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> I’m not op’s son, but I’m looking into cyber security. How would you suggest that I start?

First, please be aware that these two scholarship programs exist:

CyberCorps: Scholarships for Service ^(Sponsored by the National Science Foundation)

https://www.sfs.opm.gov/

NSA's Stokes Scholarship program:

https://www.intelligencecareers.gov/icstudents.html

Both of those scholarships will pay essentially full-ride scholarship plus stipends, guaranteed internships and guaranteed employment.
They do require minimum GPA performance levels, and may require specific degree programs or institutions.

You will be required to work for a US Government Agency for a period of service in exchange for this free education.


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The US Navy, Army and Air Force all have large technology & cyber warfare operations. Four years of service in the Military, which includes four years of experience earns you 4 years of university.

If you don't know anything about GI Bill, I encourage you to at least understand what it means and what it can pay for.

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If you want to apply directly into a university program, I strongly encourage you to engage the nerds at /r/netsec or /r/ITCareerQuestions for a professional opinion of the degree you are considering applying to, as it relates to careers in Information Security / Cyber Security.

There are LOTS of immature, low-quality undergraduate degrees that say "Cyber Security" in the degree title.

Please understand: the hard core technical stuff that they throw large buckets of cash at is really, seriously, deeply technical. If that's what you wanna do, you need a seriously technical degree to do it, and honestly the array of things you need to learn BARELY fit into an undergraduate program.

I generally do not advocate for Masters degrees immediately after Undergrad to enter the IT workforce.

But for some job roles in CyberSecurity, it can be a good play.

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Seriously: a good computer science or computer engineering degree can be a PERFECTLY valid point of entry into CyberSecurity.
For that matter, a good Information Systems degree can work just fine as well.


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Two things you can do right now, like tonight:

Join this: https://developers.redhat.com/ (click the login link up top right to create a new account)
Then, download this: https://developers.redhat.com/products/rhel/download

Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is probably the most popular/common distribution of Linux you will find in the workplace.

Install Linux as a VM using Hyper-V or VirtualBox on your home computer.

Then enroll in this:

https://www.edx.org/course/fundamentals-of-red-hat-enterprise-linux

That will get you rolling on one of the most powerful weapons you can have as a budding young technology professional: Linux Operations knowledge.

Second thing. Buy one of these for Christmas: Raspberry Pi 4 / 4GB Kit @$99

A Raspberry Pi is a tiny computer that uses what is basically a cell phone CPU to power a Linux OS.

There are MILLIONS of cool thigns you can do with a RasPi.

/r/raspberry_pi will make your head explode with possibilities.

Do something cool. Play with Linux. Explore Linux. Get comfortable with Linux.
Feel it's power. Let it flow through you. Linux can help you become more powerful than you can imagine.

You are not worthless - no one can take your inner worth away from you. No one should ever feel worthless or ashamed of who they are - parents are supposed to unconditionally love and support their children. On top of that, you are incredibly accomplished for getting into a school like Northwestern.

Your parents are projecting their insecurities and fears onto you. Please do not take their words to heart. Even if you didn't get into college, no one can take away your inner self worth. I'm really sorry that you do not have more supportive and loving parents - I didn't either growing up. But that's on them, not on you. However, from this day on, you must make a promise to always love yourself and to be there for yourself, and not measure your worth based upon on externalities like what college you go to. You must learn how to build your self esteem so you can live a fulfilling life. The Self Esteem Workbook is a great place to start your journey.

You got into Northwestern - congratulations again. But you are technically at a disadvantage compared to other kids that got into Northwestern AND have a supportive, loving family backing them and helped them grow emotionally. A good college education serves as a great foundation for your future, but what's even more important is having a strong emotional foundation in yourself. Going to Northwestern isn't automatically going to make you an effective significant other or friend. The more you understand yourself and the more you unfailingly love yourself, the more fulfilling you'll find life can be.

Lastly, do you have someone to talk about this with? I'd recommend looking into getting some therapy. Feel free to shoot me a PM too if you need a sounding board.

Congratulations again! I hope you have a wonderful remainder of high school and always remember that no one can ever take away your infinite worth from you.

I'm going to be a bit contrarian here. I think if you are already burning out this early, it might be best to lighten your load. You might be surprised, but colleges don't just care about grades. They don't just care about the highest GPA or the courses you took. They care about character, what you do outside of the classroom, and if you're growing in your personal life.

