What High School Classes Should I Take To Get Into The Best College?
A high school student's classes and grades are the foundation of their college application, regardless of the intended major. Admissions officers will not even review other parts of a student's application if the student does not have strong grades in a rigorous academic program. Students must meet the basic academic benchmarks for a school to move into the application pool scrutinized for admission. Only then are the other components, such as extra- and co-curricular activities, essays, test scores, references, etc., considered.
It is absolutely critical that students make thoughtful course selections at their high school. Taking classes beyond what their high school offers can also enhance an application and help a student stand out. A student's college options will be limited without a strong academic backbone to their application.
This article provides guidance for all students, regardless of their major. Students interested in engineering or computer science (CS) will find further advice for students applying for these majors in our article What Classes Should You Take If You Are Applying For An Engineering or CS Major In College?
What high school classes should you take for college admissions?
Students should take all five core academic subjects (mathematics, natural sciences, English, world language, and history and social sciences) for all four years of high school.
Admissions officers at a university or a small liberal arts college that provides degrees across various disciplines with non-STEM requirements (such as humanities, arts, and social sciences, foreign language) will want to see that a student is capable of a high level of rigor in a broad range of academic areas, including the five core ones, regardless of intended major.
Should my high school classes change based on what I want to study in college?
The type of school a student is applying to may influence decisions about a student’s high school course selections. Consider an institution like Tufts University or Northwestern University, where students can study within a School of Arts and Sciences or a School of Engineering. We recommend that students applying to this type of institution to study within the School of Arts and Sciences take all five core academic subjects for all four years because such schools typically have a set of broad distribution requirements, including social sciences, humanities, arts, math, natural sciences, and world language. On the other hand, if a student is applying to study within a School of Engineering, we might soften that recommendation based on the student’s strengths and interests and their overall academic profile because the school will have more STEM and fewer humanities, arts, and social sciences course requirements and typically no foreign language requirement. In such cases, it might be reasonable to forgo a fourth year of language or history and instead take additional STEM classes.
Many institutions have clear and potentially different requirements for their distinct schools. For instance, the University of Michigan and Rochester Institute of Technology are transparent about the high school course expectations for their Colleges and Schools.
Choosing high school classes based on specific college requirements
A school’s graduation requirements will give you valuable insights about what you would be studying there AND the skills and preparation an institution values and seeks. For instance, did you know an engineering student must take two theology courses at the University of Notre Dame? With its expectation that students take two theology courses, Notre Dame will look for students who can read and write well, whatever their academic interests and intended major.
Likewise, STEM powerhouses MIT and Harvey Mudd College require a recommendation letter from a humanities, arts, social science, or language teacher, underscoring the importance of non-STEM subjects for CS and engineering.
On the other hand, many small liberal arts colleges and Schools of Arts and Sciences at universities have distribution requirements for all majors that include math and natural sciences.
Can I skip a core subject during my senior year?
Sometimes, it may be ok for a student to choose to forgo a core academic subject for their senior year. If so, they should replace it with one of the other core academic subjects to maintain rigor, signal their academic interests, and bolster their preparation for their intended major.
For instance, a student interested in the social sciences in college could replace a fourth year of natural sciences with an additional social sciences class such as psychology, sociology, economics, etc., as a fifth class on top of their already planned mathematics, English, world language, and history classes.
Or, if this student enjoys math, they could consider taking statistics, such as AP Statistics, as a second math class since many social sciences college majors require a statistics course. Whatever the specific choice, students should take the equivalent of at least four full-year classes in the five core academic disciplines.
Do you need help choosing your high school classes for college applications?
High school class selections are critical due to grade inflation and test-optional policies
A rigorous academic program, including all five core academic subjects for four years, will open the most doors for most students.
Such a program is crucial for making a competitive application to highly selective schools because many students who apply to them will have met this benchmark.
The impact of high school grade inflation on college admissions
A rigorous academic program is even more important now than ever since high school grade inflation is rampant. Indeed, according to the UCLA American Freshman Survey, 70% of students matriculating at a 4-year college have an A-/A/A+ high school average. That is, a high school transcript with all A grades is not unusual. It does not differentiate students and does not help them stand out. It is the norm. So, when most students have all As, rigor, rather than grades, can set them apart.
The impact of test-optional policies on college admissions
A rigorous academic program is also particularly important if a student is applying to a school under a test-optional plan and is not sending standardized test scores. This is because there are fewer application components to evaluate, so each has greater importance.
The impact of the applicant pool on college admissions
If you are in doubt about what classes to take, ask yourself:
What classes were taken by past students at your high school who recently gained admission to your desired school for your desired major?
What classes are your peers taking at your high school? (Especially those who will be applying to the same schools or major at the institutions you'll be applying to.)
Students applying to different majors, schools, or programs at an institution might not be competing against each other for admission.
For example, Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences and its College of Engineering have separate admissions offices and student evaluation processes. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Colleges even had different testing policies!
So, when you consider past students at your high school, pay attention to their major and the school to which they were admitted. If different than yours, you are limited in drawing conclusions about your admissibility vs. theirs. A stark example is the University of Washington’s 3-year average admit rate for non-Washington resident direct-to-major CS/computer engineering is 2%, while the overall admit rate is 46%.
