Course selection is your annual opportunity to choose which classrooms, teachers, textbooks, and ideas you’ll spend most of your waking hours with during the school year. As you think about picking your 10th grade classes, the question is, where do you start? The options can feel overwhelming—should you take biology or chemistry? Computer science or creative writing? Spanish or study hall?
Sophomore year is an important year for keeping up your performance from 9th grade and improving in any areas where you may have struggled last year. And it all starts with what classes you decide to take. What’s the “best” plan of action for rising 10th graders? Here are some questions and considerations to keep in mind while picking your 10th grade classes.
What are your school’s graduation requirements?
As you look through your options, keep your high school’s protocols in mind. Do you need three science courses? Four years of English? Does your school require students to complete home economics or wood shop?
Most high schools have graduation requirements that include three or four classes in core subject areas, such as English, math, science, and history or social studies. Some ask for one or more years of a foreign language. And some have physical education, fine arts, and “life studies” requirements. Most colleges will also expect you to fulfill these–work with your guidance counselor or advisor to make sure you’re meeting all the requirements.
Find out what you’ll need to take in order to graduate and try to fill as many of those requirements in 10th grade or as early in your high school career as possible. At many schools, more advanced course offerings, such as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes, become available in 11th and 12th grade. So, by fulfilling required courses in 9th and 10th grades, you’ll increase your ability to take advanced classes later.
What are the prerequisites for your school’s AP or IB courses or Honors/Advanced curriculum?
If you’re hoping to apply for the IB Diploma program, to take AP or IB courses, or enroll in your school’s Honors/Advanced curriculum in 11th and 12th grades, find out what you’ll need to take as a 10th grader in order to qualify. Do you need to take Honors English 10 (as opposed to the standard level) to get into AP English Lit? Do you need to take biology (or Honors Biology) before you can register for AP bio? What are the requirements for applying to your school’s IB program? And what courses have successful applicants typically taken?
Even though 11th and 12th grades seem a long way off, consider which courses you’ll want to take as an upper-class student and pick your 10th grade classes accordingly. If you’re not sure which advanced courses or programs your school offers, ask your guidance counselor. To select the most advantageous courses for the upcoming year, you need to know what your school offers.
Which colleges do you have your eyes on?
When you’re in 10th grade, college slowly starts getting on your radar—but know that your plans will almost certainly change. Having a general sense of where you want to go to college and what you want to study can help while picking your 10th grade classes. For example, as the applicant pool gets increasingly competitive, colleges and universities—especially ones with lower acceptance rates that usually fall under a “reach” tier—look for applicants who challenge themselves with their school’s most rigorous curriculum.
Your chances of acceptance at a selective college are much higher if you challenge yourself with as many rigorous courses as possible in your school. Admissions officers will know what your school offers because they’ll have a copy of your school profile from your guidance counselor.
What are your strengths?
When picking your 10th grade classes, explore your interests and develop your talents by enrolling in courses that genuinely interest you. Are you tech-savvy with a love of programming? Take a computer science class. Do you want to study business or policy in college? Ask your guidance counselor about economics courses. Are you skilled in art or music? Register for an upper-level or AP course in studio art, photography, or music theory. These classes will advance your knowledge and skill, with the added bonus of demonstrating your passion and expertise to admissions officers reviewing your high school transcript.
The key is to strike a balance between electives and requirements. Make sure you take classes required for graduation but at the same time fill out your course schedule with rigorous electives that demonstrate your unique interests and strengths.
Are you prioritizing self-care?
As you go about picking your 10th grade classes, think about your time management and study skills. Our blog post on avoiding becoming overwhelmed as a sophomore can be a handy guide.
If you won’t have enough hours in the day to adequately complete your coursework (and have some free time to rest and recharge), perhaps reconsider your options as you choose classes.
More importantly, if you believe that your course load will impact your mental health and the quality of your day-to-day life, definitely re-evaluate your course selections. Your health and happiness are important in ensuring success in school.
At the end of the day, don’t overthink or stress too much. You can increase your competitiveness in the college admissions process by choosing rigorous courses that highlight your strengths (and by earning good grades in them). Do what feels best for you and remember, you’ll still have time to explore academic interests and options.
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