Stand Out to Admissions: How to Increase Rigor in Your Course Schedule

Your high school transcript says a lot about who you are as a student. Beyond the letter grades, your transcript demonstrates your ability to take advantage of your school’s opportunities and explore your academic interests. Do you challenge yourself? Do you step out of your comfort zone? Do you take a variety of electives to be well-rounded or do you focus more on your passions? Admissions officers want to know what you’re bringing to the table, and what kind of student you’ll be in college.

What does your high school transcript say about you right now?

Colleges want to know you’ll take advantage of you opportunities. Think about what your academic history might reflect to admissions officers. Have you ever taken an Honors course? If you’re in all APs and getting straight C’s - are you spreading yourself too thin? Or, if you’re a junior and have gotten A+ in English for three years in a row - is it time for you to enroll in AP English next year? Take a moment to reflect on your high school course schedule thus far, and challenge yourself to incorporate more rigor next year. See our tips for integrating more rigor in your transcript below.

“More and more, colleges are placing an emphasis on course rigor because they want to ensure that students are prepared to handle a college course load. If a student is applying to a highly selective college, but has only taken one or two advancedclasses, it is likely that the admissions officer reviewing that applicant will wonder whether or not that student is prepared or motivated enough to handle the academic rigors of that particular institution.”
-Ivy Wise

What is Academic Rigor?

Think about “Academic Rigor” as steady growth. Rather than taking the standard courses year after year, you want your transcript to reflect that you are working to improve every single year - even if that means your growth comes in increments.

Jordan Catapano on TeachHub shares another way to think about academic rigor: ““Rigor,” in the academic sense, is referring to that fine line between challenging and frustrating a student. It means that students are challenged to think, perform, and grow to a level that they were not at previously.”

How to Add Rigor to Your Schedule

If you know deep down that you have the bandwidth to take on another challenge, like Honors or an AP course, consider adding more rigor to your schedule next year. As a freshman or sophomore who’s never taken any Honors courses, start slow. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with too many upper level classes and set yourself up for failure. Instead, gradually build your course schedule over time.

Tip #1: Take All 4 Years of the 4 Core Classes

We recommend taking all four years of core classes (math, science, English, world language, and social studies). As a minimum, Harvard lists out suggestions for choosing high school courses:

The study of English for four years: close and extensive reading of the classics of the world’s literature
Four years of a single foreign language
The study of history for at least two years, and preferably three years: American history, European history, and one additional advanced history course
The study of mathematics for four years
The study of science for four years: physics, chemistry, and biology, and preferably one of these at an advanced level
Frequent practice in the writing of expository prose

As you can see, in the eyes of Harvard, some of the courses that might be “optional” at your high school are going to be recommended by colleges. If you don’t take these all of these courses all four years, admissions is going to wonder why.

Tip #2: Enroll in an AP course(s)

With 38 courses to choose from, you have a lot of options to consider. Take a look at the list of courses and consider which topics interest you the most. As you’re narrowing down, you can also use the classes you’ve had success in as a guide for selecting AP courses. For example, if you usually do well in History, maybe you can try enrolling in AP US History next year.

But, before you decide whether or not to enroll in an AP course, here are 4 pros and cons to consider.

Tip #3: Pursue the IB Diploma

The IB Diploma demonstrates your willingness to accept educational challenges. Whether you decide to take IBDP online, abroad, in the US, or at your school, the IB curriculum gives you the opportunity to stretch your limits. As you start exploring your options, take a look at these 5 frequently asked questions about the IB Diploma.

Tip #4: Sign up for Dual College Credit

Dual college courses are usually offered through your high school or a nearby community college. These courses allow you to gain high school and college credits at the same time. Along with strengthening your transcript, signing up for dual college courses prepares you for the rigor of college.

Not to mention, often times, you’ll end up saving money in the long run by taking a dual college course. Need more reasons to sign up? Take a look at our post “Why you should enroll in a college-level course.”