I will be writing on as aspect of the college application process that current juniors need to be paying attention to before they begin applying to college in the fall. The topics that I will be addressing are Course Selection (Part 1), The Application (Part 2), The SAT/ACT (Part 3), The Essay (Part 4), Teacher Recommendations (Part 5), The College Interview (Part 6).
Part 1- Course Selection
It is that time of year here at DC when students are given their course selection forms for next academic year. As juniors, the courses you take in your senior year are VERY important to colleges. Here are a some things to pay attention to when selecting courses.
- When in doubt, err on the side of rigor. The degree to which you expose yourself to rigor in the high school classroom speaks volumes with regard to the likelihood that you can perform well in college level courses. As a result, admission officers are watching to see how you use the curriculum available to you to “step up” each year. Each year of high school should reflect advancement through progressively rigorous coursework in each discipline.
- Know your capacity to do the work. In contemplating rigor in course options, it is easy to get drawn into the presumptive logic that taking the highest level will be most impressive to colleges. While there is some truth in that assessment, you need to be able to function at a high level in the course. Barely passing a “hard” course produces the double whammy of a low grade in that course and the ripple effect of lower grades in other courses as you spend a disproportionate amount of time making it through the hard course. The bottom line: While it is important to stretch yourself, don’t over-reach in taking courses for the purpose of impressing admission officers. You will need to send your senior mid-year grades (7th semester transcript) to at least half or more of the colleges you apply to so having them see that you couldn’t keep up and be successful in the courses you chose to take senior year doesn’t look good either.
- Breadth matters. In other words, keep your bases covered. In each year of high school, you should take courses in the five core discipline areas: math, science, history, foreign language and English. Do this regardless of your career interests. Why? Admission officers, especially at selective colleges, want to see that you have developed skills of critical thinking and analysis across disciplines. Having such an experience gives them greater confidence that you will be able to handle distribution requirements and cross-disciplinary courses you are likely to encounter in college.
- Substitute value for value. It is not uncommon for students entering the Junior or Senior year to rationalize course selections (e.g. “I don’t like Spanish…” “I want to double up in sciences…”). Generally speaking, dropping a course in one discipline for a course in another is acceptable if you are substituting value for value. This will typically have an impact in admissions decisions at more competitive admission colleges (30% acceptance rate or less). For example, not taking a science is acceptable if you plan on taking an additional math or history course. On the other hand, dropping it to take an elective or more art would be a bad move within the context of completion at selective institutions. You need to be careful on where you are applying to college though because some competitive admission colleges may want you to continue to take courses in all of the core disciplines no matter what major you are pursuing.
- Don’t settle for “good enough.” It is common for students to chart their progress through high school by working only to the level of their graduation requirements or to the course “requirements” posted by colleges. The problem is that selective colleges want to see what you will do when you have seemingly satisfied your “requirements”—when you don’t think you have to do anything else. Be careful, then, not to settle for the minimum or that which is good enough. If you want to increase your range of options as a college applicant, push past that which is good enough to that which will make you a better candidate. A common question from students regarding course selections sounds like this: “Is it better for me to take an easier course where I know I can get an “A” or should I take a harder course where I’ll probably get a lower grade?” The best way to answer this question is to take the harder class and get an “A”. God expects the best from us using the knowledge, gifts and abilities He has given us. In my mind, when you assume you will get a lower grade in a course, you are not only selling yourself short but you are also not trusting in Him to bring out the best in you. You know what you are capable of and what would be a wise choice of courses to take, but sometimes you will surprise yourself when you put your total trust in Him.
Below are a few FAQ’s that I get when it comes to course selection:
1) Do I have to take all honors and AP classes to get into a “good” college? This is a loaded question because the answer is based on how you define “good” college. There are so many great colleges in the United States at which students from DC would succeed and thrive, but it takes time to research and learn about these schools. A number of people think that there are only 30 “good” colleges in the country because of what they hear, read online, see in various rankings or perceive from past experience. Degree of competitiveness is only one aspect of fit, and does not necessarily determine the type of job you will get after you graduate. The goal for any senior is to go to a college that fits their personality, preferences, goals, major aspirations and budget. Now that we somewhat have defined a “good” college, let me answer the other part of this question regarding taking all honors or AP classes. Colleges want to see a student take the course that will appropriately challenge them. If you are going to get a C in a course, it is probably going to benefit you to take the course you will most likely get an A or B in. Colleges do care about course rigor and whether or not you are taking the most appropriately challenging courses.
2) Will taking one more year (typically level III or IV) of World Language look good to colleges?
This really depends on the college(s) you are applying to and the major you may pursue. As a baseline, colleges like to see students who continue to challenge themselves in the “core” classes (English, math, science, history and world language). However, there are opportunities as you get to junior and senior year, to take more “core” classes in subjects that you enjoy more and/or are more successful in. Taking an additional math, science or history class and not taking an additional year of world language is fine. If you are pursuing a major in the arts, taking more art or Theatre would be fine. Not taking a world language, however, and adding art or another easier elective, or just a study hall would not look good to colleges because they see that you are not challenging yourself academically at all when you do this.
3) How many AP classes should I take?
Take the AP courses you will succeed in without them affecting your health and compromising your extracurricular activities. If you are not getting enough sleep (you may need more than someone else and studies continue to say that you should get 8 hours of sleep a night), getting sick and missing school or just are not your usual self, it may be time to seriously think about dropping down a level in one or more core courses. I also do not recommend dropping an extracurricular activity (the play, a sport, Hi-Q, Yearbook, Robotics, etc.) because you need more time to do your AP course work. Extracurricular activities are important outlets for you to expend energy, grow in relationships with others and continue to succeed in something God has given you a gift to do. Additionally, colleges really like to see that you are involved and growing in the areas you enjoy and succeed at after school hours.
4) Do I have to take all the courses I am recommended for?
The recommendations that you are given on your course selection form are made separately by your current teachers. Even though you may be recommended to take all AP and Honors courses, you need to evaluate whether it wise for you to do so (please see the answer to question #2). You and your parents know you the best. Please do not think that if you opt out of taking an honors or AP class, you are limiting your options when it comes to college (please see answer to question #1). Some students are capable of taking on more than others but it’s about finding that balance so that you are succeeding in your classes and succeeding in the areas God has gifted you in and you are passionate about.
5) If I am good at math and may major in something math related in college, should I take a summer math course to get ahead in my math track if I am not on the highest math track?
You should take math classes that you will be successful in. I would not recommend pushing yourself to accelerate your math track if you would only experience frustration and discouragement because you can’t keep up with the pace or fully understand the material in the math class that you are in. Part of what math class you should take will be associated with what college(s) you will apply to. You may need to ask a college admissions counselor at a college that if you major in “X”, what math class do students who apply with that major typically complete their senior year of high school? You can still pursue a math related major in college if you finish high school taking AP Calculus AB or Calculus Honors. Some have even taken Precalculus Honors their senior year and have been very successful in their math classes in college. Colleges won’t like to see students press to take more math, if the grades they receive in the math classes junior and senior year aren’t as good as grades they received in their 9th and 10th grade math classes.