Preparing for college.

Preparing for college is a long process. It is a better option to start working on preparing for college earlier and knowing the requirements for different insittutions.

High School Course Requirements

  • In order to be prepared for higher education, students should ensure they have the proper credits:

  • English: 4 years 

  • Mathematics: 4 years 

  • Science: 3 years 

  • Social Studies: 3 years

  • Foreign Language: 2–3 years of the same language.

  • Electives: 2 years (Courses in fine arts, or career-technical education (CTE))

Types of Courses

Taking Advanced Placement (AP),  Honors courses, or IB Classes can aid in boosting GPA. They also show academic capabilities due to rigor, and commitment to a heavy workload. Passing AP and IB exams can also earn students college credit, depending on the school and score earned on the exam.

Standardized testing

Standardized Tests

  • Many schools have now become test-optional, although some schools still require them. If you scored well in either of these standardized tests, it could boost your college application. 

    • SAT: Tests math, reading, and writing (scored out of 1600).

    • ACT: Includes English, math, reading, and science (scored out of 36).

  • Use test preparation resources like Khan Academy (free SAT prep) or Kaplan for practice and lessons.

  • Keep track of test dates and locations, there are multiple tests per year, and sometimes late registration adds a fee. 

  • Ask your school counselor if you qualify for fee waivers for these tests.