College admission is competitive. Colleges and universities want to accept the best of the best. Getting a leg up on the competition for college admissions can start early. The first year of high school is when students should start thinking about college, taking college prep courses and other courses needed to prepare them for a higher education.
Why Take College Prep Courses
College prep courses are designed to give the basics that students need to succeed in a degree program for a university or college. They give students an academic background and a wide variety of after-high school options.
Planning During your High School Years
Education Planner (see Resources section) gives a great list of college prep courses to take, along with a timeline for each grade level to help you plan your college prep in high school from start to finish. It starts with meeting your counselor, talking about colleges and universities you are interested in and making sure you are enrolled in the correct classes right off the bat. By the end of the timeline, you will be ready to graduate and go on to the college of your choice, having taken the correct college prep courses required and having completed additional steps to help you get accepted to the college or university of your choice.
Recommended Courses
ACT, the official website to the one of the most used college entrance exams, recommends that high school students preparing for college should take four years of English, three years of math, social studies and science. The math recommendations are Algebra I and II and geometry. The science courses should include biology, chemistry and physics. For social studies and English, there are no specifics.
Other Recommended Courses
Colleges and universities differ in the college prep course work they require of incoming students. Although most require the math, English, social studies and science, there can be additional courses required. It is a good idea to check with the schools you are interested in attending to see what their specific requirements are. Some may include a foreign language, an arts course, a computer course or theater. It is simple and easy to see what your schools of interest require. Most have their college prep courses listed on their websites.
Additional Things to Remember when Taking College Prep Courses
A website specializing in helping high school students plan for their future called eCampusTours.com says that most colleges look at high school courses taken and grades. They want to accept students that are taking challenging classes. So if you have taken all your college prep courses and need more classes to round out your schedule, take honors classes. Also, keep in mind as you schedule your classes, grades do matter. Make sure you are taking challenging classes, but not too many that you struggle in them. It is important to find the balance between good grades, challenging classes and your college prep courses.
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