How do colleges determine how rigorous your high school course is?

Most my classes are rigorous, but I’m also taking two extremely easy tech-related classes because someone told me that colleges like it better if you take courses related to your intended major (Computer Science). I wanted to do AP Environmental Science, but they made me take Office Software instead, which is a guaranteed A and barely teaches you anything.

If I’m already taking three APs (this semester), a zero period, and an after-school class, will these two guaranteed A’s hurt my chances for top colleges? Also is it a different situation if you tried to take a more rigorous course, but familial pressure forced you to take an easier one?

Thanks for the responses.

Colleges generally don’t evaluate individual courses. They rely on the Guidance Counselor’s assessment of how rigorous your course selection was. Ask your GC how s/he might answer the question of your class rigor.

@“Erin’s Dad” is correct. But I’d also point out that the GC is rating your total 4-year schedule. Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody is going to look course by course and say “Office Software is a blow-off course.” On a related note, many high schools have graduation requirements that include exceedingly easy courses, like Basic Keyboarding. Nobody cares.

Oh, I did not know this. Thank you so much, this is very reassuring.

My daughter had an easy A in Career Explorations. No college is going to mock her for having to take a district required class that you barely have to breathe in to get an A.

Most high schools have formal profiles that detail graduation requirements and course offerings, various levels of courses and how GPA is calculated. These profiles are online and colleges often get these profiles directly from GCs. Over time, AOs develop a good understanding of many of the high schools in their regions, especially those that typically send students to that college. Beyond understanding those basics, colleges will look at how many core classes you took, their overall rigor and may or may not re-calculate GPA in their own ways.

My DD19 is so hesitant to ask her GC, if she thinks her course load is rigorous!

Can you indicate what classes you’re taking?
Colleges want to see

  • 5 academic classes per year (or more)
  • mostly honors, some AP, if offered
  • 4 years each of History/social science and English, math through precalculus and calculus, bio/chem/physics, foreign language through level 3, 4 or AP and a couple classes that reflect your interests (so, if your school offers them, some classes in CS would make sense if that’s what you want to major in).
    All adcoms know high schools have various requirements (keyboarding, physical education, financial literacy, health…) that aren’t academic but are meant for your health or your life as a citizen.

The regional reps from the colleges you are applying to will know your schools rigor. You are compared to others at your school. They get school reports to address how many honor /AP classes your school offers etc. Saying that… There is no reason you can’t take a fun or easy class. Take things you are interested in not just because it’s an easy A. You are allowed to enjoy your high school experience. Make the most of it.

The need for honors and AP depend on where you might set your college targets. But sorry, the fluff classes (“extremey easy tech-related” means what?) are not what impresses. “Courses related to your intended major” means cores, first and formost.

So are you a 9th grader? If so, mind what you take next year and following. Make sure now that the track you’re on will allow you those classes. For CS, you should be aiming for higher math and sci courses by senior year (or sooner, depends.)

“Familial pressure” doesn’t count. Since you’re new here and we have no idea, maybe these class suggestions are, in fact, appropriate to your skills and readiness. Maybe you need a little talk with the GCabout why you were pointed in those directions. You can study CS at many good colleges. But you eventually want the choices of colleges to be right for you. kk?

If you’re interested in CS, “Office software” doesn’t count as “related to what you’re interested in”, since it’s a vocational, administrative class. Would-be CS majors need to have the highest possible math class (precalculus honors or calculus as a senior), 4 years of science (biology, chemistry, physics, and one more from these - and because CS may be in the college of engineering, physics would be the most important), if your school offers them AP CS Principles and AP CSA + lots and lots of experience (coding camps, creating apps, etc).
Then the typical rigorous program: 4 years of English and history/social science, foreign langage through level 3 or 4.

This sample (paper) common app school report shows you the part (on page 2) where the counselor chooses the rigor the student has taken “in comparison with other college preparatory students at your school”.

https://na51.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#d0000000eEna/a/0V000001QPts/fjerduKkUi0A.pLl9P1GGkvZtDb_bzvZYqdzrRlPKyk

Yes I’m taking APUSH, AP English III, AP Spanish IV, Honors Chem, Precalculus, Robotics, and Office Software. I’m also on the board of Academic Decathlon, which counts as a class and goes on transcripts, but does not factor into your GPA.

I took AP CompSci last year and received a 5 on the exam.

Yes, I agree Office Software is not a Computer Science related class. I talked to my GC about taking AP Physics instead, but she said I probably should not take that many AP/H classes.

So what year? Junior? If so. Something strikes me as odd. You need that talk with the GC.

Yes, Junior. What strikes you as odd?