This week we welcome Assistant Director of Admission, Danielle Foote, to the blog. Welcome, Danielle!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…course registration season! Call me nerdy, but I always loved the fresh promise of a new year with an open schedule, a course catalog of classes I couldn’t wait to try out, and the puzzle of figuring out how to make all my interests fit into a year. It’s no wonder I became a high school counselor and now work in college admission, huh?
Maybe you’re like me and love the buzz of picking your classes… or maybe you’re not like me and the buzz feels more like anxiety and overwhelm, especially if you’re thinking about what’s going to best prepare you for college.
Great news—no matter what you’re feeling, my goal is to give you tips and knowledge to feel empowered for the process.
Know Your Requirements
Whether you’re reading this in the United States or in another country, I’ll start by stating the (probably) obvious—requirements to graduate from high school vary by state and by country. Some university systems (such as ours in Georgia) require a specific set of courses to be completed in high school in order to be eligible to enter a four-year college.
It’s wise to become familiar with these requirements when you are entering high school for the first time and then revisit them yearly, preferably by sitting down with your counselor and completing a transcript review and graduation checklist. This will give you and your parents the reassurance that you’re scheduling and passing required courses each year to make timely progress to graduation and college matriculation.
Finding Balance
I covered rigor and balance in depth last year, but here’s the TLDR: What may be an appropriate course load for some may be overwhelming for others. The key is to challenge yourself to the best of your ability while maintaining strong grades, and at the same time have margin for health in other areas of your life.
Lean on your current teachers for your level placement for next year, whether it’s on-level, college prep, honors, AP, DE, IB, AICE, or a school-specific higher level rigor course. They are the content experts, and they’ve seen your work for an entire year. It’s important to have an honest conversation with them with a mind open to constructive feedback if you disagree with their level recommendation.
Other helpful sources can be older siblings, friends, and your school counselor. You want to be just challenged enough to get out of your comfort zone and build your academic muscle without feeling crushed under the load.
Interests and Goals
In most cases, students take a mix of courses that are required and elective courses from a menu of options. When you have a choice, think about what you enjoy, what you would like to learn more about and explore, and courses you think may be related to area(s) you would like to study in college. Now is the time to try things out!
You don’t have to have it all figured out but be open to trying new things and keeping commitments to pathways and programs that also bring you joy and connection. Maybe you plan to pursue a STEM field in college, but if you are a talented musician and want to stay in band or choir—you should absolutely do that. Maybe you’re trying to decide between a career in business or engineering—take intro level classes in both and see how each strikes you!
Rarely can a student take every single class they would like to without making a choice between scheduling conflicts. So, keep your ideal schedule held with open hands and be prepared to pivot between Plan A, B, and C.
Plan, and Plan Again
I remember sitting in my school’s gym in 8th grade with our middle and high school counseling teams being instructed to choose courses for the next four years. I remember thinking, “Are they insane? I can’t choose the next four years!” Rest assured—when you’re asked to do this, it’s a framework to ensure you take classes in the right order, complete all the graduation requirements, and that you’re thinking about how you’re going to fit in the electives you hope to take. You’re not going to be married to it, but it is important to have a guide.
Here are things to think about based on the grade you’re entering:
9th: You’re adjusting to high school and building the foundation of strong habits and grades. Ensure you’re completing core classes at a level you are confident you’ll be successful in, and don’t stress about taking ALL of the hardest classes at once. This is about progressive strength. Try at least one class that excites you or is your favorite creative outlet.
10th: Keep exploring your interests and consider increasing your level of challenge. Did you ace the level you took in 9th grade? Maybe it’s time to jump into honors or AP. Check pre-requisites for courses you hope to take. Keep taking electives in areas that interest you. What was too stressful or too easy? As extracurricular commitments level up, think about how to balance your course load with getting busier outside of class.
11th: By this point, you should have a feel for each level of courses your school offers and be comfortable in choosing your level of difficulty. Junior year is notoriously the most challenging—it’s important to balance rigor, time, and courses that will prepare you for your future goals. Start narrowing your electives toward the things that you truly love or relate to what you plan to study in college. Lean into your strengths and ensure you’re planning for a healthy balance of coursework, extracurriculars, and rest.
12th: Ensure you’ve met with your counselor and you’re on track for all the courses you need to graduate and enter college. It’s imperative to finish strong if you’re planning on postsecondary education. If you plan to apply to competitive colleges, this is not the time to drop rigor levels significantly, take a minimum schedule, or start underperforming—we look at senior year rigor and ask for mid-year grades! Take classes that are meaningful, develop skills you’ll need for your intended major, and help you transition to college-level work without a shock. Plan a schedule that keeps you challenged, healthy, and provides the balance you need to manage extracurricular commitments and the college application process.
Big Picture
Colleges want to see steady growth, progressive challenge, and consistency. Course planning evolves as you do in high school, and it requires regular check-ins and reflection with yourself, your parents, your teachers, and your counselors.
Know your local requirements, take stock of your strengths, interests, and goals as they change, and as always, ensure you keep a healthy balance of challenge and mental well-being. Happy planning!
Danielle Foote joined Georgia Tech’s Office of Undergraduate Admission in 2022 after serving as a high school counselor in Georgia for eight years. As the Assistant Director of Early Outreach, she is passionate about encouraging and empowering students in middle and early high school to navigate the college admission process with as much education and transparency as possible. She is also passionate about equipping high school counselors (from the “other side of the desk”) with the knowledge they need to support students in their college-going journeys.