3 High School Course Selection Mistakes That Impact College Admissions

Errors in the course selection process can impact GPA and college admissions. Learn what to do and what to avoid.

Recently our local school district eliminated Chemistry as a requirement for graduation.

You could practically hear the chorus of “YESSSS!” echoing down school hallways.

But guess what? Most colleges still prefer a transcript that contains Chemistry and other core classes.

So, even though you can take Astronomy in place of Chemistry and still graduate, it doesn’t mean you should.

This is just one of the common errors that we see when reviewing high school transcripts with students applying to college.

Why does course selection matter?

Because the top 2 factors in college admissions are still:

#1. The classes you took in high school.

#2. Your grades in those classes.

Your transcript is the foundation of your college application. The classes you choose make that foundation strong or weak.

The good news? If you’re in grades 8-11, there is still time to avoid or address course selection errors.

Here are the Top 3 most common mistakes:

#1 Ignoring “Academic Fit”

What is academic fit? It’s a metric that colleges use to determine if a prospective student has demonstrated their interest and (importantly) engagement with the subject they want to study in college.

In the simplest terms, “prove it.”

You want to be a pre-med major? Your transcript better have all of the core science classes (yes, including Chemistry) and at least a few science electives.

You want to major in Engineering? You likely need Calculus on your transcript. And consider some engineering-related electives too.

You want to study Business? You should take Precalc. And add some business-related electives, such as Accounting, Entrepreneurship, or Marketing. A transcript that filled with cooking, ceramics, and sports journalism classes doesn’t scream, “I can’t wait to study business.”

Please note this doesn’t mean you can’t take electives that are fun or that you’re curious about!

High school is meant for exploring your interests. You can certainly be a pre-med major who also loves art. Just make sure your schedule “proves” your interest in science and medicine as well.

The importance of showing “Academic Fit” in your courses can’t be overstated. In fact, we suggest you use it as a guiding principle when you’re building your schedule.

#2 Choosing Quantity over Quality

Just because you can take 10 AP classes doesn’t mean you should.

Creating a high school courseload is an art, not a science. There is no “one size fits all” answer.

It’s not just about taking the hardest classes.

It’s about taking the hardest classes you can do well in.

It’s about taking the hardest classes you can handle.

It’s about pushing yourself to succeed. Not pushing yourself over the edge.

We spend a lot of time exploring student’s skills, interests and goals, and allowing those to not only guide the classes chosen, but the level of rigor in their schedule.

This is where Academic Fit can be important again. Use your abilities, interests, and goals to help determine the subjects where you want to push for AP or higher-level courses.

#3 Assuming Graduation Requirements Are Enough

As mentioned above, graduation requirements do not equal college admissions preferences.

If you’re preparing to apply to college, you can’t rely solely on your school district’s graduation requirements to build your high school schedule. Particularly if you’re planning to apply to selective schools.

So, while it is tempting to replace Chemistry with Oceanography, we don’t advise it. Especially if you want to major in a science, engineering, or a medical field.

Computer Science might fulfill a math requirement in your high school. But it shouldn’t replace Pre-Calc on your schedule if you want to study Business.

Physics may not be required to graduate. But if you want to major in Engineering…you better get Physics on your transcript.

So, before you finalize your schedule, spend a little time researching colleges of interest. They’re often very transparent about the classes they expect or prefer to see on your transcript.

For example, this is the information listed on the website for the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Nursing:

“School of Nursing faculty recommends that students also consider taking any of the following elective courses if offered: Statistics, Anatomy and Physiology, Genetics, or any Computer Class.”

You don’t have to research too many colleges to get a good idea of what colleges are looking for, particular in popular majors.

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Choosing high school classes that match your abilities, interests, and goals is critical to your success in high school and beyond.

If you’re unsure about your course selections, book a Course Selection Strategy Session with us. We’ll help you evaluate rigor, align classes with goals, and create a clear academic path forward.

➡️ Click Here to Inquire about a Course Selection Strategy Session.