Colleges care about the classes you take every year until high school graduation, So should you sign up for AP Calculus and AP Physics the same year? Take it easy early on, and then pile on the challenging work junior year?
How to Craft the Perfect High School Schedule
The general rule is to take five solid academic subjects a year in English, math, social studies, science and foreign language.
Our tips will help you choose the right high school classes each year, and remove some of the stress from college planning .
FirstYear: Set the Foundation
It can seem tempting to try to ease into high school life when it comes to academics, but that can be a mistake. The question to ask is, “What is the most rigorous schedule I can take and have success? Work with your college counselor on a smart freshman yearschedule now, so college applications aren't as stressful later.
It’s time to kick it up a notch. Sophom*ore year is usually the first time you can take AP classes . But before you sign up for the first course that catches your eye, look at the big picture. What classes do you want to take junior and senior year? Ensure that you are getting the prerequisites now that you’ll need for the next step. Check out more tips on choosing AP subjects .
Learn More: College Admissions Counseling
Junior Year: Last Year to Shine
Junior year grades are of particular interest to colleges, both for GPA and rigor. So, this is the time to beef up your schedule with appropriate AP and honors classes.
Not sure you’re up for the challenge? In most cases, taking an AP class and getting a B is a better choice than getting an A in a regular one. Many high schools give weight to AP grades so that a B in AP Biology might be a 3.3 instead of a 3.0 on your transcript. Not only do APs boost your GPA, but they also show colleges that you are preparing for college-level work.
Senioritis does not exist anymore. Colleges do consider fall grades, and even after admission your high school classes and grades still matter. Though it is far more common for a school to request a senior year schedule, there are many colleges that will ask for final grades. And, if you have been waitlisted , your spring grades could be an important factor in getting accepted. Get our tips for keeping your grades up during college application season .
Honors vs AP Classes?
Colleges like them both. Both honors and AP courses are rigorous courses that most high schools weight more heavily on your transcript. AP courses, however, culminate in the AP Exam. Good AP scores show colleges you are ready to succeed at college-level work and can even earn you college credits.
The bottom line is that admission committees want to see that you are challenging yourself academically, which means taking honors, AP, or IB (International Baccalaureate)courses if they are available. Check with your college counselor to see which types of courses and subjects are offered at your school.
Leave Room for Electives and Extracurriculars
You don’t want to go through high school feeling perpetually overwhelmed. Signing up for all honors classes can be a disaster if you have other commitments and extracurriculars on your plate. Remember that colleges look for balance. Academics are important, but so is a well-rounded high school resume. Taking electives (like art or graphic design classes) beyond your required courses is a great way to discover new skills and study interests.
Concerned you might not be able to handle AP Calculus or Honors Physics? Our Princeton Review tutors can help bridge the gap between classwork and homework. Try an online session whenever you need homework help, 24-7.
Ready to prep for your AP Exams ?Make sure your hard work pays off by working with our expert AP tutors . Whether you need comprehensive prep or a boost in a few areas, we’re here to help!
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Get one-on-one help from former Ivy League and top tier admission officers. Our College Counselors will help you find, apply, and get accepted to your dream school.
Your first year and sophom*ore year affect your cumulative GPA, which is important to most colleges. However, a solid academic record in your junior year is likely to carry more importance with an admissions committee.
Colleges like them both. Both honors and AP courses are rigorous courses that most high schools weight more heavily on your transcript. AP courses, however, culminate in the AP Exam. Good AP scores show colleges you are ready to succeed at college-level work and can even earn you college credits.
Colleges look at the specific classes you take in high school. Admissions officers want to know whether you took all the core courses, including math, science, foreign language, English, and social studies. They also take note of whether you progressed to higher-level classes in the core subjects.
Core Courses Are the Heart of a Healthy Transcript
Math, science, social sciences, foreign language, and English are the pillars of a high school's core curriculum. In the eyes of admissions officers, core courses are what make or break a transcript. These are the high school classes colleges look for on applications.
A 3.7 GPA is a very good GPA, especially if your school uses an unweighted scale. This means that you've been earning mostly A-s in all of your classes. If you've been taking high level classes and earning a 3.7 unweighted GPA, you're in great shape and can expect to be accepted to many selective colleges.
As a top-letter grade, a B+ or A- is considered "good." A 3.5 GPA means that a student consistently performs well on homework, tests, and projects in every subject, making it a desirable GPA across the board.
AP classes are designed to be much more challenging than grade-level classes, and a "B" in an AP class is typically equivalent to an "A" in a grade-level class.
For admissions, colleges look at all your high school marks and all are included in your overall GPA. Additionally, they place slightly more emphasis on your most recent (junior) grades than earlier (freshman) grades.
You can graduate with Ds, but you cannot go to college with Ds. Colleges will give you ZERO credit for the class, just like you got an F. This is true no matter what the class is, even if it is not a required class.
That means they get 5 credits towards high school graduation and the course has satisfied the particular category (English, math, etc.). But while a student can eek by with a D for graduation purposes, in California, the UCs and the CSUs will not accept Ds for their core academic courses (known as A-G courses). Yup.
While experts say AP courses are viewed favorably by admissions officers, Brennan Barnard, director of college counseling at Khan Lab School, a private K-12 school in California, notes colleges will consider a students' applications in the context of the curriculum offered at their high school, meaning applicants won't ...
Admissions officers at our nation's elite universities seek to admit students who challenge themselves by taking the most rigorous curriculum possible throughout the entirety of high school — and then some.
Do Middle School Grades Matter to Colleges? Technically, middle school grades don't matter that much to colleges. Colleges mostly focus on your high school GPA, ACT/SAT scores, and extracurricular activities. Your middle school grades will not even be a part of your college application.
Your senior year grades hold weight on your overall GPA, which is one of the components, along with SAT or ACT scores, letters of recommendation, etc., that institutions review as part of the admissions process.
In a word, yes: Even though freshman year comes with a huge learning curve for a lot of students as you transition from middle school, colleges do still look at your grades for this year.
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