As the school year comes to an end, it is time for students to decide which courses to enroll next year. Many factors come into play and the more students are prepared the better they will be able to select the appropriate classes.
As you review your high school curriculum, here are some tips to help you in selecting your classes:
1- First, remember that course rigor is one of most important factors colleges use to evaluate applicants. Consider what your school offers and determine the rigor of courses you would like to take. Because colleges evaluate students based on their context, students should choose the more rigorous and challenging the courses students offered by their school.
2- Consider how the courses you choose align with your passions, interests and goals. For instance, students interested in studying engineering should take more advanced math and science courses. Students interested in creative writing and journalism can choose to focus more on humanities such as English and social studies. In this way, students can demonstrate in their college applications how their courses are preparing them for their intended major.
3- Visit your school counselor to discuss what are the specific graduation requirements at your school. School counselors are a good point of contact and can answer questions about which courses would best align with students’ interests and goals while also meeting the requirements. Be ready with a set of questions to ask.
4- Another good idea is to explore other subjects beyond your interests. Students can consider getting out of their comfort zones and explore other subjects to get exposure to different fields of interest such as art, statistics, computer science, technology and more.
5- Don’t overwhelm yourself by choosing an extremely heavy course load. Some students can handle a rigorous, challenging course load but some can’t and that’s fine also!
At JumpStart, I can help you choose the courses that best align with your interests and goals!
