Tina Said:

Should school students be forced to study Shakespeare?

We Answered:

If it is part of the district or state curriculum, then yes. I was fortunate that it was never "mandatory" for me to study, as I agree it is quite difficult reading unless you get an enthusiastic teacher that knows it well and can explain it for you. Not every state or district requires Shakespeare as mandatory reading, but if yours does, you must comply or suffer the consequences, to include possibly not being able to graduate.

Good Luck.

Penny Said:

What is Cornell University like for students?

We Answered:

Cornell offers only need-based financial aid; there are NO merit scholarships available. You have no idea about what student life there is like and have never seen the campus. Why is Cornell your "dream school" when you seem to know hardly anything about it?

Your writing skills are unlikely to help you gain admission unless you do something like write a novel while in high school. Many more applicants than Cornell can accept have great writing skills with As in English, perfect or almost-perfect scores on their SAT or ACT verbal&writing sections, and strong essays. These things are expected. They will not help you stand out.

Playing piano, singing, community service, tennis, magazine/newspaper, and especially honor societies also won't help you out. Again most applicants have a diverse set of activities like this. It is expected.

If you want to get into a top tier school, you need to be at the very top of your class (top 5 or 10 students), take the most rigorous courseload possible, do very well on your SAT or ACT, and develop your talents, passions, and interests through extracurricular work. Don't fart around doing random things at your school just to fill up your resume. Pick 1-3 activities outside of school that you can excel at, and then seriously excel at them. If you like tennis or singing but aren't that great at them, then keep doing them for fun - but don't spend so much time on them that you neglect developing your real talents.

If you are interested in writing and are as talented at it as you claim to be, your primary focus should be on pursuing that passion. Write tons of poems, short stories, novels, whichever you like; attend writer's workshops; attend journalism camp if your interests swing more in that direction. Develop your craft. Blog online. Start a book club with friends. Write book reviews. Whatever.

Similar advice goes for your friend re: architecture.

You are only in eighth grade. Middle school is exceptionally easy. Excel for your first three years in high school and then talk about whether you are competitive for Cornell, or whether you would even like it there.

Holly Said:

Resume Rating? Good Or Not. High School Student.?

We Answered:

try http://www.resumeworld1.com they are really cheap and do some great work with a 24hr turn around time.

Leah Said:

did you work during your high school year?

We Answered:

I worked basically all through High School. I started working when I was 16 at Radio Shack. Don't get me wrong having a job and going to school can be hard, but it has its benefits. Getting a paycheck every two weeks was nice, especially when you start getting older because (for me) you start wanting things your parents wont just buy for you. I have already graduated and i have had four part time jobs. I am in a time in my life now where it would be hard to get by without a job. It is good to start working early in life, because it shows you can handle difficult situations and it starts out your work experience...
also. i didn't do half bad in high school either. i graduated with a 3.2 gpa
Good Luck!

Leona Said:

i have 0 period for study skills so what is study skills?

We Answered:

OMG! Are you serious??? I'm a up-coming freshmen at that high school O_O well anyways basically, it's like a class where you study and work your homework from others classes?.