hi! i’m currently a sophomore in high school with a 3.84 gpa, and i’m wondering what i can do to improve my chances of getting into an ivy league. (aside from just improving my gpa)
Extracurriculars and APs!! If you can't take honors and AP classes, focus on extracurriculars.
Extracurriculars, like clubs, sports, etc.. provide a broad resume that colleges will look at favorably. It looks like you tagged this with "future lawyer," so I would recommend running for school positions either in clubs or in your student government association at your school (president, vice president, etc.), or joining future leaders/politics based clubs (or a debate/mock trial club if you have one!). If you aren't well-versed in sports, join clubs based on subjects you enjoy or excel at, or rack up volunteer hours.
AP courses, which are considered the next step past honors, are perfect for students looking for a challenge. Although this varies by school, AP courses are heavily weighted (In my school specifically, 10%) and can boost your GPA if you are willing to put in the effort, but it can hinder your GPA if you aren't diligent enough. They are always available in most schools and no matter what you get, colleges look at these positively as they see you were willing to push yourself.
There are always more options besides AP, volunteer work, and extracurriculars, like internships, jobs, competitions, etc.. These are not the only ways to flourish your portfolio, so I encourage you to keep looking. Well wishes!
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