High School Preparation: Operation Coursework

Let’s face it. College takes preparation and a whole lot of courses. And the right choices in high school will prove to the college admissions department that you’re a worthy candidate and will set your path for the four years to come.

What kind of choices are you making? Are you doing the bare minimum so that you can get by? Are you immersing yourself in electives that show that you have other interests? Are you challenging yourself with accelerated courses, like Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses? Your choices say something about you. Are you going to slack now, experiment now, or are you going to consistently evolve by taking those difficult classes that really exercise your brain? What do you think is the worthwhile investment for the long haul?

Consider when your application gets to the admissions office. The admissions counselors would much rather see you take a hard course and struggle with it than see you take easy courses and get by without a fight. College courses are typically much harder than high school courses, so don’t set yourself up for disappointment. Prepare today.

For most colleges, the following, at minimum, should be your courseload:

Math: 3+ years (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, etc.)
English: 4+ years (language, comprehension, grammar, literature, etc.)
Science: 3+ years (biology, chemistry, physics, etc.)
Social Sciences: 3+ years (history, geography, psychology, economics, government, etc.)
Electives: Some colleges require foreign language, visual arts, physical education, computer science, theatre or art, and other courses.

As for me, I had a full courseload. I dabbled in journalism, computer science, and had a full plate of AP curriculum courses in addition to an elective one year in peer counseling, three years of a foreign language, and electives in music. Did it pay off? It certainly did. My interests were clear when I made it to the college interview, and I was somewhat prepared for the years to come.

Choose your high school classes carefully, but seek out those interesting classes to bring you satisfaction and a constant challenge to let your college application stand out in the crowd.