Many school leaders and counselors want to encourage students to take more rigorous coursework. However, many more rigorous options come with prerequisites and prior learning requirements. This means it takes foresight and planning within a four-year academic calendar to include the more advanced courses within a student’s schedule. If schools, students, and families don’t make a four-year plan, students may not take the steps necessary to enroll in advanced courses, such as IB, AP, and dual enrollment offerings.
When students have a clear picture of their four-year journey, they can decide which classes make sense in a sequence–accounting for their current and future interests. With the growing movement toward pathways, increases in career and technical education courses, and changes to block and A/B scheduling, navigating a course catalog can be intense. Creating an academic plan that spans four years sets students up for success in a way that year-over-year planning cannot. Below, we outline three major advantages but remember — using an academic planning.
The Advantages for Accessing Advanced Coursework
Taking advanced courses is an excellent way for students to challenge themselves, develop critical thinking skills, and demonstrate their academic abilities to colleges and universities. Remember, college admissions committees are looking for indicators that a student can thrive at their institution rather than having to take remedial courses first. Having nationally recognized programs such as AP and IB coursework on a student’s transcript sends a clear message to college admissions committees about their intent, the level of effort they’re willing to put forth, and their academic mindset.
Proactively enrolling in these courses can give students a competitive edge. However, it’s important to note that many schools require prerequisite courses before students can take AP or IB classes. As an example, students may be required to complete a sequence of Algebra I, Honors Algebra II, Honors Geometry, Physical Science, and Honors Biology before applying to take IB courses in their junior and senior years. Without proper planning, students may not have the correct sequence to enter the upper-level courses, preventing them from benefiting from the advantages of taking them and displaying them on the transcript. This is why a four-year plan, created at the end of 8th grade, for how students will experience high school is a critical need, especially for students who know they want to go to selective or highly selective colleges or programs.
The Advantages for Mapping Course Sequences
Effective academic planning empowers students to craft a cohesive learning experience during high school and tell a narrative through their course selection. This is a way to showcase one’s interests, strengths, and academic growth. By mapping out courses in advance, students can intentionally build a sequence of classes that aligns with their desired future.
| Career Interest | Course Sequence |
|---|---|
| Aspiring Journalist | 9th grade: AP Seminar & AP Human Geography 10th grade: Journalism (elective) & AP English Language 11th grade: AP English Literature & AP US History 12th grade: AP Government/Politics & AP Research |
| Aspiring Scientist | 9th grade: Honors Biology & Honors Algebra II 10th grade: Honors Chemistry and Honors Geometry 11th grade: AP Chemistry, AP Pre-Calculus, & AP Physics 12th grade: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, & AP Statistics |
These are examples of intentional course sequences, which tell a story about each student and their interests. It’s worth noting that no matter how students choose courses, the courses will ultimately tell a story about their high school course selection and prior academic experiences. The critical point about planning is that some courses must fall in a particular order. One cannot take AP Chemistry without taking Chemistry first.
This means counselors, students, and families must pay close attention to the early-grade prerequisite courses. Without them, it’s impossible to advance to the upper-level courses later, which takes a four-year plan. It’s also true that schools do not always have the capacity or student interest to offer specific courses every year. For example, AP Biology may only be offered every other year; this means that students would not only have to plan to take the prerequisite coursework but may also need to do so before their junior year rather than their senior year.
Finally, consider how elective classes like Speech and Debate or Engineering might complement the narrative. These courses can communicate an even more specific program interest to admissions officers and help students stand out among other applicants. Whether it’s climbing through a particular sequence to get to an upper-level course or adding courses to the transcript that might not otherwise fit, it takes a solid four-year plan to get to this level of specificity and outcome. This type of planning can be the difference between a student getting into their first choice college and program or not.
The Advantages for Earning Dual-Credit
One of the most significant benefits of proactive academic planning is that it enables students to earn college credit while still in high school. Dual enrollment and articulated courses (on campus and virtually) potentially save money and time, but students must ensure they complete all of the eligibility requirements ahead of time. Students can get a jump start on their college education by taking dual enrollment courses, providing greater preparation than other courses while killing two birds with one student–acquiring credits for high school graduation requirements and gaining transferable credits for college course completion.
The landscape for dual enrollment options has evolved, especially with the increase in virtual options for students who do not have a local university partner to attend in person. Virtual options also allow for more flexibility to ensure students can balance both school schedules. Stacking these classes onto existing schedules or fitting them into a course sequence often requires surgical precision and won’t happen by chance. If students want to work their way up to earning college credit before graduating high school, they should develop a plan for all four years of their high school experience to ensure it occurs.
Conclusion: The Nuances of Academic Planning
The news is not all dim and grim for students who realize they want to take a unique course before graduation but didn’t plan it out. There are certainly ways for counselors and administrators to get creative with schedules to include classes students didn’t anticipate needing or wanting. However, a four-year plan is vital to maximize the value of a quality course catalog, pathways in high school, and a standout transcript.
Many nuances associated with this type of planning should also be noted. Inevitably, counselors and families ask about students doing long-range planning for their academic choices and life goals but who don’t know what they want to do after high school. There are two answers to this question. The first is simple; the second is a bit more complex.
First, taking a bunch of classes that students don’t end up liking is as informative as finding a path of interest and staying the course. Taking courses in a subject you hate can save tons of money and years in a college major that doesn’t pan out. Second, students should have access to college and career planning tools as early as elementary school. Through interest surveys and other tools, students can learn much about themselves and what they want to be and do along the way. That’s not always the case, but it’s an evolving landscape in schools, and it’s one that we’re excited to see grow.
Finally, we know that finding time to create a four-year academic plan for every student can be daunting for counselors who are already overwhelmed and overworked. That’s why we also support the use of online academic planning tools that make the process of planning for four years of coursework that much easier for counselors and their students. using the adaptive format, the Bluebook App interface, and the nuanced question structures. By understanding the differences and adapting their strategies, all students can navigate the digital SAT with confidence, paving the way for success in their college admissions journey.
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