INTRO Advice For High School Student

[Maliya McQueen]

Hey guys I just joined this forum I've actually been a silent lurker and finally decided to take the extra step and make an account


Do you guys have any advice? For me right now as a high school student?

 

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[rwhyan]

Welcome.

For starters, read this thread: GOLD! - Absolute Beginners Guide to TMF & TFLF

Obviously read TMF and UNSCRIPTED if you haven’t already.

Then read lots of Gold and Notable threads.

That should give you a good jumpstart.

 

[Kevin88660]

Read everything you can find about Calvin Newport online. He will teach you on how to get into big brandname universities and get good gpa edficiently. Some of the fastlane concepts of MJ originated from there also.

You can join the entrepreneur club and “drop out” if you want.

It’s easier to find quality business partners in an elite schools. You are more likely to find financial backers for you with a strong personal CV.

The advantage of “dropping out” is that you can always opt to go back and continue your study another day.

 

[Maliya McQueen]

Read everything you can find about Calvin Newport online. He will teach you on how to get into big brandname universities and get good gpa edficiently. Some of the fastlane concepts of MJ originated from there also.

You can join the entrepreneur club and “drop out” if you want.

It’s easier to find quality business partners in an elite schools. You are more likely to find financial backers for you with a strong personal CV.

The advantage of “dropping out” is that you can always opt to go back and continue your study another day.

In my situation I can't rlly do that my parents would not allow it

 

[Kevin88660]

In my situation I can't rlly do that my parents would not allow it

What exactly do they disallow?

My recommendation is study hard and go to an elite University first.

Then you can either “drop out” from uni to do a business (after you have found the partner or investors) or start a business while studying at the same time.

 

[Maliya McQueen]

What exactly do they disallow?

My recommendation is study hard and go to an elite University first.

Then you can either “drop out” from uni to do a business (after you have found the partner or investors) or start a business while studying at the same time.

What is your definition of elite university? Because I didn't rlly apply myself until junior yr and my GPA is average at best I'm probably able to go to a state school and I if I don't have a full scholarship then I'm gonna go to community college first I still need nore guidance so dropping out isn't a smart decision for me

 

[rwhyan]

What is your definition of elite university? Because I didn't rlly apply myself until junior yr and my GPA is average at best I'm probably able to go to a state school and I if I don't have a full scholarship then I'm gonna go to community college first I still need nore guidance so dropping out isn't a smart decision for me

Take forum advice with a grain of salt.

Figure out what you want in life and go after it. The Fastlane Forum is just a means of helping you get there. We are not going to tell you what to do with your life.

 

[Maliya McQueen]

Take forum advice with a grain of salt.

Figure out what you want in life and go after it. The Fastlane Forum is just a means of helping you get there. We are not going to tell you what to do with your life.[/QUOTE
Oh ok becuz that sounded unrealistic as all he'll

 

[Kevin88660]

What is your definition of elite university? Because I didn't rlly apply myself until junior yr and my GPA is average at best I'm probably able to go to a state school and I if I don't have a full scholarship then I'm gonna go to community college first I still need nore guidance so dropping out isn't a smart decision for me

Get good grades. Elite universities of course are Ivy League ones. Go to the best Tier of universities that you can get.

Google Calvin Newport. He has a lot good ideas on how to study efficiently and do well in test.

No one regrets doing well in school. Having a strong CV opens more doors in the future.You can always opt to be a highly paid slow laner (permanently or temporally) if business doesnt work out.

 

[Process]

Try to sell anything even if it’s a toothpick. Once you can sell that... you can sell anything once you probe for value by finding customer frustration.

Selling is the core you’ll build around.

 

[Will-v-the-World]

Read everything you can find about Calvin Newport online. He will teach you on how to get into big brandname universities and get good gpa edficiently. Some of the fastlane concepts of MJ originated from there also.

You can join the entrepreneur club and “drop out” if you want.

It’s easier to find quality business partners in an elite schools. You are more likely to find financial backers for you with a strong personal CV.

The advantage of “dropping out” is that you can always opt to go back and continue your study another day.

Are those school-related Cal Newport books fastlane, or are they more slowlane oriented?

I'm in high school too. Trying to decide if it's worth it to go from the easy path of getting A's and B's to the harder path of getting A+'s.

 

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[rwhyan]

Are those school-related Cal Newport books fastlane, or are they more slowlane oriented?

I'm in high school too. Trying to decide if it's worth it to go from the easy path of getting A's and B's to the harder path of getting A+'s.

Are you planning on going to college? If so, are you aiming for top/elite colleges?

 

[Will-v-the-World]

Are you planning on going to college? If so, are you aiming for top/elite colleges?

My family is pretty much forcing me to go to college, but I'd probably go even if they weren't.

I haven't really looked into elite colleges or anything, so I don't know if it would be worth the effort. My plan has always been to go to Alabama University or Auburn like everyone else in my area, but it's a very flexible plan at the moment.

I honestly haven't thought about high school/university much. The goals I've set are all in business or other things not related to school. I'm a sophomore btw.

 

[rwhyan]

My family is pretty much forcing me to go to college, but I'd probably go even if they weren't.

