santa margarita catholic high school

I am only 13 years old, but I have wanted to go to Harvard since I was 6. I want to be a lawyer or a doctor. My family and I are looking into Santa Margarita Catholic High School and Sage Hill School for high school. What extra curriculars do you recomend that I take? What do the admission people at Harvard think is a well rounded student? I play tennis, cross country, and track as my sports. And I ride horses. I do a lot of community service. I heard that they want you to show that you are interested in one thing to show devotion. what are good things to do if you want to be a lawyer or a doctor. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi, Leandra!

It's great that you have big dreams, and you will go far if you work hard and believe in yourself!

I'm currently a student at Harvard and just wanted to give you some advice:

-Take extracurriculars that you enjoy! You're right about devotion: that's the secret. Instead of taking a bunch of extracurriculars, you might gain more by delving deeper into a few and getting leadership positions. If you absolutely love playing music, form a band or join an orchestra! If being around people is your thing, volunteer at a day care or shadow a doctor! If you like art, take a pottery class (or just buy some Sculpey--it's great fun). Don't take a particular extracurricular just because someone says it'll look good to a college; my classmates have a ton of different interests, and they got in.

--Your sports sound great; they not only help you to be a more well-rounded person but also will keep you physically fit and mentally strong. Even one sport is okay--I ran cross-country in high school.

--Academics, as you know, are very important. But be sure you learn for the sake of learning and not merely to get a good grade. I've taken some classes by just cramming for tests, and though I got good grades, I now really wish I remembered more about the subject and built a more solid foundation. Also, learning in classes with help you with the SAT. And, write a lot, because college involves many essays and much critical thinking.

--Visit Harvard when you're in high school. Take a tour, talk with students and professors, and see if you enjoy Cambridge and Boston. This is where you'd be spending four years, so it's important to honestly ask yourself if the university and you are a good fit. Do you like big schools? Are you motivated to ask questions and seek out help?

--Be flexible in your future plans. I'd always wanted to go to Princeton, but finally decided on Harvard my senior year of high school. I'm happy here, but I have friends at Princeton who are just as happy. I have friends at state colleges who are taking super crazy honors classes and doing research that blows my mind, and they're happy and fulfilled as well. Just remember: wherever you end up going is where you should be. (At least, that's my motto :D).

--On learning about being a lawyer or doctor: shadow one; Google "a day in the life of a lawyer/doctor;" read books about law or medicine; join a debate team; or volunteer at a hospital. And once again, know that you might change. I entered college thinking "doctorrrrr!!" and have gone on to consider being a novelist, journalist, lawyer, and artist. :P

Most of all, enjoy life! Take time for the small things, and hang out with your friends!! If there's one thing I would have done differently during my teenage years, I would have spent way more time with friends.

Have fun, and good luck! :)

2008-02-02 21:18:42 by happypuppy90

I am referring to 2 Orange County, Southern California, Catholic High Schools. It is also weird because for the past 3 years, Servite has beaten teams which Mater Dei has lost too, these teams happen to be Orange Lutheran and Santa Margarita. Mater Dei lost to Orange Lutheran last year, the year before that and the year before that, meanwhile Servite has beat them but has not beaten Mater Dei. Overall the main question is, why has it been 20 years since the last time Servite beat Mater Dei in a Varsity Football game?
Also my younger brother is currently a Freshman at Mater Dei right now, he just started school there last week, and my cousins went to Mater Dei, one of them graduated in 1998, and the other one in 1999. I personally never attended school there, but it is a very well known high school because of it's sports program, mainly boys football and boys basketball.

I WE, Servite Friars, lost for the past 19 years only because we are a very small school and we also have a little variety of players. Mater Dei on the other hand has many many talented athletes. I also feel that there was a choking factor/issue... and the fact that we play in a baseball stadium for goodnes sake...

I have major respect for Mater Dei, but I do not understand why WE do not get respect back from them.

I look forward to the next game but I know for a fact that next year we will have a better team.

P.S....Respect to all of you guys.

2008-09-06 21:07:27 by introvertedguy06

Price: $19.75 $15.17

GPA:

Freshman Year: 3.2, 3.3
Sophomore Year: 3.3, 3.3
Junior Year: 3.67, 3.67
Senior Year: 4.0

I got a 2130 on my SAT(32 on ACT)

I have taken 7 classes all four years. I have 4 years of Math, English, Science, and Spanish.

Ive qualified for the California Scholarship Federation all of my Sophmore, Junior, and Senior year.

Ive been on the honor roll every year of Highschool.


