Choosing High School Courses
Selecting your courses in high school is a balancing act. And sometimes a juggling act as well. Avoid rigorous courses, and selective colleges will view you as a less competitive applicant. Take courses that are too difficult and risk grades that could bump you out of consideration. The key is to leverage your strengths, recognize where you tend to struggle, and factor in your college goals. When evaluating applicants, colleges look first at the student’s curriculum choices and GPA. They assess the level of rigor relative to the options available to the student. Generally, this means they look at how the student pushed him or herself, especially with honors and AP classes. Colleges will not disadvantage a student whose high school does not offer AP courses, however.
Let's Break it Down by Core Subject
English: English is usually the most straightforward because four years is universally expected among high schools and colleges alike. Your choice here is often between College Prep or Standard, Honors, and AP. If your teacher recommends you for honors early in high school, that’s because they recognize your strengths and believe you will be successful. Honors and AP English provide a strong background for essay writing and standardized testing, improving your vocabulary, reading, and comprehension speed. Advanced classes prepare you for college-level work as well.
Math: Your math track can be established early on and can sometimes be complicated if you veer off the track you’ve been assigned. If adjustments are needed, it’s important to make them as early as possible. In some high schools, changing from an honors track to a college prep track in precalculus, for example, can eliminate course options for senior year. Aim to take a minimum of precalculus in high school if possible. If you plan to major in a STEM discipline, calculus is essential. And a critical point, some colleges do not count high school statistics as a math course even though many high schools do. If it is avoidable, don’t substitute statistics for a traditional math class such as precalculus or calculus. That said, statistics is a great elective option, especially for prospective business majors. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the math track you’ve been assigned and understand when you have choices within that track and the timing and implications of those choices.
History/Social Science: Most high schools have predefined history courses required of students alongside a healthy dose of social science electives. Requirements can vary among high schools, but commonly required courses include World History, US History, and US Government. Economics and Psychology are considered electives, not core history courses. For extra rigor, students can choose AP European History, AP US History, AP Government, AP World, and AP Economics, among other options. Consider your aptitude for reading and writing when deciding which level of history course to pursue.
Science: Colleges like to see the three core lab sciences – biology, chemistry, and physics. Depending on the selectivity level of the colleges at which you are applying, you might be able to replace chemistry or physics with an elective science course such as environmental science or anatomy & physiology. But in most scenarios, it’s best to establish your science foundation with these three classes and choose your electives based on your interests and future plans. Selective colleges look for AP-level science work in prospective STEM majors. If you plan to pursue engineering, consider taking AP Physics, especially if you will be applying to selective colleges. Prospective health science majors should consider AP Biology or AP Chemistry.
Foreign/World Language: This is the subject in which high school graduation requirements and college expectations differ the most. We often hear students say they’ve “finished” their foreign language after they’ve met the high school graduation requirement of two or three years. Language is a core subject in the eyes of college admission officers and barring any LD that exempts a student from taking a world language, it is critical to take a minimum of three years. The most selective schools like to see four years of the same world language. Students can set themselves apart by taking language through the AP level. Some states offer a biliteracy seal for students who test well on the AP exams for world languages.
Achieving Balance: Remember the part about balance and juggling? Well, that's the trickiest but most critical part. It is essential to know yourself and factor in your strengths, areas of potential weakness, goals, and, most importantly, stress level. High school shouldn't be a walk in the park, but it shouldn't make you miserable either. Challenge yourself where you excel and allow yourself to skip the honors course if it's a subject that makes you want to run.