Shot from back of classroom of diverse students raising hands, teacher at front

Video: How to Choose Classes for Senior Year of High School

Senior year is important in preparing for college, and your classes will play a large role in that. Here's some advice on how to choose your classes.

Senior year course selection can be a tricky thing. With only one year left, you need to make sure you take all your required classes so you can get into the college of your dreams and graduate on time. Don’t go at it alone. Seek out tips and advice and go to your school counselor for help too. But you can start by checking out Isabella’s video below for tips on how to choose your senior year classes to fit your future goals and path to graduation.

Take college classes

If your high school offers college courses, make sure to take as many as you can comfortably fit in your schedule. Besides getting a taste of the college experience in high school, you’re also saving money by taking these classes ahead of time. Taking them now means you’ll most likely get college credit at whichever college you attend later, and there will more room in your schedule for other classes when you get there.

Take AP classes

AP classes seem stressful and a lot of work but will really help you out in the long run. And if you pass the exams, you’ll get college credit for passing as well as a weighted GPA. Taking these courses in your junior and senior year is a good way to challenge yourself and prepare you for college, since they’re taught like a college course.

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

Make sure you’re taking all required classes

Just because it’s your senior year doesn’t mean you don’t still have classes you’re required to take. Make sure you’re taking all required courses; for instance, if you’re in an accelerated STEM program, you likely need to be taking AP or honors math and science classes. Get advice from your school counselor about what classes you should be taking. They can also help you adjust your schedule if you’re not on track for graduation.

Choose classes you’ll enjoy

You don’t want to be miserable throughout the year because you chose a random filler class. You’ll just end up in classes where you’re not motivated because no one around you wants to do the work either. Look over the available classes and find something that piques your interest—maybe drawing, painting, or another hobby that interests you.

Related: Choosing Your High School Classes With College in Mind

We hope these tips help you choose your classes for senior year and make it as great a last year of high school as possible. Have a wonderful school year, and good luck in the rest of your college admission journey!

Once you’ve chosen your classes, it’s time to buckle down and get through the year. And you can do it with Our Best Advice for Senior Year of High School.

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 CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites! But current college students and recent grads also love CollegeXpress for our Graduate Program Search and endless information on student life, internships, and beyond. We really have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your college journey. 😊

 

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
Asia Stockdale

Asia Stockdale

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me overcome a huge hurdle. Because of the small town I live in, I felt like I would never achieve more. I felt like I could never go beyond because of costs. I feared I wouldn’t be able to find scholarships. I had no idea of where to start. With CollegeXpress, I easily found scholarships—they came to me. It was a helper, and I was instantly matched with opportunities to go above and beyond educationally.

Yuhlani Patterson

Yuhlani Patterson

High School Student

CollegeXpress has helped me find so many scholarships that fit me. They match me to colleges I have specific interest in to make searching for colleges way easier and more efficient. CollegeXpress refers me to schools that have my major of interest and backup schools if I want to change my mind. CollegeXpress also gives out their own scholarships, so you have even more of a chance at gaining multiple scholarships. This website has helped me de-stress from the pressure of not being able to afford college, [of finding] what schools are right for me, and how to find easy access to scholarships that most people never knew existed.

Daniel Ogunlokun

Daniel Ogunlokun

High School Class of 2022

When I started looking at colleges in the beginning of my senior year, I was conflicted about which ones I wanted to attend based on safety, tuition costs, location, academic rigor, and prestige. Searching the internet and getting more questions than answers, I came across CollegeXpress, which made all the steps I had taken look like a minor issue. Everything was summarized and detailed, and I couldn't be more thankful and appreciative.

Caio Matos

Caio Matos

High School Class of 2022

Starting the college admissions process as an international student was daunting. Thankfully, CollegeXpress was the first website I used for that cause and it helped me so much, from knowing where to start to deciding what my next move would be. I'll take a gap year, but I’m certainly using the website again when applying for fall 2023.

Kayla

Kayla

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me organize the schools I wanted to choose from in one place, which I could then easily compare and find the school that was right for me!

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Molloy University

Rockville Centre, NY

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY

Malone University

Canton, OH