Every year there are millions of people who graduate and apply to the same top colleges. Simply having good grades isn't enough to differentiate yourself from the pack anymore. In fact, since everyone is chasing the same thing (grades), just having good grades means you will be just like most everyone else. You need to find your something else. You must find the thing that will make you exceptional outside your grades. I encourage you to find that something as soon as possible.

I talk about this topic extensively in a recent book I published. I think it might be worth reading for you. It can give you a new view on what it takes to become successful. Not just in college, but in the real world. It can help you prepare for college in a way that other students are not. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W5LFD3Q

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to send me a message. I would be happy to help any way I can!

You do realize that there is guesswork but the extremes of the confidence interval are strictly positive right? In other words, no one is certain but what we are certain about is that optimum homework amount is positive. Maybe it's 4 hours, maybe it's 50 hours. But it's definitely not 0.

I don't like homework either when I was young. I dreaded it, and I skipped so many assignments, and I regularly skipped school. I hated school. In my senior year I had such severe senioritis that after I got accepted my grades basically crashed to D-ish levels. (By the way this isn't a good thing. It makes you lazy and trying to jumpstart again in your undergrad freshman year will feel like a huge, huge chore)

Now that I'm older I clearly see the benefits of homework. My advice to you is not to agree with me that homework is useful. My advice is to pursue your dreams, but when doing so be keenly aware of the pragmatical considerations. Theoretical physics demands a high level of understanding of theoretical mathematics: Lie groups, manifolds and differential algebraic topology, grad-level analysis, and so on. So get your arse and start studying math; you don't have to like your math homework, but you'd better be reading Spivak if you're truly serious about becoming a theoretical physicist. It's not easy. Life isn't easy. You want to be a theoretical physicist? Guess what, top PhD graduate programs often have acceptance rates lower than Harvard, Yale, Stanford etc. You want to stand out? Well everyone wants to stand out. But for every 100 wannabe 15-year-old theoretical physicists out there, only 1 has actually started on that route, started studying first year theoretical mathematics (analysis, vector space), started reading research papers, started really knowing what it takes. Do you want to be that 1? If you don't want to do homework, fine; but you need to be doing work that allows you to reach your dreams.

My advice? Enjoy your summer. It's one of the last times in your life that you'll genuinely have very little to no responsibilities. The field of CS is very much about learning on your own as an autodidact, so if for some reason you're getting bored doing teenage girl things there are plenty of resources out there to learn CS topics from.

I would focus on these rather than a formal, guided summer program because in your CS career you're likely not going to have the opportunity to have a guided internship every time you need to learn something new. Not to mention you're going to have a hard time finding an internship as a prefrosh since even freshmen/sophomores are looked over in favor of more experienced candidates. Some of these sites I've listed below offer certificates of completion, especially the MOOC-type courses, if for some reason you need vindication of your efforts. Lynda I believe offers their entire collection free through many local libraries. If your local library doesn't have a relationship, try other libraries in other counties or parts of your state.

Other than that, do your best to absorb as much programming knowledge as you can as it will be immensely helpful in your studies. As you learn, try to learn what really interests you in the field of CS (cybersecurity, machine learning, AI, robotics, data science/databases, or maybe you just turn out to really, really like coding) so you can make it a specialty. The field of CS pays enormous dividends when you specialize into things. It's these types of niche consultants that can demand $100-200/hr and get handsomely rewarded.

Oh, and think about subscribing to these subreddits, you might find them useful:

/r/cscareerquestions
/r/learnprogramming
/r/netsecstudents
/r/sysadmin
/r/ITCareerQuestions

If you enjoy programming:

• Codecademy
  
• Cybrary
  
• Lynda
  
• Udemy
  
• Pluralsight
  
• SoloLearn
  
• theodinproject.com
  
• Udacity
  
• https://www.edx.org/course/introduction-computer-science-harvardx-cs50x
  
• https://education.github.com/pack
  
  If you enjoy cybersecurity:
  
  
• CTFtime.org
  
• pentesterlab.com/bootcamp
  
• OverTheWire.org/wargames/
  
• io.netgarage.org
  
• pwnable.kr
  
• www.amazon.com/Penetration-Testing-Hands-Introduction-Hacking/dp/1593275641
  
• https://code.google.com/archive/p/pentest-bookmarks/wikis/BookmarksList.wiki
  
• http://www.amanhardikar.com/mindmaps/Practice.html
  
• https://www.bonkersabouttech.com/security/40-intentionally-vulnerable-websites-to-practice-your-hacking-skills/392
  
  If you're interested in IT certifications:
  
  
• CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+
  
• Cisco CCNA
  
• Microsoft MCSA

Hey man. I'm also a Junior looking at possibly self studying AP Pysch after realizing I wouldn't be able to fit it into my last two years of high school.

