Preparing for College: Courses to take in High School

Many students believe that they have to take the most rigorous courses and load their schedules with Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, but what exactly do students need to take to feel prepared for college-level courses? 

What Courses Do Colleges Want Students to Take? 

According to Harvard, “There is no single academic path we expect all students to follow, but the strongest applicants take the most rigorous secondary school curricula available to them.” Generally speaking, this means students take four years of English (with practice writing and analyzing texts), four years of science (biology, chemistry, physics, and an advanced course of one of those three), three years of history (American and European history), and four years of one foreign language. These requirements include consistent evidence of excelling in higher-level math courses (Calculus and beyond). In most public schools across the country, students are required to take these courses anyway to graduate, except for two years of a foreign language and an option to select non-science electives. 

The problem arises when a student is unable to enroll in a course they are interested in and/or has factors affecting their performance (life happens, and universities understand that things may impede their success). The pandemic was a testament to students’ resilience both mentally and academically and many are still recovering from the unforeseen effects. So what can students do to make the most of their high school education? The answer may lie in planning. 

Planning High School and College Courses 

One of the first things that universities like Yale look at when considering admission is Academic Ability, most often referred to as your transcript and GPA. Yale states “The single most important document in your application is your high school transcript”, which tells us a great deal about your academic drive and performance over time.” Like many other prestigious colleges, Yale looks for students who consistently perform well in a broad range of challenging courses. This does not necessarily mean taking all the AP and higher level IB courses available but being intentional about which ones you take. 

If you’re interested in a particular major, explore the major prerequisites and plan on taking academically challenging courses that align with your major. For most STEM majors, this includes but is not limited to AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP English (either work), AP Physics, AP Computer Science, and AP Calculus (generally the higher math course the better) as a minimum to be a competitive applicant. Plan your schedule accordingly so you can fit the courses you want into your high school career and earn the highest possible grade in the course. Most students load up on AP courses their senior year, but if you can avoid doing that and spread out your challenging courses, that may be easier for you to manage and your GPA may thank you for that.

So, do you need to enroll in these courses? Not, really but if you want to increase your chances of getting into your dream college, it is highly recommended, especially if other people at your school are also interested in applying to the same colleges. For students who are not familiar with their academic resilience, we recommend progressively challenging courses (e.g. not jumping into AP Calculus BC unless you’ve done well in pre-calculus). Of course, this is a case-by-case situation. You can always supplement or level up your learning by enrolling in community college math courses. 

How can I stand Out? 

In terms of course selection, the easiest way to stand out from your peers is not the number of challenging courses, but the level of courses, your grades, and what electives you choose. We recommend you choose electives that interest you, especially if your school offers special classes, pathways, or programs like Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District’s Silicon Valley Career Technical Education or Palo Alto Unified’s Advanced Authentic Research. There are countless similar programs run by various districts and embedded in each is an opportunity for students to engage in original research. If the career you are interested in is one you can fulfill by attending a technical school, then, by all means, we recommend you take advantage of what your district has to offer, if any. Remember, just because everyone else wants to be a doctor, lawyer, or computer scientist doesn’t mean you have to do the same. Oftentimes, diversifying your approach and pathway may lead to greater opportunities. If you need help selecting your interests and refining your high school pathway, please feel free to contact us at SK Education for a free consultation. 

Key Takeaways 

• https://www.ivywise.com/blog/high-school-classes-what-to-choose-to-prepare-for-college/