Even though the calendar year has barely begun, it’s already time for many students to begin selecting their courses for next school year. Within the next two weeks, rising eighth graders and above will begin meeting with their counselors to discuss which courses they need to take to stay on track for graduation, which electives will pique their interest and whether to challenge themselves with Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) tracks. And the scheduling choices they make now will have a huge impact on whether their fall semester will be smooth sailing or full of stress.
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We spoke to the professionals at Garrett Educational Consulting about what students (and their parents) should keep in mind when choosing their courses for next year, and here’s their advice:
Be intentional in course selection
“You need to be an active participant in choosing your classes,” says Katie Garrett, founder of Garrett Educational Consulting.
Of course school counselors are there to help, but Katie said it’s important for students to take ownership of their academic goals, even if they’re underclassmen. One way to do that: Don’t coast by with easy classes every semester.
“Look at your grades from the year before and make sure you’re continuing to challenge yourself academically without getting overwhelmed,” Katie says. “But make sure to have an appropriate increase in rigor. If you’ve never taken an AP class in your life, don’t suddenly take seven at once.”
Play to your strengths
Are you excelling in English but struggling at math? Then think carefully before signing up for AP Calculus.
“You do not have to take the highest level of every class to gain admission into college,” Katie says. “It’s OK to play to your strengths in course selection. In fact, that’s what you should be doing. It’s better to have a balanced course selection and do well than to have all high-level classes and have a sub-par showing because you’re stretched too thin.”
Think of your future career path
As a rising Freshman, you may have no idea what you want to do for a career. But, you probably know if you’ll want to do something more math/science based or something in the arts field, for example.
Once you’re an upperclassmen, you’ll need to consider how the courses you take will affect your college class schedule.
“Want to be an engineer? Most programs will be looking for students who have at least completed the first level of calculus, so you would need a rigorous math and science curriculum,” Katie says. “And if you’re going down an art path, you may need to lay the groundwork of building your portfolio, so you’ll need to make sure you’re producing materials that can go in that portfolio.”
No idea what you might want to do one day? Use electives to your advantage.
“You can use electives as an opportunity to explore marketing, politics, psychology and more if your school has these options,” Katie says. “And if your school doesn’t have them, look for courses to take during the summer at a local community college.”
Advocate for yourself when necessary
If you didn’t quite get the grades you needed for a class you really wanted to take, don’t give up just yet.
“If you’re on the bubble, you can still appeal,” Katie says. “Go visit the teacher — he or she may hold the key to you getting into that class. You can also appeal directly to the school.”
The bottom line is not to be afraid to take matters into your own hands.
“Step up and advocate for yourself,” Katie says. “If taking a certain class is important to you, keep trying.”
Keep school/life balance in mind
Adults must constantly consider their work/life balance. It’s a life skill that some of us still struggle with. And it’s no different for students.
“Make sure you have a balanced schedule,” Katie says. “For example, if you know fall is a busy time for you because of sports or other extra-curricular activities, maybe that’s a good semester to take a study hall or free period.”
Parents can remind students to consider the big picture of their day-to-day lives, not just what’s happening during school hours. They’ll need to keep in mind sports, clubs, internships and jobs when deciding how difficult of a course load they want to take on.
Get informed about AP classes and IB programs
Don’t just jump into an advanced class or program without making sure you know what it will entail.
“If your school has an IB curriculum or an AP honors track and you’re interested in it, consider your own academic abilities and goals,” Katie says. “You need to realize it’s a very different curriculum — IB can be more writing-intensive and project-based. And it requires you to take seven of the eight courses at the IB level. You need to make sure it’s the right fit for you.”
The best way to do that is attend your school’s IB night, if they offer one, or talk to your current (and potential future) teachers.
“Teachers want to see you succeed, so they’ll give you honest answers,” Katie says. “Ask them if they think you can handle this class or program, and listen to their advice.”
A note for parents
Katie has two pieces of advice for parents when it comes to course selection: be realistic and don’t believe everything you hear.
“There is no magic formula of courses and electives that will guarantee you admission into a particular school — contrary to what you might hear on the sidelines at the game or over drinks at the cocktail party,” she says. “Remember that you want your child to be challenged, but within reason. If you have a child who wants to sign up for every single AP class but you know it will be too much for them, help them pump the brakes. Remind them that just because they’re qualified for an advanced class doesn’t mean they have to take it.”
The bottom line is that every course on the schedule should have a reason behind it.
“Help your child think through their reasoning for choosing those particular courses. What is their end goal?” she says. “School is supposed to be challenging, but they need balance to succeed.”
Need more advice on course selection? Call Katie at 980-677-0311 or email info@garretteducationalconsulting.com.
Learn more about what an educational consultant could do for your student by subscribing to GEC’s newsletter and reading their blog here.
Garrett Educational Consulting
Garrett Educational Consulting provides comprehensive application support to students going through the college admissions and boarding school admission process. Learn more about their services by clicking HERE.
425-A S. Sharon Amity Road | Charlotte, NC 28211
980.677.0311
info@garretteducationalconsulting.com
