High school is definitely the perfect time for you to learn, explore yourself, and discover your interests until you come to the point where you’re thinking about the next step ahead: college. Your freshman year might have started off with such excitement when you first stepped into high school, as the real seriousness starts during your junior year for international students and sophomore year for national schools. Before you know it, college admission deadlines are getting closer and closer, and your parents are getting more concerned about your future. This is why thinking one step ahead for college preparations always helps - as it’s never too soon to start planning!
You may also think that preparing for college seems like a daunting experience. Although it isn’t entirely true, we have some good news! There are several things that you can do to start preparing early for college. Check out below on how you can prepare for your upcoming college application!
1. Research Your Interested Major
The first thing you need to do before you start college planning is to get to know yourself and your interests. Being in touch with what you want will help you in choosing the major and university that will best fit you. Remember, research is key for your college planning, and by not doing so you will feel like you are walking in the middle of nowhere with no compass. You know what you want, but you don’t have the right tools to get there.
By doing research, you can get a few steps ahead by figuring out what you want to do and what career path your major will unlock. This always helps, as many different universities have different requirements, so you’ll know firsthand of all the things and courses you’ll need to prepare in the next steps.
We have consolidated a few key resources that we think are helpful to any student or parent looking to dive head into their major:
College Majors Handbook with Real Career Paths and Payoffs
Careers: The Graphic Guide to Finding the Perfect Job For You
Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You'll Love to Do
Not into reading books? Check out the free 16-personality test that will reveal more about your personality and suitable career paths here!
2. Take The Required Courses
After you are done researching the major and university that you are interested in, try to make a list of the requirements needed for admissions. Most of the time, those requirements are not just for administrative reasons, but for valid academic ones as well. Without the foundation of certain classes, you may not be prepared to enter the first year of university – but worry not, many universities have foundation programs that can also be a second chance to prove yourself outside of your high school grades. The study complexity in university would require you to have achieved rigorous courses during high school time with satisfying scores (mostly A or B grade is a strong grade). Therefore, see what courses your high school is offering you, and try to tailor your classes to fit the requirements for your upcoming college application.
Considering the courses that you will take in high school will help you start tailoring your academic record that will fit the university admission requirements. Some of the common required courses and its length for University admission (according to ACT Inc) are four years of English, three years of Social Studies, Algebra I & II, Geometry, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, other foreign languages, and some coursework in the visual or performing arts. Although these course requirements may vary for each major and university, it’s always best to try and choose a variety of courses. Basically, colleges are looking for students who have done rigorous studies that are reflected upon their academic background, so it’s really important that the courses that you take reflect a broad base of knowledge.
University of California Recommended High School Courses:
(a): History/Social Science
2 years required - Two years of history/social science including one year of world history, cultures, and geography; and or one year U.S. history or one half year U.S. history and one half year of civics or American government.
(b): English
4 years required - Four years of college preparatory English that include the reading of classic and modern literature and frequent and regular writing. No more than one year of ESL-type courses can be used to meet this requirement.
(c): Mathematics
3 years required, 4 years recommended - Three years of college-preparatory mathematics that include the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra, and one year-long course in geometry that includes two and three-dimensional geometry. Approved integrated math courses may be used to fulfill part or all of this requirement, as may math courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades that your high school accepts as equivalent to its own math courses.
(d): Laboratory Science
2 years required, 3 years recommended - fundamental knowledge in at least two of these three foundational subjects: biology, chemistry, and physics. Advanced laboratory science courses that have biology, chemistry, or physics as prerequisites and offer substantial new material may be used to fulfill this requirement. The last two years of an approved three-year integrated science program that provides rigorous coverage of at least two of the three foundational subjects may be used to fulfill this requirement.
(e): Language other than English
2 years required, 3 years recommended - Two years of the same language other than English. Courses should emphasize speaking and understanding and include instruction in grammar, vocabulary, reading, composition, and culture. Courses in languages other English taken in the seventh and eighth grades may be used to fulfill part of this requirement if your high school accepts them as equivalent to its own courses.
