Carving a Path to College | Recapturing the Vision

So you’ve decided. You’re going to college. Now you need to come up with a plan to get there.

As a freshman in high school you may think it is too early to plan for college, but as senior year rolls around all too quickly you will regret swapping Trig and Physics for PE and Chorus. It is never too early to start thinking about college because every year more seniors are vying for limited spaces at universities across the nation.

Getting an edge on the competition is simple and you have the opportunity every year. Choosing the right classes is the best way to get ahead. All college applications require a transcript. This allows admission officers to see what classes you took and how well you did. This is why it soimportant to choose challenging classes from your first day of high school.

Think about it this way: You have two students who both have a 3.8 GPA (impressive, right?). Then imagine that student A has taken 4 years of art, 2 of math, 3 of English, 1 of Science, and 4 of Choir; while Student B has taken 4 years of math (including Calculus and Statistics), 4 years of English (two of which were APs), 4 years of science (including Physics), and 2 years of Art. Which student’s GPA still sounds impressive? Obviously, student B has excelled with a tougher course load.

This is where your planning begins. As a Freshman or Sophomore you have the time to plan and register for classes accordingly. Here are basic guidelines to help you pick the classes to get you on your way.

Math (4 Years)
Courses: algebra I; geometry; algebra II; trigonometry; precalculus; calculus
English (4 years)
Courses: Composition; American literature; English literature; world literature
Science (3-4 years)
Courses: Biology; earth science; chemistry; physics; anatomy
History/ Geography (3 Years)
Courses: Geography; U.S. history; U.S. government; world history; world cultures; civics
Challenging Electives (2-4 Years)
Courses: Economics; psychology; computer science; statistics; communications
Arts (1-2 Years)
Courses: Art; dance; drama; music
Foreign Language (3-4 Years)
Courses: Any language will do—just aim to take the highest level possible.

Class Levels

Now that you know what classes to take register for, let’s talk about class levels. A college track is not about just enrolling in the right classes, but also choosing a level that is right for you. If your school offers honors or AP level courses consider enrolling in those over the standard level classes. If you don’t think you can hack it, talk to your teachers and guidance counselors—they will appreciate your ambition and remember it when it comes time to write a letter of recommendation.

Now, if you are already a Junior or Senior in high school it’s not too late to carve your college path. Start by getting focused and making sure you are doing well in the classes you are taking. Investigate your course options for next semester and choose ones that meet your requirements while offering a more challenging curriculum. Meet with your college counselor to discuss other ways to strengthen your college applicant profile through extracurricular involvement, volunteer experience, personal enrichment activities, and excellent test scores.

Activity: How Do Your Stats Measure Up?

Your high school transcript reveals all the academic work that you’ve completed from freshman year to senior year. Most importantly, it answers the question, “Have you consistently challenged yourself academically?” Admissions officers care about this because they want to gauge your level of college-preparedness by looking at the courses you have taken as well as the amount of effort you put into them.

Let’s assume for a minute that two students are applying for one of 500 slots at a highly selective college. They both have 3.5 cumulative GPAs and scores of 1900 on the SAT. Their cumulative GPAs for each year of high school are listed below, as well as some of the courses they have taken.

Student A	Student B
Freshman Year GPA: 3.0	Freshman Year GPA: 3.8
Sophomore Year GPA: 3.3	Sophomore Year GPA: 3.6
Junior Year GPA: 3.6	Junior Year GPA: 3.3
First-semester senior year: 3.8	First-semester senior year: 3.0
Courses (10 APs, 4 IBs, 6 honors courses)	Courses (4 APs, 12 honors courses, 4 regular courses)

1. Which of these students would you admit? Why?
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2. Do you think that both students had an equal chance of gaining admission?
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While on the surface, both applicants seem strong, Student B’s transcript will raise some red flags for admissions officers. Though a 3.5 cumulative GPA is impressive the downward trend in his year-by-year cumulative GPAs is not. Moreover, admissions officers will wonder whether this student has taken the most challenging courses his high school offers. Is this student capable but lazy? Do his grades reflect a slacker trend that will continue when he arrives on campus?

Now it’s your turn. First, go to www.princetonreview.com to research the GPA range for students accepted to your target schools. Then answer the following questions:

1. Is your current cumulative GPA within the range of students accepted to these schools?

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2. Has your cumulative GPA improved from year to year?

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3. Do the courses listed on your transcript reflect the most challenging courses your high school has to offer?

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If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you have a good chance of being admitted to the college to which you are applying.

If you answered no to any of these questions, you need to sit down with your college counselor immediately to figure out what you need to do to improve your high school record. You also need to do some more college research and find other schools you might be interested in attending in case you don’t gain acceptance to your target schools.