From what I've read online, Paych is mostly just a lot of memorization (laws & a few specific people), and is overall one of the best APs to self-study for. Multiple sources have recommended just buying the Barron's Book and reading through it a few times.

As far as how colleges view this, many people say that colleges would rather you study the subject in an actually class rather than on your own. I think this is pretty obvious as a class would challenge you thoroughout the year rather than just one exam. However, the case with me and you is that AP Psych is a subject we WANT to study, but our schedules just simply do not allow for it. In this case, I believe it would be seen as a greater initiative to take a class you are truly passionate in, rather than just for college credit.

I'd love to talk more about this as I'm also trying to make this decision. Just PM if you are interested!
 

EDIT: Forgot to mention my thoughts on FLVS. Personally, if you are a motivated student and are truly passionate about Psych, I would not do FLVS. The best part about a Pysch class is getting to do projects and activities in person, which you wouldn't be able to do in a virtual school. Therefore, doing FLVS would only put an unnecessary burden on you, in my opinion, by having the pressure of assignments, tests, etc. Junior year is infamously known for being the most rigorous of your 4 years of high school, so adding another class as homework everyday could legitimately hurt your GPA. If you really enjoy Pysch, self-studying should be no problem.

Biology is nothing without chemistry so you need to know the basics of chemistry as well. My favourite book is the Color Atlas of Biochemistry by Jan Koolman, K. Rohm.

Another very useful book is Biochemistry (Lippincott Illustrated Reviews Series) by R. Harvey.

Many past participants recommend the Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, however, this book may be too detailed for olympiads.

GENETICS TEXTBOOKS|

Genetics: Analysis and Principles (WCB Cell & Molecular Biology) by Brooker presents an experimental approach to understanding genetics and what I like most is that there are plenty of problems with explanations and answers. Another good textbook for genetics is Genetics: From Genes to Genomes, 5th edition by Hartwell. Genetics: From Genes to Genomes is a cutting-edge, introductory genetics text authored by an unparalleled author team, including Nobel Prize winner, Leland Hartwell.

GENERAL BIOLOGY TEXTBOOKS|

It is not a secret that the Bible of Biology is Campbell Biology (11th Edition). It is a good book and it covers all fundamental biology topics, nevertheless, some topics are discussed only concisely so some good books in addition to Campbell’s could come in handy.

HUMAN ANATOMY |TEXTBOOKS

For human body anatomy and physiology great books are Human Physiology: An Integrated Approach (7th Edition) by Dee Unglaub Silverthorn or  Vander’s Human Physiology. 

MOLECULAR AND CELL BIOLOGY|TEXTBOOKS

My top choice for molecular biology is Molecular Biology of the Cell by Bruce Alberts, et al. This is book is a big one, a hard one, an interesting one, a useful one. From my point of view, current and upcoming IBOs are focusing on molecular and cell biology because these fields are developing so rapidly and thus these branches of biology are perfect source for olympiad problems. So try to read it and understand it. If you want something cheaper than Alberts but equally useful, try Molecular Biology of the Cell, Fifth Edition: The Problems Book

PLANT BIOLOGY|TEXTBOOKS

Many past biology olympiad questions contain quite a lot of problems about plant anatomy and physiology. Thus, I suggest to read Stern’s Introductory Plant Biology.  Another amazing book for plant biology is Biology of Plants by Peter H. Raven, Ray F. Evert, Susan E. Eichhorn.

​

TEXTBOOKS FOR AND PROBLEM SOLVING|TECHNIQUES

Science competitions test a student’s level of knowledge, power of scientific reasoning, and analytical thinking outside of the regular school curriculum. A systematic approach and smart study regimen are both required to get good results in science competitions. This is where my book How To Prepare for the Biology Olympiad And Science Competitions by Martyna Petrulyte comes into the picture.

Read How to be a High School Superstar.

Other than managing your grades and standardized test scores, the majority of the book is about building achievement in your extracurricular activities. It's certainly not too late as a rising junior, but you do have limited time, so get started on this endeavor immediately.

