grades?science?my plan

Being a freshman in high school, you have a long time to decide what you want to do, and things tend to change over the years. You may change your mind many times about what direction you want to go in. But, here are my suggestions if you are interested in nursing or CRNA:

1. Take as many advanced math and science classes as possible, particularly chemistry, biology, anatomy & physiology.

2. AP classes are great as they will give you a jump start on your college career. But, they are not a requirement to get into nursing.

3. Grades are important. Getting into nursing school is competitive. When I got in, over 400 people applied to my school and they only accepted 48 regular students and 24 accelerated. You don't have to have straight A's, but I think the minimum GPA was a 3.4 or so.

4. Anything you can do to get your foot into the hospital is great. I highly recommend working as a CNA if you can. You will have a tremendous jump start on pursuing a nursing career. I'm not sure what the requirements are to work as a CNA, but you may have to be 18. Often times, hospitals and/or paramedics has volunteer opportunities for teens that could be beneficial to you. That way, you can get a feel for what it's all about and if you are a good fit, and could make you more competitive to get into nursing school. These are optional and to your benefit, but are by no means a requirement.

Good luck in your endeavors.