6 Classes to Take in High School to Prepare for College

You'll take a lot of classes throughout high school, but these six are sure to help prepare you for college. Take them if you can!

You’ll spend your entire high school experience building an academic résumé that will one day earn you an acceptance letter from your college or university of choice. Although many students will (and should!) focus on extracurriculars and community service, you should also choose your high school classes selectively. Colleges want students who embrace challenging courses and learn to excel, so here are six classes you should take in high school to prepare for college-level academics.

1. Basic and advanced math

No matter what degree you want to pursue in college, you’ll have to complete two years of core curriculum classes before specializing in your studies. Basic and advanced math courses are some of the best high school classes to prepare you for college. You’ll get familiar with new concepts and formulas before moving on to a more rigorous university setting. You should take at least one math class every year as part of your core courses. Research what high school classes colleges look for, and you can chart your mathematical future by what you’ve already accomplished and which areas would be most challenging. While it’s important to challenge yourself, don’t overwhelm yourself either—you should pick math classes that challenge your study habits but don’t tank your GPA.

2. Honors classes

Students who want to really prepare for college in high school can start taking honors classes as early as freshman year, so talk with your school counselor about honors courses ASAP. You’ll dive deeper into subject matter, which results in more studying and time management practice. You’ll also practice essential skills that you’ll need in college while making your transcript stand out from students who take standard classes. Try one or two honors courses as an underclassman to get a feel for how well you do with more challenging material.

Related: Should I Ace Easy Classes or Push Myself in Hard Ones?

3. Reading and writing courses

College students write numerous essays and research papers every semester and in almost every class—not just English courses. Taking reading and writing courses in high school will make extensive papers less intimidating later. Planning and drafting essays will become second nature, but your English classes can also come with other benefits. Sign up for writing or reading classes with a local community college to gain credit hours through dual enrollment—it’s a head start that counts toward your future degree, and you won’t have to repeat these classes in college if you make sure the credits transfer. Starting college courses early frees precious time you can spend on more difficult university courses, and it can get you across the graduation stage faster.

4. Advanced Placement classes

Advanced Placement (AP) classes teach students what it’s like to take challenging college-level courses. The intense workload and study schedule will make most university classes feel like a breeze because you’ll know how to handle whatever comes your way. AP classes also boost your GPA by counting more toward your GPA than standard courses. Your final exam scores could also help you earn college credit or qualify for scholarships as they act as proof of academic excellence.

Related: What's the Difference Between AP and Dual Enrollment Classes?

5. Foreign languages

Most high schools require students to complete at least two years of a single language—but you’re only benefiting yourself if you try to take classes all four years. Why? You can continue that education by completing language requirements at your future university. And don’t be afraid to experiment outside the norm and pick something more unusual than Spanish or French. If your school offers Latin, it can offer you an invaluable linguistic understanding of root words in English—which will also help you on the SAT—and all the romance languages, which can help you learn other tongues later. Whether you choose Latin, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese, these are high school classes that colleges look for in prospective students. Plus, excellent final grades could help you skip the beginner’s-level language course in college and head straight to intermediate classes if you continue studying the same language.

6. Arts or performance classes

Colleges and universities want students who can absorb new information and excel, but they also want a well-rounded student body. Consider taking courses in arts you feel passionate about—a subject area that’s often overlooked in education today. Painting, pottery, or theater classes are some of the best high school courses for college-bound students. You’ll learn more about yourself and develop expressive outlets while improving your teamwork and communication skills. Your college applications will show both individual passion and community spirit through artistic endeavors. 

Related: Join These Art Clubs to Boost Your High School Résumé

These are just a few high school class options you can take advantage of to prepare for college. Focus on your core subjects, add unique classes like arts and languages, and challenge yourself with honors or AP subjects—it’s all about finding the best balance for you. Your dedication and hard work will pay off by impressing college admission committees and preparing you for the college experience.

Not sure if you’re prepared for college? Find out with this article on How to Know If You’re Ready for College to see where you may need improvement.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Ginger Abbot

Ginger Abbot is an education, learning and student life writer, as well as the Editor-in-Chief of Classrooms.com. Read more of her work for college students on her Classrooms author page.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Nazira Abdelkhalek

Nazira Abdelkhalek

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2014

I am very honored to be this year’s recipient of the Multicultural Student Community Service Scholarship! This scholarship is vital to helping me achieve and fulfill my dreams, and gives me confidence and motivation as I begin my college career. The CollegeXpress website has been invaluable over the past year as I planned my educational and professional goals. I highly recommend it to all students as they begin to focus on their college and career interests. The website is a wonderful guide to schools and scholarships.

Hannah Nelsen

Hannah Nelsen

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me look at colleges that fit my interests by taking my profile and matching it to colleges that have the programs I'm looking for. It has the ability to connect me to colleges so I can be contacted by them and look at them more in-depth to find what's right for me. Additionally, the scholarship database is super beneficial for getting scholarships for college. Not only does it help lift the financial burden of college but it shows all the opportunities available. Overall, CollegeXpress has been very helpful to me.

Melanie Kajy

Melanie Kajy

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me tremendously during my senior year of high school. I started off using the college search to find more information about the universities I was interested in. Just this tool alone gave me so much information about a particular school. It was my one-stop shop to learn about college. I was able to find information about college tuition, school rank, majors, and so much more that I can't list it all. The college search tool has helped me narrow down which college I want to attend, and it made a stressful process surprisingly not so stressful. I then moved to the scholarship search tool to find scholarships to apply for because I can't afford to pay for tuition myself. The search tool helped me find scholarships that I was eligible for. The tool gave me all the information I could ever need about a particular scholarship that was being offered. The CollegeXpress scholarship search tool is so much better than other tools offered, like the Chegg scholarship search. Thanks to CollegeXpress, I was able to apply to tons of scholarships in a relatively easy way!

Ana Sophia Garcia-Cubas Assemat

Ana Sophia Garcia-Cubas Assemat

$10,000 Scholarship Winner, 2020

CollegeXpress has been an instrumental resource for my scholarship search and has given me the opportunity to try my best so I can graduate from college debt-free.

Fabiola Rodriguez

Fabiola Rodriguez

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me on my journey to get to the school of my first choice by showing me all the options I have. I didn’t know of the College of Southern Nevada until I went on this website, and it helped me look for other choices and compare what colleges would be right for me.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA

Stevenson University

Stevenson, MD