High School Curriculum Planning
Choosing high school courses for next year?
Consider and select carefully.
February 2009
Over years of guiding students, Dunbar consultants have consistently emphasized the importance that college admissions officers place on academic achievement in high school. Our experience has taught us that students who take demanding courses, who follow through on these subjects at the most advanced level appropriate for them and succeed in those courses, have the best chances for acceptance. We encourage you to challenge yourself. Below are some key points to consider as you chose your classes for next year.
Taking appropriate courses - at the regular or advanced level - requires foresight and careful planning. Whenever you are selecting classes, think about all of the years you have left in school, not just one year at a time, and create a curricular plan for your remaining high school years. For students in 8th and 9th grade, starting out in high school, it is important to remember the value of selecting the classes that will ultimately develop the strongest possible transcript for all four years. What that means will vary from student to student and will also depend on the selectivity of the colleges on each student's list. Be sure to consult with your guidance counselor or one of our consultants when deciding on the best classes for you.
Most students in the first few years of high school have little choice as to the courses they will take. English, math, history, science and foreign language courses are usually consistent grade-wide. However, many schools offer different levels in various subjects. One area where rigor can vary greatly is math. When a student can take Algebra 1 in the 8th grade, he or she is then set up to take Geometry in 9th, Algebra 2 in 10th, Pre Calculus in 11th and then have a good chance to take an advanced Calculus class in the 12th grade. For the strong quantitative student this is the best sequence and is good preparation for more selective colleges. Those for whom math is not a strength will do fine with Algebra 1 in 9th grade, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre Calculus in the senior year. Colleges prefer to see a transcript with math for all 4 years.
Colleges also like to see some writing-intensive courses - English and history - at the honors or Advanced Placement (AP) level in the 11th and 12th grades when that is appropriate. The sequence for English classes is often pre-determined by the school, but honors and AP level classes will be the best options in which to enroll in the upper grades if you qualify for them. When studying history, most students will take US History either in 10th or 11th grade. If offered a chance to take it at the AP level, do so.
Science curricula vary from school to school, but plan to take all three of the lab sciences: Biology, Chemistry and Physics. If you do well in one of these lab sciences, consider taking the SAT Subject test at the end of the academic year. Students applying to highly selective colleges should also try to take an Honors or AP level course in one of these subjects.
Three years of the same foreign language are recommended but consider taking four years if you can. Colleges will like your follow-through, particularly because a student spends the first three years learning grammar and vocabulary, and only truly begins analyzing literature in the original text in their fourth year.
The bottom line to remember is that students should take the most advanced classes for which they qualify and can still do well. While a B in a more advanced level course will be more valuable than an A in a less advanced class, avoid overloading yourself and ending up with Cs in advanced courses!
College admission officers like to see students pushing themselves. Keeping this in mind will set you up to apply to some wonderful schools and to have good choices in the spring.
Questions? Give us a call (203-625-6344) or send us an email and we'll help you develop an appropriate plan that works for you or your student.
Emilie Hinman
ehinman@dunbarconsultants.com
