Our college bound consultants right here in San Diego know that colleges rate the kinds of classes you take in high school and the grades you get as the two most important factors in college admissions. When choosing courses with an eye toward college enrollment, the subject matter should be relevant to your desired course of study. The difficulty of your courses matters, too. College bound consulting helps you plan your high school career with an eye toward college enrollment. Sometimes good grades in harder subjects may carry more weight than excellent grades in broader classes.
Take Core Classes Early and Often
Core classes are the building blocks of your college education. It’s important to master them so you can perform better on standardized tests, write better college application essays, and ramp up your first year in college quickly. (Our college essay consultants focus on English and writing. Solid writing skills are necessary for college admissions, but more important, they’re valuable in college itself and later in whatever career you pursue.)
- English (4 yrs)
- Math (3 yrs)
- History or Social Studies (2 yrs)
- Science (1-4 years)
- Foreign Language (2 years)
Your college bound consultant recommends the above courses as minimums. If you’re considering a career in math and science, of course, you should take as many available classes that you can. And if you want to pursue science, especially medical school or nursing school, your college bound consultant helps you with mastering math or science you may find especially difficult. If you’re considering a career in the humanities, especially law or government, then load up on history courses and social studies. (Consider your college essay consultant a prerequisite for law school.) Many high schools in San Diego don’t require a foreign language, but our experts in college bound consulting recommend at least two years to be competitive with other college applicants.
College Admissions Requirements Are More Rigid Than High School Graduation Requirements
Core courses like the ones above carry more weight than unrelated electives. Your college bound consultant or college bound consultant shows you that, to be competitive for college admissions at the best schools, your high school transcript must show that you are a good student willing to work hard. Skip that third or fourth year of math? Blow off history or science? That may not be a good look for your college admissions application.
Applicants most likely to be granted admission take courses in all five core subjects for all four years of high school. Minimums are not “enough.” Minimums are minimums. If that sounds like a long struggle for you, then an aggressive San Diego college bound consultant or private tutor in essay writing is what you need to go the distance. If you’ve completed all the courses that your high school offers in an academic area you’re interested in, your college bound consultant recommends courses at a local community college to advance your knowledge and impress college admissions professionals.
Take Honors and AP Courses If You Think You Can Perform Well
Again, good grades in harder subjects can carry more weight than others. Successful completion of AP courses saves college tuition. But don’t take so many advanced courses that your grades slip. Your college bound consultant helps you strike that balance.
Colleges are looking for you to challenge yourself and do well. Take the hardest class that you can do well in – and know that a B in an Honors or AP class is a good grade too!
Plan All Four Years of High School Right Now
The next four years can look daunting, and college can seem so far away, but part of college bound consulting is reducing anxiety about test taking and other elements of student life. Your college essay consultant addresses a number of different issues with writing, including time management, thinking on your feet, and refuting or supporting topics you might find on an application or standardized exam.
Without question, planning helps your performance in high school. Know what is expected of you for your dream school and then do that. Your college bound consultant helps you put together your own road map of English, math, and other core subjects, so you can break off what seems impossible into semester-sized, year-sized chunks.
How about summer school for expanding your course load? Should you plan community college for more advanced coursework in your desire field of study? Can you intern or do other outside work for school credit, and should you be contacting people about it now? Contact us in San Diego now and get your own college bound consultation to plan a high school career that’s right for you.