Course selection can be stressful, especially if you become focused on external factors—what classes will look best on your transcript or the age old question of whether you are better off getting an A in a regular course or a B in an AP/IB course.
Instead, try to look inward first, and use your course selections to foster your own growth and development during high school!
Seek Courses That Are Appropriately Challenging
To make the most of your high school experience, seek out classes that are appropriately challenging and (ideally) of interest to you—classes that will motivate you to work to the best of your ability and achieve at the highest level possible.
The operative word here is appropriately, because you don’t want to find yourself in a class that is so challenging and time-consuming that it jeopardizes your ability to enjoy and do well in your other courses. Seek to create a balance of challenging courses in which you can both grow and excel.
Play to Your Strengths – And Those of Your School
The course selection process is a good time to assess your academic strengths as well as the quality of the curriculum and teaching at your school.
Focus on these known factors to build a course schedule where ideally you will be appropriately challenged and have the opportunity to interact with some of the most effective teachers at your school, one of whom might inspire your course of study in college (or write a letter of recommendation for you when you are ready to apply).
Ask yourself whether you might wish to pursue an engineering or business (or other specialized academic) program and what courses—advanced science or math or electives—will help you along this path. Maybe you would enjoy doubling up on math or science? Or maybe you enjoy the social sciences or humanities and can push yourself by taking AP Literature or HL Psychology?
Focus on Self-Reflection, Learning, and Growth
Approach your course selection as an opportunity for self-reflection.
Think about the subject areas you most enjoy and opportunities that will foster learning and growth—this will help you choose classes where you feel challenged, engaged, and motivated.
This won’t always result in straight As, but it should maximize your ability to be successful academically and experience quality interaction with teachers—all of which will help you to make the most of your high school experience.
You can’t change the reality that some of your peers are probably taking more APs/IBs than you and/or earning more As/7s than you. But you can create a schedule that plays to your academic strengths and interests, a schedule that fosters academic growth and success specifically for you. This signals to colleges that you are an engaged student with a drive to seek out and rise to a challenge, and that you will take advantage of resources and opportunities in college, when provided the opportunity to do so.
So, is it better to get an A in a regular course, or a B in an AP/IB course?
Like many aspects of college advising, the answer is “It depends.” But more often than not, taking the AP/IB course and risking the B is better than not taking the AP/IB course and skating by with an A and no rigor. If you don’t try, you’ll never know if you could have actually gotten an A in that AP course, which is the best outcome you could hope for.
What about IB Diploma programs?
For students in IB diploma programs, the question is often a bit different: Is it better to get a 4/5 in an HL course or a 6/7 in an SL course?
First and foremost, it’s important to note that most colleges consider IB courses to have the same rigor as AP courses, regardless of their SL/HL designations.
This is where self-reflection and playing to your strengths really come in handy. Your HL/SL selections should set you up to showcase your areas of interest and hone your strongest academic skills. If you choose your strongest subjects as your HL courses, you maximize your chances of earning 6s and 7s across all your HL and SL selections.
Love math and science? Focus your HL courses on Math, Physics, Chemistry, or Biology.
Gunning for a top engineering program? Math and Physics HL are essential selections.
Top business programs also prefer to see Math HL along with Economics or Business (if offered).
Planning for art/design or music school? Take HL Art or Music.
More interested in social sciences? Go for HL Psychology, Economics, Geography, or History.
Aspiring humanities students should focus on HL English, Foreign Languages, or Philosophy.