Of course, other application components come into play, too, but generally, the students with the strongest grades in the highest levels of rigor will see the best application outcomes.
Be aware that when you apply to college, your high school counselor will provide a school profile that includes details about your high school curriculum so admissions officers will know what your school offers.
Which AP classes should you take to get into the best colleges?
Again, a rigorous academic program, including all five core academic subjects for four years, will open the most doors for most students. If you have to pick and choose where to extend yourself for rigor (meaning you cannot take the highest level in all five) you should lean into the areas related to your academic interests.
For instance, for students interested in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, it may be OK not to take the highest level of math and science, but if possible, they should take English, social sciences, and world language at a high level for all four years. Admissions officers know that AP US History, AP European History, AP English Language, and AP English Literature are intensive and typically more challenging than other history and English high school classes.
For CS- and engineering-interested students, it may be OK not to take the highest level of English, social sciences, and world language, but if possible, they should take math and science all four years and the highest math level at their high school and, at a minimum, a year each of biology, chemistry, and physics at rigorous levels. If AP BC calculus is offered, admissions officers will expect to see that they have taken it. Likewise, admissions officers will expect them to have taken AP Physics C, if available, at their school. Many students planning to study CS or engineering in college take AP CS A. Learn more in our article What Classes Should You Take If You Are Applying For An Engineering or Computer Science Major In College?.
Beyond the five core academic subject areas, take additional classes related to your major. Students interested in the arts or music could take an AP Art class or AP Music Theory. Students interested in the social sciences may take AP Statistics, AP Psychology, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP African American Studies, and other related AP classes.
AP Capstone, a two-year sequence that includes AP Seminar and AP Research, helps students develop independent and critical thinking, writing, public speaking, research, and collaboration skills that colleges and universities highly value. A rich AP Capstone experience can make a student stand out.
These choices showcase your interests and competencies and will enhance your application. Getting strong grades in the courses related to your intended major is important.
How many AP classes should you take?
Students often ask us, “How many AP courses should I take?”
Students should take the highest level of courses their high school offers and as many of these classes as they can manage. They should aim to maintain all (or almost all) A grades, emotional and physical health, and engagement in other important parts of their lives—such as time with friends and family and extracurricular activities. In other words, they should strive to stay healthy and happy.
When we guide students about course selections, we take a look at their past levels of rigor and how they managed their past course loads. If reasonably well, then it may make sense to step up the level of rigor and add an additional honors or AP course. Admissions officers will look favorably on an inclining record where the student has increased rigor and improved grades each year.
Do you have questions about which AP classes to take for strong college applications?
What other high school classes will boost your college admissions chances?
If you’ve exhausted the curriculum related to your major at your high school and can take on additional coursework while maintaining strong grades, mental and physical health, and engagement in other important parts of your life, consider taking further classes outside your high school. Additional classes related to your potential major will show your academic interests and competencies and add to your application. Some high schools have relationships with colleges or universities to provide dual enrollment. Does yours? If so, this is a natural choice.* If not, nearby colleges or universities may be an exciting option during the school year or summer.
There are also pathways available to all students, such as massive open online courses (MOOCs) like those available at EdX and Coursera.
*Typically, admissions officers regard AP and dual-enrollment classes as equally rigorous.
What if a part of your academic record is weak?
The common application has an optional prompt in its writing section, often called “the additional information section.” The prompt reads: “You may use the space below to provide any additional information you wish to share.” Its length is a maximum of 650 words. If you have weak parts of your academic record, you may use this section to ensure your academics are understood in the best possible light.
For instance, if you could not take a fourth year of language because of a scheduling conflict or you exhausted the options at your high school, or if you chose not to continue with a language due to a learning challenge or difference, you should provide an explanation so admissions officers can understand why you don’t have four years of a language. Such an explanation should be short and to the point. Do not protest too much or make excuses. Just provide the facts.
Any anomaly in your high school coursework, especially related to your intended major —for instance, a weaker grade or a dip in rigor, should likewise be addressed so admissions officers can fairly understand your academic preparation and choices. Assuming an explanation would be helpful, it should be concise.
Beyond classes and grades, what else can you be doing to strengthen your college application?
Beyond rigorous courses in high school with strong grades and courses that augment your high school’s offerings, what else can you be doing to strengthen your application?
Make a standardized testing plan and study to earn your best standardized test scores.
Secure outstanding teacher, counselor, and other letters of recommendation.
Engage in authentic extra- and co-curricular activities. Demonstrate leadership. Achieve impact.
Write powerful reflective application essays. See our article What ChatGPT Can Teach Us About How to Write a Strong College Application.
Engineering and CS students will find valuable essay writing guidance in our articles How to Write a Standout College Essay for Engineering Applications and How to Write a Standout College Essay for Computer Science (CS) Applications.
Apply to a balanced list of colleges and universities, and not to too many highly selective ones! See our article The Flawed Approach of Applying to Many Prestigious Colleges to Increase Your Chance of Acceptance (And What to do Instead).
Make Deep-Fit applications showing that you know yourself, know the college, and that these are in deep alignment.
Because your grades are the most essential part of your application, prioritize your academics!
Don’t miss our detailed roadmap for How to Apply to College (With Timeline).
We can help you make your strongest applications!