I haven't really looked into elite colleges or anything, so I don't know if it would be worth the effort. My plan has always been to go to Alabama University or Auburn like everyone else in my area, but it's a very flexible plan at the moment.

I honestly haven't thought about high school/university much. The goals I've set are all in business or other things not related to school. I'm a sophomore btw.

I believe there is no downside to getting great grades and SAT/ACT scores in high school. Unlike college, where GPA means very little, having a high GPA and test scores in high school can not only put you in a great position to apply for elite colleges (should you want to) but also it puts you in position to get merit scholarships.

If you can be a National Merit Finalist by scoring high enough on the PSAT (typically taken sophomore and junior year) then you can get a full ride scholarship to Alabama, Auburn, University of Arizona, or University of Tulsa.

Granted this is not easy, and it is less than the top 1% of test takers who get this award, but in all honesty it is not as difficult as you may think. A couple months of dedicated preparation for the PSAT and you can potentially get FOUR YEARS of college 100% for free.

I wish someone had told me this when I was in high school.

This may not be the right path for you, but thought I'd let you know to so you can keep your options open.

 

[Thomas Baptiste]

Welcome to the forum. Thanks for taking the leap of faith and coming out, you'll surely learn more the more you participate.

As mentioned, the gold & notable threads here are extraordinary. You are still very young, so don't rush into anything. School doesn't hurt honestly (the debt is an entirely different story though). I believe that your parents want the best for you, in the best way they know how i.e. their pushing you to go to college.

Ultimately, my advice to you is to do what you deem best for yourself. No one but you can make these types of decisions. The sooner you understand that the better. You'll realize much more when that reality kicks in. Note also that books are your friends, and time is your most important resource.

 

[Will-v-the-World]

I believe there is no downside to getting great grades and SAT/ACT scores in high school. Unlike college, where GPA means very little, having a high GPA and test scores in high school can not only put you in a great position to apply for elite colleges (should you want to) but also it puts you in position to get merit scholarships.

If you can be a National Merit Finalist by scoring high enough on the PSAT (typically taken sophomore and junior year) then you can get a full ride scholarship to Alabama, Auburn, University of Arizona, or University of Tulsa.

Granted this is not easy, and it is less than the top 1% of test takers who get this award, but in all honesty it is not as difficult as you may think. A couple months of dedicated preparation for the PSAT and you can potentially get FOUR YEARS of college 100% for free.

I wish someone had told me this when I was in high school.

This may not be the right path for you, but thought I'd let you know to so you can keep your options open.

I scored really high on the ACT earlier this year without preparation, so I think with preparation I could definitely reach the level required to get into an elite school. My grades might be a problem since they're mostly low A's or high B's, but I can bring them up.

Does everyone get to take the PSAT? I haven't heard of it yet, it may be for juniors only at my school. Does a high score alone get you the scholarship?

Also, @Maliya McQueen have you read the books?

 

[rwhyan]

I scored really high on the ACT earlier this year without preparation, so I think with preparation I could definitely reach the level required to get into an elite school. My grades might be a problem since they're mostly low A's or high B's, but I can bring them up.

Does everyone get to take the PSAT? I haven't heard of it yet, it may be for juniors only at my school. Does a high score alone get you the scholarship?

Taking the PSAT varies by school. Some schools have all the students take it while at other high schools you will need to register for it yourself. Most of the time sophomores will take it as a "practice" and their real test will be junior year.

The PSAT is out of 1520. This score is then converted to the National Merit Selection Index score. Each state has it's own cutoffs which you must score above in order to move on to the Semifinal round. Luckily, Alabama has one of the lower cutoffs at 216 this past year (it might go up by the time you take it). Here's the list of cutoffs: https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/

This translates to needing ~1440 or higher on the PSAT. You can use this calculator online to convert between the PSAT score (out of 1520) and the National Merit Selection Index score (out of 224): PSAT National Merit Cutoff Calculator - The College Panda

If you think you can score above 1440 (ideally higher) without too much extra effort, I'd recommend going for National Merit Finalist. If not, or you don't want to put in the effort to prepare, don't stress too hard about it. But if you do become a National Merit Finalist, you automatically get the full scholarship to Alabama, Tulsa, Arizona, or Auburn (even if you're out of state for those schools).

There are a lot of other schools that provide merit scholarships too for National Merit Finalists (and Semifinalists too) but these 4 are the only ones with full-ride, to my knowledge. It also doesn't hurt for applying to Ivy League and other top schools.

If you are considering applying to top colleges, feel free to PM me. I have a ton of advice, tips, guidance, and resources I would love to share. Number one thing for top schools: Yes, you need a high GPA and test scores, but you also need something that distinguishes you. Gaining admission to top 20 colleges requires showing that you are a deep, critical thinker that is actively involved in 1-3 activities and is at the top of their field in those extracurriculars.

 

[Kevin88660]

Are those school-related Cal Newport books fastlane, or are they more slowlane oriented?

I'm in high school too. Trying to decide if it's worth it to go from the easy path of getting A's and B's to the harder path of getting A+'s.

Cal Newport advice is about how to get good grades efficiently and ways to build your profile for elite university application.