CURRICULUM CHOICES ARE COLLEGE CHOICES

By Joyce Slayton Mitchell

It’s true. Many students can find a full life in high school with sports, clubs, publications, music, cafeteria and each other. But most teachers, college admissions officers and parents like to think that your classes are the center of your education. Whether you like your classes or not, most of you will agree that high school courses are here to stay. How do you choose which classes to take? Which subjects to study and for how long? Will you continue with mathematics, French, science and AP (Advanced Placement) courses, or go for the easy stuff? Are you looking for a vacation your senior year or are you looking for the best college options you can get?

In order to get the best possible college options, it’s important that you know your curriculum, and the grades in your courses have the biggest impact of all—on your college choices. SATs don’t even come close to the impact of your curriculum and grades.

When talking to students, I often ask, “Are you taking a foreign language senior year? Are you taking mathematics or science senior year?” Many high school juniors reply with, “No, I’ve already finished my foreign language or mathematics.” When I’ve asked what ‘finished’ means, I learn that it usually means minimum requirements for graduation. I want to be clear that minimum requirements for anything might not get you where you want to go. If you want to go to a selective college, or if you want a lot of options when the time comes to go to college, minimum just won’t do it. Instead of thinking about what colleges say they want you to have (they always cite the minimum, not the competitive level to get in) or what your high school says you need to graduate, think, “What can I take and how much of it can I take and handle well?”

If you do well in algebra II, then keep going to pre-calculus and right on to AP calculus. You got at least a B in French, Latin or Spanish? Then choose AP French, Latin or Spanish or as high as your high school curriculum will take you. If you qualify for AP history or AP English, then take it! You’re good at science? How good? Take AP chemistry or AP biology and find out. The purpose of high school is to see what you can do and how well you can do it. If your high school offers AP courses, then by all means, shoot for as many as you are prepared for. If your school does not offer APs, then take the highest level it does offer; sometimes that will be honors courses, accelerated courses or IB courses. It doesn’t matter what your high school names the strongest courses, the college admissions dean always wants to know, “Are you taking the most rigorous courses offered at your high school?” You are not responsible for taking APs if they are not offered. You are responsible only for taking the most rigorous courses offered, whatever they may be called.

The “most rigorous curriculum” does not consider what you like best or where your interests lie. The point to be made here is that the choices you make in high school don’t close any doors for college choices, majors or your future career. You don’t have to know now what you think you might want to major in later. If you narrow your interests too soon, you do close doors. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like math or foreign languages, what matters is that you can do a respectable level in them, whether you like them or not. It doesn’t matter what your high school requirements for graduation are; you may “need” three years of mathematics to graduate, and yet four years of mathematics will get you more college choices. Curriculum is the heart of your education. Curriculum choices are how you prepare for college choices, college majors and career options.

If you take the minimum science, math and foreign language requirements, you’ll never know how good you are or how much depth you can handle. The only way you can’t go wrong is to always select the strongest curriculum you can handle, well, regardless of what you want to be or where you want to go after high school.

When deciding which courses to take, which SAT Subject Tests to take and which APs to take, it is never a wise strategy to take what the colleges say they require. Think instead of taking whatever you can do well. That means if you have a B or better in biology, yes, even in freshman year, or a B or better in chemistry in sophomore year, then take the SAT Subject Test in June. Taking AP exams at the end of junior year and SAT Subject Tests as you finish a course helps you to build a strong record. You are always building a case for getting into college. Your college choices will be different if you have the bare minimum required or if you can document how strong you are! Selective colleges like to see students with five or six SAT Subject Test scores on their record, even though they require two. They like to see AP exams even though they are never required. The more academic areas of study that you can document on a national level, the stronger your record and the more college choices you will have.

AP tests are given in May to juniors and seniors who have been enrolled in AP courses. The AP courses are scored from “1” (low) to “5” (high). Some colleges award college credit for a score of “3” or higher, and others award credit only for a “4” or “5.” Colleges are always interested in junior AP scores.

High school is your school record today that counts for your college and career choices of tomorrow. Be smart. Know that the best way to choose your courses—the only way you can’t go wrong—is to always select the strongest curriculum you can handle, regardless of what you want to be or where you want to go after high school. That way you are keeping all doors open. Like all choices in education, your future options depend on your past record. Curriculum is the heart of your education, of your preparation for college choices, college majors and career options.

Joyce Slayton Mitchell is the author of 35 books, including many career books published by The College Board. Joyce serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for the College Board Review and on the school committee of U.S. News & World Report’s special college issue. WINNING THE HEART OF THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS DEAN, Ten Speed Press, 2001, 2005, has been endorsed by more college admissions deans than any other college guide. Ms. Mitchell is currently the director of college advising at an independent high school in New York City.