Best High School Classes to Take for College

I'm planning my classes for next year and want to make sure I'm taking the best ones for college applications. Any advice on which high school courses are generally viewed favorably by colleges?

Excellent question! College admissions officers largely look at the course rigor of your high school curriculum to assess your readiness for college-level coursework. Here's a breakdown of the type of classes that could strengthen your academic profile:

1. AP/IB/Honors classes: These are considered advanced coursework and can be a strong positive signal to colleges that you're challenging yourself with college-level work. Try to take AP/IB/Honors classes in subjects you think you might want to study further in college, or where you have a strong interest and want to challenge yourself.

2. Core academic subjects: It's important that your high school curriculum has plenty of classes in the core academic subjects—English, Math, Social Studies, Sciences, and Foreign Language. Four years of each is ideal for most top-tier colleges. If your school offers advanced versions of these classes (AP/IB/Honors), even better!

3. Courses related to your potential major or career goal: If you have a specific career in mind or college major you're aiming for, it helps to take related classes in high school. For example, if you're interested in pursuing a degree in computer science, having a computer programming class in high school can show a demonstrated interest in that field.

Remember—the idea here is not to stack your schedule with as many challenging classes as possible, but rather to create an academically rigorous yet balanced course load that you can truly excel in.