What Courses should Academically Motivated Students take in High School?

Most high schools offer multiple levels in the courses they offer. Usually the courses are standard, accelerated or honors, and AP (Advanced Placement). The conventional wisdom is that academically motivated students looking to apply to highly selective schools should take the most rigorous course load that is offered by their high schools. While this is true, and this is what college admissions officers say, it could be a conundrum for students that attend schools offering honors and AP courses in every subject. Is it necessary to take 8+ AP courses and all other honors courses? Are 4 to 5 AP courses enough? On the flip side, what if the student is not on the honors track coming into freshman year? Academic tracking starts as early as elementary school, and some families are surprised to find that their student cannot take honors courses during freshman year which leads to other honors and AP courses in the future.

 

High performing students on the honors track:

There is no set number of AP courses a student must take during high school. However, colleges look to see how much of the offered AP courses students take advantage of in their schools. It is therefore advisable for students to take several of these advanced courses in the areas of interest, if offered in their schools. Colleges like to not just see good grades, but to see students take the opportunity to challenge and push themselves. This is more so if you are applying to more selective colleges.

While aiming to take AP courses, students should not go overboard or force themselves to follow in the footsteps of other students around them at all times. In some schools, many students take 8-9 AP courses during highschool. In other schools, students might generally do 4 to 5. However, just because other students are taking a said number of courses, not everyone needs to do it. A student with 8 AP courses is not automatically seen as a better candidate than a student with 5 AP courses. Beyond a certain level of rigor and grades, other aspects of the application matter more than additional AP courses.  Students should do as many as they personally can push themselves to do, focusing on taking these courses in their areas of interest. This shows the college admissions teams that the student has chosen courses that advance their area of interest. 

 

Students that are not on the honors track:

It is true that every student develops at a different pace. Some students blossom towards the end of middle school or even beginning of high school, and if they have been in a school system where tracking began early, the student may not be on the honors track coming into high school. However it is still important that students take challenging courses if they want to be considered for selective colleges. In this case, students should identify one or two subjects that they enjoy and do well in, and find a path to get into honors courses. In math and sciences, this may entail taking summer school that will allow them to skip a grade on math, or go into honors/AP science courses. In the humanities, students should explore placement exams that they can prepare for and take to move into higher level courses. There are also electives with AP and high level courses to consider where none of the students coming into freshman year necessarily had an advantage - for example, AP Computer Science, AP Art, AP Music, and AP Languages. The students can start with Intro classes as a freshman and build up to those courses. Students should sit down with their guidance counselors and explore options that the school offers for moving up, and also research opportunities outside of school.

It is not required that students take honors and AP courses in ALL subjects. This applies to both students that are qualified to take 12 AP courses as well as those that only qualify to take 2-3 APs.

 

While AP courses are the most popular form of advanced classes in American high schools, some schools also follow other models. For example, they might offer IB or honors courses. No matter what the system is, the essence remains the same. Students should find their strength and find ways to challenge themselves and take high level classes in those areas.  

 

Contact Us to learn more about high school course planning and how our advisors can help you uncover options that you may not have thought about.

 

 

For additional insights:

Understanding Advanced Placement (AP) Courses and Exams

6 Steps to Better Grades

How to Guarantee Academic Success

High School Extracurriculars that Matter for College Admissions

 

 

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