High school students aiming at highly selective colleges should consider meeting the following base curriculum that is commonly expected. Of course, additional academic electives beyond the base curriculum are fine and expected to fill in free elective space in the schedule.
- English: 4 years.
- Math: At least to precalculus. Students who complete precalculus in 11th grade or earlier should take calculus if available. Statistics should be considered an additional elective, not a substitute for precalculus or calculus.
- History and social studies: 4 years generally preferred.
- Science: 4 years including a year each of biology, chemistry, and physics. If only 3 years are taken, they should include a year each of biology, chemistry, and physics.
- Foreign language: Completion of level 4 (4th year) of high school language or equivalent generally preferred; having only level 2 or lower is likely to be significantly disadvantageous.
- Art or music: 1 year.
- Academic electives: Select according to interest to fill free elective schedule space.
High school students aiming at less selective colleges may not need to complete as many or as high level courses as listed above for admission purposes. However, completing the pattern suggested above will prepare the student for college better than if the student only takes the minimum required high school base curriculum for the less selective college. For example, a student who does not complete precalculus in high school may have to take it as a remedial course in college, which may mean delayed graduation.
I would say students aiming for highly selective colleges should take calculus in HS (if available).
I would also recommend that students take the time to check the specific requirements of any college they are considering applying to.
Very useful. I wish there was a whole section of FAQs like this, because students ask the same questions over and over.
Even when the FAQ his pinned, the same questions are still asked over and over. 
I don’t know that I agree with the calculus issue. I do agree that one cannot sit out the year.
My 2 data points - older kid took calc and got into many top 20 LACs for a science major, attended a top 5.
Younger kid did not take calc but took programming which at her HS fell under the umbrella of math. Applied ED to a top 15 LAC (for a science major) so we don’t know how many others she would have been accepted at.
Even the highest colleges and universities teach calculus.
@“Snowball City” I’m not saying that the top colleges don’t teach calculus – they certainly do. The issue I’ve seen from personal experience is that students who take intro to calculus at top colleges have mostly all had the material already.
My S did not take calculus in 12th grade. When he got to college (a fine college but one which is ranked below 50 in USNWR) and took calculus he found he was one of only 3 students (out of 40 or so) in his class did not have calculus in HS. Needless to say it was very difficult, very time consuming etc. to compete with a classroom of students who had the material before. People retake calculus for many reasons – some to have an easier class, some want to take higher level math and feel it is best to start the sequence from the beginning at the college, some didn’t get AP credit etc. So, yes calculus 1 is taught in even the best of colleges, but from what I have seen students without calculus in HS will be at a competitive disadvantage in the class if they take it at a top college without having it in HS…
Anyway, that is the basis for my comment. I hope your younger S had a different experience. As with everything, YMMV.
Nope, it wasn’t an issue. Extrapolating from her experiences - her college didn’t have a competitive weed out atmosphere in either her math or organic chemistry.
My only advice for high school students - in addition to completing the core listed by the OP, find a department where going to that class makes you happy. For one kid it was singing; for the the other it was art. Don’t sacrifice your happy class in the quest for more AP credits.
I’m curious about the one year of art or music. Where did that come from? None of the schools my D applied to had an art or music requirement and it isn’t needed for high school graduation either. I’m not saying its not a good thing, just that I had never heard of that as a requirement or recommendation before.
Examples of colleges with art requirements for frosh applicants include CA and SD public universities. MI and AZ public universities have a required or recommended course category that has art as an option.