Aspiring High School Freshmen In Need if Help!!!

Hey everyone,

I’m a freshman in high school who’s really interested in going into accounting, finance, or something related in business. Right now I don’t really have any extracurriculars yet, but I want to start building toward getting into a good college and eventually working in the field.

I’m already working toward a college degree while still in high school (through early/college classes), and I’m trying to plan ahead so I don’t waste these next few years.

If you could go back to when you were 14–15 and wanted to go into accounting or finance, what would you do differently?

Some things I’m wondering about:

• What extracurriculars actually help for business/finance?
• Are there any certificates worth doing?
• Should I try to get internships or work experience early? What internships and how?
• Any skills I should start learning now (Excel, coding, financial modeling, etc.)?

Basically, if you were starting from zero in high school but wanted to get into a strong college for accounting or finance, what steps would you take?

I am already signing up for DECA next year but its complicated since my school doesn't offer it.

Thanks for any advice.