3 Steps to ROCK Your Course Schedule

By Quetzal Mama • March 14, 2017

2017 Copyright Roxanne Ocampo

            If you’d like to plan your course schedule for awesome admission results, just ask me what I’m doing with my own kids.  I’ve got a current Freshman in high school and I already sent 2 of my other children to America’s most selective universities.  Since we just submitted Emilio’s course schedule this morning, I wanted to share 3 tips we used to set him up for success.  Follow these steps to be on track for your #collegedreams.

            Step 1 – the Basics.  This step is a no-brainer, must-do step.  It’s also a 2-part step, so pay attention!  First, check your state’s college preparatory requirements for admission.  Make sure your courses are aligned with these requirements.  Note that different states have different requirements, and they may call these “minimum admission requirements” by different names.  In California, we call them “A-G” requirements.  In Texas they have the “College Readiness Standards” as part of their “Uniform Admission Policy.”  In Washington they refer to these as “College Academic Distribution Requirements.”

            Second, align your coursework with your high school’s graduation requirements.  You can find this on your school’s website (hint, it’s usually on the counseling page).  Remember, you can’t just meet your states minimum college admission requirements and forget to graduate high school!  Gotta do both.  If you have questions, schedule an appointment with your counselor. #DoubleStrategy

            Step 2 – Your Major.  Picture this:  faculty reps serving on the admissions committee are reviewing your application.  Uh oh.  Big red flag.  You stated your intended major was Engineering.  But, none of your coursework reflects an interest in engineering nor coursework that top engineering schools want to see.  In this scenario, you gotta have courses aligned with your major.  AP Physics is a great example for engineering majors.  Here are a few additional examples.  Political Science major?  Take AP US History and/or AP Econ/Government.  Math major?  Take AP Calculus.  But what if you don’t know what you’ll be majoring in?  No problem.  Take the most rigorous coursework you can that showcases the core classes – spanning English, math, science, and world language. #SafeBet

            Step 3 – Rigor Baby!  Yep, you’re now on track for your graduation requirements and your state’s minimum college admission requirements.  But, what if your goal is to get admitted to a selective college?  Maybe UCLA?  Maybe Duke.  How about Georgetown?  Then you’ve got to step up your game.  That means, you want to take as many Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses as possible.  Don’t forget to refer back to Step #2 (courses aligned with your major).  #UpYourGame

            Now that you’ve got 3 great strategies to plan your course schedule, don’t forget Quetzal Mama’s cautionary “tightrope strategy” advice.  I don’t want you to plan too many difficult courses that may compromise your overall GPA.  Stay on path by balancing coursework that doesn’t place you at risk to fall off track!  It’s better to get a B in AP Physics (versus regular Physics), but it’s not a smart strategy to start getting C grades in all the tough classes.  #Balance

            Good luck in planning next year’s course schedules.  If this article helped you in some way, please like it!  You can also find related tips and strategies in my book, “How to Raise Latino Superstars and Get into the Best Colleges.”  If you’d like to bring Quetzal Mama to your community for an exclusive presentation, or my signature College Boot Camp, hit me up at quetzalmama@gmail.com.

Suerte!  Quetzal Mama