University admissions can be confusing when it comes to their requirements. But there are two things that you should know. They will look at your child’s GPA and their high school course selection closely. This makes selecting the right courses for your child a priority. Here are some things you have to focus on when thinking about which high school course your child should join.
The Essentials
There are five essential subjects that your child always has to have. They should be present in all their high school class schedule for all four years of high school. Starting freshman year, you should have math, history, science, and English. The final necessary subject is the choice of a foreign language.
As for selecting a foreign language, you should talk with your child about it. One thing that will influence your choice is how foreign the language is. Colleges and universities will ask the native tongues that your child speaks at home, and it will not impress them to hear that you speak a foreign language already. The best approach is to choose a language that is completely unknown to them, but they show interest in it. They should then stick to the language for four years. Admission groups look at the immersion period. It looks good when your child has studied a language for four years.
The best thing to remember when helping select a language to study is that it should be a useful language in the future. Your child should also find it interesting. The interest will help keep your teen studying it while its use ensures that they won’t easily forget it. Languages like Mandarin and German are great because they are for economic powerhouses which can make job prospects easier.
Honors Classes
If your child’s school is part of an honors program, then qualifying and signing up for classes can be a big help. There are three types of programs that you can check.
The basic honors courses are high-school level classes but are much more rigorous when it comes to the subject matter. It all depends on the school that your child is going to. AP classes are at the next level. These are for advanced placement and are university-level classes. This means your child can have a headstart on their courses while they are in high school. The International Baccalaureate program is a special program that will have your child studying several college-level subjects.
All of these are a big help in any admission test. Having it on their record shows how serious your child is about their education. Some can even make college go faster since they have college credits already. Getting into these programs require a lot of work from your child. They need to show they can handle the material and the workload. If they can’t handle the stress, it is better to skip on these rather than see them fail.
Electives
Besides the five main courses, there are other subjects that your child needs to choose. Taking up an elective or two is a great way to show college and university admissions your child’s personality. The great thing about electives is they usually have a lighter workload compared to the academic classes. This means your child can afford to play around with them a bit.
The important thing is that they should like their elective subject. There are several choices, such as journalism, music, art, and more. These courses usually focus on creativity and can be a way to showcase your child’s talents. They are also a great way to provide some stress relief for your child. With their academic load, it is a good thing to study something that they find interesting.
Talk with your child about their interests. For teens who like to be more active, a dance class can be a great choice while those who are more logic-oriented may try out programming. Note that these classes are part of their high school curriculum. They can’t give these classes up, or they will have a mark on their records. If your child is not sure about an elective, they might consider joining a similar extracurricular activity, so it doesn’t affect their grades if they find it is not a good fit.
High school subject choices may seem like preparing too early for university. It is the first year of high school, after all. But a solid foundation can ensure that your child can have an easier time when it comes to entering the school of their choice.