolwork,
you'll study once you're there. As your interests and talents develop over the    such as athletics, music, theatre, or volunteer work. You might want to test
next few years, pursue them. Learning what you like and what you're good at       your skills as a leader by participating in student government or heading the
will better prepare you for college than agonizing over what will "look good"     science or French club. Activities like debate or math team competition can
to admission officers.                                                            hone your skills for life.
Academic Preparation                                                                                     There's lots of change,
That said, it's important not to close doors to the future before you know                               challenge, and fun
what it holds. If you're even considering going on to college, you'll want to                            ahead­enjoy!
take the basic courses that will prepare you to do college work. You'll find
these courses a good foundation on which to add other courses that spur           Approach your activities based on what you find rewarding rather than what
your interest or whet your imagination. A basic preparation for college work      you think college admission officers might seek; you may be surprised to
includes these high school courses:                                               learn we're more interested in seeing leadership and significant involvement
· 4yearsofEnglish                                                                 in a few activities meaningful to you than a long list of activities in which
                                                                                  you were minimally engaged. And keep in mind that an after-school job is
· 3yearsofmathematics                                                             an "activity," too. Admission officers realize many students need to work to
· 3yearsofscience(includingatleast2labsciences)                                   helpcoverfamilyorcollegeexpenses,andwerespectthat.(Someschools,
                                                                                  like Cornell, even reward that effort with special fellowships for students
· 3yearsofaforeignlanguage
                                                                                  who worked or were significantly involved in community service during high
· 3yearsofsocialscience(history,socialstudies,etc.)                               school.)
It's likely this basic schedule is suggested, urged, or even required by the      In spite of all the advice you're getting right now--or because of all the
college preparatory program at your school. The reason is that these basics       advice--you may still feel confused about how to make the most of high
help prepare you for everything from a liberal arts college to an engineering     school.That'sunderstandable.Butifyoutakethedecisionsonebyone,
school. They are, of course, not the only courses you'll take in high school,     keeping doors open and pursuing what appeals to you most, you'll be
but they will keep doors open for you until you decide what you want to do        surprised at how prepared you'll be when the next step comes. There's lots of
after high school.                                                                change, challenge, and fun ahead--enjoy!
Those of you who are really thinking ahead might wonder whether to take
AdvancedPlacement(AP),Honors,InternationalBaccalaureate,orsimi-
lar advanced courses in these and other subjects. Others of you may be
concerned that your school doesn't offer advanced or accelerated classes.
For those in the latter group, don't worry: admission officers won't penalize
you for not taking courses that aren't offered at your school. We're looking to
see that students do the most with what is available to them. If your school                            For Further Information
doesn'tofferAPclasses,takeafewofthe"tough"classes(you'llknowwhich                                       Undergraduate Admissions Office
theyare--yourfriendswilltellyou!)tochallengeyourselfandpreparefor                                       Cornell University
college work. If advanced classes are offered by your school, take a sampling                           410ThurstonAvenue
of them. Challenging course work is more likely to open your eyes to what                               Ithaca,NY14850-2488
you really like to study--or what you don't--than years of classes that fail                            Telephone:607255-5241
to motivate you.                                                                                        Web: www.admissions.cornell.edu
What should you do beyond the basics? Well, that's really up to you. Take
fine art and music courses. Take a heavier concentration of the courses                                                   Produced by the Office of Publications and Marketing
                                                                                                                          at Cornell University
                                                                                                                          10/07 Web 080086D



Cornell University                                             Undergraduate Admissions Office              High School Choices and College Chances