4 Years of Track & Field, 2 Years Varsity
1 Year of JV-Varsity Wrestling

I am part of:

Model United Nations

Santa Margarita Commission on Human Rights Club Member
Junior Statesmen of America Club member
Recycling Club Member
Environmental Protection Club member
Red Cross Club
CHOC Club
Vision for Vision Club


I am President of the Red Cross Club
I am Member of the CHOC Board and am Director of the CHOC Walk.
I am Vice President for Vision for Vision Club
I am a California Scholarship Federation Officer

I have lettered in Model United Nations

I am a Student Ambassador

I have won Awards in MUN from, UC Berkeley(2), Duke University, UC Irvine(2), Royal Russel School in the UK and am planning to attend Paris MUN Senior year. In addition I have won over 15 Awards at local MUN conferences.

I have committed 100 hours of community service at CHOC hospital Mission Viejo

I have compiled over 12 hours of Service volunteering at the Red Cross Club Blood Drives.


I have in addition to this 28 hours of additional volunteer service.

During the Summer of Freshman Year I went to China as a Student Ambassador with a program called

I applied and was selected to attend a summit this summer in Washington DC. Where i will discuss current political issues with other college/high school students.

I go to a private catholic school. Its a blue ribbon school.

And I live in California.

You're so full of crap. Their is no way in hell you got a 32 act and 2130 sat and then don't know whether you can get into a college. Thats the 99th percentile on both. So you could be one of two things. An extremely sheltered semi-genious, or a blatant liar.

2009-05-27 23:20:16 by collegeinofneeded

I am only 13 years old, but I have wanted to go to Harvard since I was 6. I want to be a lawyer or a doctor. My family and I are looking into Santa Margarita Catholic High School and Sage Hill School for high school. What extra curriculars do you recomend that I take? What do the admission people at Harvard think is a well rounded student? I play tennis, cross country, and track as my sports. And I ride horses. I do a lot of community service. I heard that they want you to show that you are interested in one thing to show devotion. what are good things to do if you want to be a lawyer or a doctor. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

13...is that seventh grade? Oh, so innocent and uncorrupted by the trials of high school....

(First, my little caveat...Harvard is not the end of the world. Do not make Harvard your lifelong ambition. You could be disappointed. Harvard is overrated. There are a lot of really good schools out there.)

For Harvard (or any other really good school), you want to be well-connected. With really rich uncles who donate loads and loads of money to the school.

Or...you could be a well-rounded, smart, hard-working student. I'd first focus on your studies. For good schools, the main thing they look at is your academic transcript, including the types of classes you've taken and your GPA. While it's important to do well in your classes, it's also important to challenge yourself and take Honors/AP across the board, even if you might not do so well in everything. On the whole, a slightly lower grade in Honors/AP looks better than a bunch of easy As.

With that said, don't let it give you an excuse to be satisfied with a B in a hard class. Try your best to get an A! (no pressure, eh?)

Sort of academic-related: standardized tests. It's amazing what a good score can do for you. Learn "how" to take the SAT/ACT...practice makes perfect. Get the Princeton Review books and "Up Your Score." Don't EVER pay for a test-prep class. Totally useless. Instead, practice with released tests and use the hints from prep books.)

After academics, you'll want to focus on extra-curriculars. You have quite an impressive list right there! However, you might want to cut down on your sports and just focus on one (freshman year you might be able to do two, but by junior year, you'll barely have time for just one sport). For your extra-curriculars, do serious academic stuff like Mock Trial or Science Olympiad. Leadership is important, so limit the number of activities and focus on just a few. Be really devoted to one or two so that you'll get a leadership position later on. Make sure you keep up your community service and outside stuff (something uncommon like riding horses is good). If you can, get a small job (not more than five hours a week...you want time to sleep, don't you?).

One little note: start looking for recommendation-writing-peoples early on. Try to have the same teacher for more than one year. Really get to know someone that you do community service for. Offer to help your school club/activity advisor with random stuff. Nurture these relationships...you'll find role models who will give you valuable advice (and write you really good recs...).

Now, about being a doctor/lawyer...um. Really? Is this what you want to do? Or is it something you've been told to do? And "doctor" and "lawyer" are really general...are there specific fields you're interested in? You don't have to know right now. In fact, it's better you don't know...take time to explore in high school and in undergrad (most colleges don't require a final, absolute choice of majors until junior year). Regardless, just do well in school and you'll have all the options open to you in college.

(After saying all this...I still have to add: HAVE FUN!!!!! Don't let school consume you. Don't make getting into Harvard so important that you miss out on the here and now. And remember, the college admissions process is a crapshoot sometimes. I've seen really talented people get rejected by the Ivies. But more often than not, they're the kind of people who are talented and adaptable enough to succeed no matter where they go for college.)

Hope this freakishly long novel of a post helps.

Good luck with everything!!!!! You'll do great!

2008-02-02 21:38:52 by happypuppy90