Choosing Classes
Choosing the right classes in high school is one of the most important decisions of your life—taking the wrong classes can potentially sabotage an otherwise flawless college application, or bring your rank down.One of the first things you want to consider when choosing classes is whether the class is weighted or un-weighted. Always take the weighted (most often the Honors and AP) course instead of the regular – it will bring your rank up and keep you well above those who don’t take weighted courses.
But make certain that the class is actually weighted!! It’s rare, but I have seen an AP class turn out to be un-weighted—my friends who took the course thinking it would help their rank and GPA found out after the course was over that it was actually un-weighted—which brought down their weighted GPA, and failed to replace past un-weighted classes. This can also potentially bring your rank down.
Rank is an extremely important factor on your college applications. It looks good to be in the top 5%, even better to be in the top 1%. But having the title of valedictorian makes you stand out—the title of valedictorian tells colleges that you challenged yourself through high school to take the hardest classes and maintain high grades. It gives you the academic boost that you need aside from test scores.
Although you may feel intimidated taking “hard” honors and AP classes, we can show you how to survive and how to manage your time so that you get the most out of the class and maintain high grades as well. You will definitely gain much more knowledge from these classes, making your high school career not as much as a waste as it potentially can be.
Do some research and check to see if there are any zero hour, 8th hour, or online courses available for you. (Zero hour=class that starts before the first class; 8th hour=a class after the last period of the day; online=instructions and teaching given online, homework turned in online) Jump ahead of the crowd by taking advantage of these opportunities! Start taking extra classes your freshman year, if possible. It opens empty spaces for you to throw in more electives that you enjoy, and can help you to get ahead in sciences by doubling up (chemistry and biology, physics)
The last thing you must consider when planning your high school schedule is: required credits! Your school most likely requires a certain number of credits you need before you can graduate (eg. Fine Arts, Physical Education). Don’t waste school time by taking these required courses—if they are offered online or in the summer, take those instead! And if you’re taking an extra class, you may think about taking your required courses during school, if you don’t have any other classes you would rather take.
Basically, the bottom line is: Depending on your level, take the hardest class you can take, and make sure that the class is weighted. Most Honors and AP courses are weighted, so double-check with your counselor to see if they are actually weighted. And, make sure you have all your required credits taken care of before you graduate.
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