I’m a high school senior doing what you might call full-time dual enrollment in a program where I am able to graduate with an A.A. Part of this is that I obviously have to take science classes, humanities classes, social sciences, etc. I took my necessary 2 math classes last year and did well in them so I am focusing on other subjects this year. Intro to Humanities, Intro to Lit, Personal Fitness, Astrology, and Music Appreciation this semester. Will this hurt my applications?
If it means anything, I’m a straight A student with high test scores planning on applying to a variety of top schools: Vanderbilt, Bowdoin, Northwestern, etc. along with some safety schools.
I obviously meant Astronomy, lol. Oops.
What is your highest level of math? What is the highest level offered by your school? Selective schools consider rigor of high school classes taken. Will your GC tick off the “most rigorous” box? These colleges generally like to see 4 years of math, 4 years of science, 4 years of English and 3 to 4 years of a foreign language.
Taking Astrology might make you “stand out” ?
I think taking math all four years will benefit your application to selective colleges. Your senior courses do not seem very rigorous.
I notice no foreign language either.
Honestly, this doesn’t look rigorous to me either and yes, I think it will hurt your application.
@BKSquared I took Probability and Statistics and College Algebra last year, realisticaly the highest course I could take in my time would be Calculus. Should I try to squeeze Pre-Calc onto my fall semester and get calculus in the spring?
I would drop one of the electives and take pre-calc and calc.
Yes, with the math in #6. Don’t worry about the AA degree, it means nothing. What about the foreign language? What other sciences have you taken?
@momofsenior1 I’ll look into this. I’ll have to take more electives at some point, but I suppose it’s better if I get those on my spring term so that I can take math each sem.
@Eeyore123 I took Spanish Honors in my freshman and sophomore years but haven’t since. I took Honors Biology and Chem in my junior and sophomore years respectively, I’m going to take a lab class like physics in spring probably.
Definitely take a physics class. The level of schools you mention expect to see bio, chem and physics.
Unless you need them for HS graduation requirements (not the AA), I would drop Personal Fitness, Astronomy, and Music Appreciation. Replace them with math, Spanish 3 and a lab science. I would look at Intro to Humanities, it sounds fluffy to me.
Agree that that is an odd set of classes for someone interested in the colleges you mention. Are you talking with a guidance counselor at your high school? Those joint HS/AA programs are terrific for students who might not otherwise be able to get a college degree due to family or financial challenges but it doesn’t sound like that is you.
For some context, as you said Vandy, bowdoin, northwestern were on your radar:
https://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/faq/application
Vanderbilt does not prescribe a specific distribution of high school coursework requirements, but most competitive applicants will have completed four full years of coursework in the five core academic areas of English, math, social studies, science (3 lab sciences), and foreign language. It is acceptable for a student to drop one of these areas in the senior year in order to take a second course in an area of greater interest, but the admissions committee will likely question a record that falls significantly short of the above curriculum.
https://www.bowdoin.edu/admissions/our-process/index.html
Although Bowdoin does not require a prescribed high school program or number of courses, the typical entering first-year student will have had four years each of English, foreign language, mathematics, and social science and three to four years of laboratory sciences
https://admissions.northwestern.edu/faqs/high-school-courses/
The Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, the Medill School of Journalism, the School of Education and Social Policy, the Bienen School of Music and the School of Communication require that entering students complete a minimum of 16 courses (most applicants present more) in the following academic areas:
English: 4 full-year courses
Foreign language: a minimum of 2 full-year courses of one foreign language
History and social science: a minimum of 2 full-year courses
Laboratory science: a minimum of 2 full-year courses
Mathematics: a minimum of 3 full-year courses
Additional subjects: 1-3 full-year courses in the academic areas listed above
The McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science encourages strong preparation in mathematics and science. Recommended coursework includes:
English: 4 full-year courses
Laboratory science: a minimum of 3 full-year courses; chemistry and physics preferred
Mathematics: 3.5-4 full-year courses; calculus preferred, if available; the minimum requirement includes 2 full-year courses of algebra, 1 full-year course of plane geometry and 1 semester of trigonometry
Additional subjects: 5-6 full-year courses; these should include courses in foreign language, history and social sciences
A rigorous schedule would look like this:
Fall
-Precalculus
-Philosophy
-Music appreciation
-Intro to physics for non majors
-Spanish (if you took high school Spanish 1+2, you’d likely place into college Spanish 2)
Spring
-Calculus (short Calculus or business Calculus is ok)*
- Spanish (3)
- History, Economics or Political Science**
- Intro to Humanities or intro to literature**
- a class that looks fun and interesting
- If planning on a Humanities or Social science major you can replace this with a class from the "*" group. * If you are planning on a STEM, business, or economics major, replace one of those by a CS or laboratory science class.
I feel like math is necessary, it will always be a part of your curriculum.