Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2011 - (Page 32)

SPECIAL SERIES High School Options for Gifted Students attended a public high school of 2,300 students with four counselors who made the goal of attending an Ivy League university seem unattainable. Although my parents considered sending me to private school many times, thinking that there would be more opportunities for me to explore there, I stayed in the public school system. The high school I attended was new at the time. It had opened with only freshmen and sophomores in its first year, and I entered in its second year. Because extracurricular programs were just getting started, my parents and I realized that this would be a place for me to take a leadership role and start something new. Pursuing My Passions Before talking about how I made the most of a public school education, I have to acknowledge that I’m fortunate to have extremely proactive parents. Nowhere was this more apparent than when their advocacy made it possible for me to take AP Chemistry and AP Calculus as a freshman—when my school district prohibited freshmen from taking AP classes. That experience helped me develop my budding interest in chemistry—and showed me that sometimes learning requires you to ask for what you need. As a middle school student interested in math, I had attended the San Diego Math Circle (a problem-solving enrichment program held weekly for students in the San Diego area), taken classes through the Art of Problem Solving, and studied on my own in preparation for the Mathematics Olympiad. As I moved into high school, I developed an interest in chemistry and physics. Wanting to learn more, I pushed myself beyond the standard high school curriculum. This had been fairly easy to do with math because there were so many SHUTTERSTOCK 32 imagine Jan/feb 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2011

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/february 2011
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
Becoming Environmentally Eloquent
Bacteria vs. Polystyrene: Getting the Toxins Out
Feat of Clay
What Lies Beneath
Clean & Green?
Ocean Embrace
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Making the Most of Public School
Word Wise
One Step Ahead
Exploring Career Options
Off the Shelf
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2011