Course Selection Matters

An interesting thing happened between 2018 and 2023.  (And, no, I’m not talking about COVID.)  In 2018, overall GPA was the #1 factor in college admissions decisions. (This statistic comes from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling [NACAC]).  Five years later, however, grades in college prep courses trumped overall GPA as the most important consideration to colleges.  As an independent college counselor, I believe this trend has several implications for my students.

What are college prep courses?  College counselor Pro Tip #1: They’re Not All Created Equally.

On Tuesday, I spoke with a mom from the Bay area.  Her daughter has “big college dreams,” she said. Unfortunately, however, the charter school she attends offers no Advanced Placement (AP) courses.  AP courses offer a first-year, college-level curriculum to high school students across the world.  The College Board designs AP courses, which are then taught by high school teachers.  Millions of students take AP exams each year in May.  In the absence of a national curriculum, AP exams enable students from vastly different high schools to prove their mastery of knowledge and skills on a single playing field. 

For this reason, college admissions counselors can compare applicants more efficiently by evaluating their grades on AP exams than their grades in coursework in high school, where grade inflation is running rampant. (IB [International Baccalaureate] courses are just as rigorous as AP courses, if not more so.)

But what about dual enrollment in community college courses?  The Bay area student’s charter high school outsourced college prep.  Simply put, it’s more difficult for college admissions counselors to assess the rigor of the hundreds of thousands of courses in community colleges – which are also plagued by grade inflation –  than two dozen or so AP courses.

As a teacher, I understand the critique of AP courses.  I taught AP US History for five years and served as a scorer of AP exams for more than a decade.  The vast curriculum often forces teachers to forego creativity.  They feel they must “teach to the test.”  For this reason, many districts and independent schools have abandoned the AP programs.  These include both Scarsdale, New York, and Horace Mann School, New York City, where I taught for a combined 7 years . With their century-old reputations for excellence, these schools have the luxury of offering their own courses. College admissions officers will not question course rigor there.

Most students aren’t lucky enough to attend such schools.  As an independent college counselor, I would still wholeheartedly recommend enrolling in AP courses to them.  Establish a record of taking solid, challenging courses throughout high school.

Image by Morgan Harper Nichols on Unsplash

When should I start planning the courses my child should take?  College Counselor Pro Tip #2: TOday.

On Monday evening, I met with the parents of “Jason,” an intellectually gifted eighth grader.  He attends a good public middle school in Westchester County, New York.  Unfortunately, Jason hasn’t been challenged for most of his academic career.  So, Jason and his dad jumped into the local public high school’s course catalog. Together, they created an impressive spreadsheet of Jason’s wish list – including many AP, Honors, and elective courses – through Spring 2028.

Without having already ensured that Jason took accelerated math and science courses as an eighth grader, however, the wish list would have been just that.  Jason’s parents started to think about course selection when Jason was a sixth grader.  They made crucial choices when he was a seventh grader.  Jason’s parents set him up for college admissions success while he was in middle school.

Image by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

How can I ensure my child takes the right courses to be competitive for selective colleges?  College Counselor Pro Tip #3: Consult with Crimson Coaching!

Nevertheless, there were still some blind spots in Jason’s wish list.  For example, they hadn’t realized that New York State requires one credit of American history for graduation.  Before speaking to me, they also hadn’t appreciated how difficult the AP World History course is for freshmen.  (They’d planned on Jason taking that course in the 9th grade and skipping American history entirely.)  After our consultation, they tweaked their spreadsheet and were even more prepared for their meeting with the high school principal. 

Many families do not have the time or background to create such a wish list in the first place.  Crimson Coaching can help with that!  Whether your child is just entering middle school or is in their junior year, we can talk through the course selection process to position them for selective college admissions. 

Of course, course selection is just one of the many roles that an independent college counselor can play.  We can also help advise you on extracurricular activities, the timing of standardized testing (like the SAT or ACT), obtaining letters of recommendation, and much more.

The college admissions process is more overwhelming than ever before.  But, you don’t have to go through it alone!  We’re here to serve as a sounding board and – when you need it – to talk you or your child off the proverbial ledge.

If you’re interested in learning more about Crimson Coaching’s college counseling services, please feel free to drop me a line here or schedule a complimentary consultation here.  (Please make sure you schedule a time when both you and your child can be present.)

‘Til then, happy course selecting!