Choosing Your Classes and Activities in High School

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As a high school student, you have some choices to make each year when you're planning out your schedule. Some classes are mandatory—high schools require you to take a certain number of years of core classes, like math, science, language arts, and history. But you’ll also have some choices to make about electives, advanced classes, and other courses.

If you’re thinking about how your courses can impact your college application, here are four pieces of advice that can help.

  • Take classes that challenge you. This is the most important tip, college admission counselors say. While no two high schools offer exactly the same course options, college admission counselors will want to know if you pushed yourself academically. Colleges receive your school’s profile as a part of the application process, so they can see what courses were available to you and what options you chose to take.
  • Work to improve yourself, even if you have a rough start. Starting out strong and staying strong academically throughout high school can show college admission counselors that you would thrive at their school. But if you get a bad grade early on, there’s plenty of time to make up for it. Improving your grades and taking challenging classes can show counselors you’re serious about your academic future.
  • Make sure you meet the minimum requirements for the colleges you’re looking to apply to. Some schools require three years of science and three years of math, while others require four years of science and three years of social studies. Each college and university has a different set of requirements for admission. Even within universities, there are differences among programs. Students applying to a business school may need four years of math, while students looking for a STEM program may need four years of science. (Tip: If you take four years of all those core subjects we listed earlier, you’ll be set almost anywhere!)
  • Join extracurricular activities that matter to you. While you might think that having a long list of extracurricular activities can help show colleges how involved you are in your school and community, counselors actually prefer to see you pursue to a few activities that are especially important to you. Your commitment to them—such as taking on increased responsibilities over the years—can help highlight your leadership skills and your sense of dedication.