As I wrote in the blog about “College Admission Requirements,” one of the key college admission factors that sophomores and juniors can still manage in addition to their SAT scores is the course schedule they create for their next academic year. Thispost provides some information to keep in mind, when choosing next year’s classes.

Take as many honors, AP, IB and college-credit courses (often offered through local colleges) as reasonable for you to be successful. Many colleges take weighted GPAs for determining admission, so if your high school weights GPAs, a “B+” in AP US History is often going to strengthen your college application more than an “A” in regular high school history. In addition, many competitive colleges provide their own “weights” to courses considered to be college-level. Therefore, taking more advanced courses can help a student twice in the admissions process – i.e., both in the high school GPA and the college admissions review of your high school transcript.

Here’s a breakdown of recommendations by subject area:

• Complete a minimum of four years of English.
• Complete four years of mathematics. (These courses should become more challenging junior and senior year. If possible, move on to trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus, statistics, etc.)
• Complete at least three years of social science (history, government, social studies, psychology, economics, etc.).
• Take three years of laboratory science. (Preferred courses include: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, AP courses in any of the aforementioned.)
• Complete at least three years of a foreign language. (Four or five years will really make you stand out.)

If you are not sure which courses are best for you, talk with family, friends and high school staff, especially your guidance counselor, about your college plans and courses that they recommend.

Tags: College Admissions, SAT Prep, SAT Preparation, SAT Scores