This is all assuming your grades are good (3.8+). Take a practice ACT and new SAT this summer. Figure out which test you prefer, which should usually be the one you find easier and score higher on. Find suitable resources (college confidential, as hated as it is, has a lot of test prep advice) to raise your score as much as possible. Sign up for the October administration of your chosen test and make sure to take practice tests in the weeks leading up to it. If your score meets the threshold of the universities you wanna attend (assuming 34+ and 1500+ for top tier schools), you're done with testing. If not, keep studying and try to get that done by the end of the semester. Take your subject tests in June.

Wish me good luck as a rising senior!

You can apply for non-institutional aid (the stuff on, for example, scholarships.com) right now, but know that scholarships you get right now could lessen how much need-based financial aid you get. So if you got a $500 scholarship, your future school might just lessen your need-based aid by $500, too. I don’t think it subtracts from merit aid, though, so if you aren’t expecting much based on your FAFSA or can get more from outside scholarships than you’d get need-based aid, your best bet will be scholarships.com, unigo.com, or books like this one

We plan to use some of the strategies in this book to help our kids get into the colleges if their choice. It might be helpful to you. This book says it’s not so much about the GPA and test scores, but how you market yourself and the activities you do. Good luck! How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0767932587/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-OXwDbBD4B293

Hey!!

http://www.amazon.com/Real-ACT-3rd-Prep-Guide/dp/0768934400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420515022&sr=8-1&keywords=act


http://www.amazon.com/Barrons-ACT-36-2nd-Perfect/dp/0764147056/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1420515022&sr=8-3&keywords=act

These two were my favorite. If she wants help + tips feel free to PM me.

It's always best to go with the official study books. Here's the SAT and the ACT

Princeton Review is known for test-prep, but I've never used them, so I can't attest for quality... I just know that the official guides from the people who make the test are always your best bet for prep.

Go and buy the book of 20 on Amazon and take several (only an hour apiece) to determine your best 2. Then take those official tests. You can sit for the December 1 test date. The big ones are the Stem tests, particularly Math 2 and the sciences- physics, bio, chem. You could also do US History, Literature if that is your strength.

https://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Tests/dp/0874479754/

Contrary to popular belief, it is not that difficult to qualify as a national finalist. I am very close with a few of the 2018 and 2019 campers, and they barely even study. In fact, the only textbook they seem to use is this one: https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Kids-Science-Experiments-Gravity-Challenge/dp/1580625576/ref=zg_bs_3214_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4VN9EKWFQHHGJMV5K25N which isn't even that difficult to cram the night before the exam.

As for college, many campers do not attend IVY league/HYPSM schools, with only 2/11 getting into MIT. My advice to you would be to follow your passion. What gets you out of bed in the morning?

I'd buy both real practice tests (which are offered in both official guides: http://www.amazon.com/Real-ACT-3rd-Prep-Guide/dp/0768934400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425879363&sr=8-1&keywords=act+prep+book, http://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-Second/dp/0874478529/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425879392&sr=8-1&keywords=collegeboard+blue+book), sit down, and take the tests as if they're the real thing. That way, you'll know what you can expect on the SAT and the ACT with your current practice.

It sounds like the ACT is a better option for you, though you should check the standardized test requirements for the colleges you're applying to.

Frank Bruni has a great BOOK about this, it is totally just what so many kids need to read right now. My kids' high school counselors have it in their offices. It's called, Where You GO is Not Who You'll Be. https://www.amazon.com/Where-You-Not-Who-Youll/dp/1455532681

Please check out my book on Bishop for Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R92Q926 or on paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/1096435969 hoping to enhance awareness on the the case

https://www.amazon.com/Where-You-Not-Who-Youll/dp/1455532681/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1518755044&sr=8-1&keywords=where+you+go+is+not+who+you%27ll+be

please read this; it helped me last year when I felt a lot like you. it got me through it. im rooting for you.

I've written a book detailing exactly everything I did, including my essays, if you want to check it out and also help my pay off some of my crushing tuition :)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1982975903/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527132547&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=how+to+beat+high+school

Please read Where You Go is not Who You'll Be. By Frank Bruni. He provides lots of examples.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1455532681/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492628837&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=frank+bruni&dpPl=1&dpID=51JhDvxHPKL&ref=plSrch

You can find it on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Official-SAT-Study-Guide-2016/dp/1457304309/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453503668&sr=1-1&keywords=sat+prep+2016

Gonna add some more potential benefits: you may get a lot more leeway to get your shit together and adjust to college life, along with the ability to explore more majors with less fear of wasting tuition.


Looking back, I’m gonna say this: College apps was a really competitive and low key toxic time for some people, and to be honest, with the exception of a few fields, Where you go is not who you’ll be.