(f): Visual and Performing Arts (VPA)
1 year required - A single year-long approved arts course from a single VPA discipline: dance, drama/theater, music, or visual art.
(g): College Preparatory Electives
1 year required - One year (two semesters), in addition to those required in "a-f" above, chosen from the following areas: visual and performing arts (non-introductory-level courses), history, social science, English, advanced mathematics, laboratory science, and a language other than English (a third year in the language used for the "e" requirement or two years of another language).
Source: University of California Website
3. Take AP, IB, and A-Level Courses (If Offered)
Now is the perfect time to challenge yourself to the next level! So you’ve already taken the required courses for university admission, but it’s always great to challenge yourself with other courses to help strengthen your profile on the admission officer’s table. You can try to take Advance Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or A-levels. First, AP is an American based program consisting of college level courses that are offered at a single level, designed for high school students and is very subject focused. Whilst on the other hand, IB is a European based academic program to prepare teenagers for college through higher and standard level courses with a more holistic learning approach; the A-Levels is the Cambridge system used to emphasize in-depth learning, deep understanding, and the ability to reason with logic quickly. Benefits for taking these programs are the rigorous subject courses, aiming for students to think critically, analytically, and independently.
Rather than worrying which of these curricula you should take, try to take the more rigorous classes your high school offers. Although there are differences in AP or IB grading, the one thing admission officers want to see is how you take the most challenging course load available at your school. So for example, if your school only has the AP courses, take the challenging APs. On the other side, if your school only offers IB courses, take the available IB classes. All in all, whenever you can, challenge yourself with the most rigorous courses possible!
A question that we often get is - what if your school does not offer the IB, AP, or A-levels? To be sure whether or not each university accepts your local program, please be sure to search for a conversion table to the international equivalent (sample here) or contact the admissions office for more information. Universities in the UK and Australia are much more likely to provide a direct conversion table from each country’s different educational system.
4. Establish Continuity in your Non-Academic Activities
Next you need to decide which extracurricular you will join in high school. This might seem like an easy thing to do, but it is not. You will need to thoroughly consider which extracurricular activities fit you. It needs to be something that you will do for a long-term period. Admission officers will look at your extracurricular choice as a reflection of your depth, more than just about doing the best courses or earning the highest GPA.
Imagine it like this: if a university admission officer sees your application that consists of high grades with several different extracurricular lasting no more than 2-3 months, how would your admission officer think of you? They may think of you as a curious student who is smart enough but lacks the knowledge of their own passion. On the contrary, imagine if the university admission officer sees your application with high grades, accompanied by just one or two extracurricular activities that actually lasted until you have graduated, and one in which you have brought in an award or helped you join a national competition. The second case will not only make you look smart — but intelligent as well. You have succeeded in maintaining your good grades, expanded your skills in non-academic activities, and found your passion. Always remember that long term extracurricular and non-academic activities show your commitment, perseverance, and loyalty to your community.
5. Maintain Your Study Momentum
After making sure that you have taken all the required courses, joined an extracurricular that fully sparks your interest, and took notes of all the upcoming exams for college admission, the last thing you should do is to maintain your momentum. Truth is, it is harder to maintain your study momentum compared to when you first started. In the middle of your preparations, you may feel like it is okay to relax for a while as you already have all the knowledge and tools to ace your university application. But it’s always best to stay updated on university admission information. Most importantly, do not slack during your senior year thinking that you have it all set and ready. Instead, use the spare time to talk to your school counselor, as they will be the ones to help you with your letter of recommendation. Better yet, try to have further discussion with your parents on the other things you may need to improve to strengthen your profile for the upcoming college application.
Conclusion:
Preparing early for your college admission is a holistic and exciting process, which will undoubtedly help you save a headache during your senior year. Preparing early gives you the space to not only study continuously, but to get to know yourself and your real interests better. It is never good to start in a rush, because this process does take time. Through the journey, you will have a clearer purpose ahead, so that what you are doing will align with what you want to achieve. Getting yourself used to the habit of early preparation will also help you once you enter university. It’ll be easier for you to choose your interests in the unlimited pool of attractive studies and activities that your college will be offering!
