Courses
Like everything else on this site, courses will vary from school to school. It’s important that you know what you’re going to be taking in order to best use this page. Different types of courses have different benefits, and the first step in being prepared for them is knowing what you’ll be taking. You can use this page to see what you're in for if you’re taking a specific class, or to explore your options and see if you want to take a class that's available to you.
On this page you’ll find basic descriptions on each type of course, along with what to expect when taking them, what they look like on college applications, and a bit of our personal experience and advice.
Honors
By Aisha Baiocchi
A lot of high schools offer honors classes, some even have most of their classes that aren’t APs, listed as honors. Honors courses are a lot like APs, IB, or even college courses: they’re accelerated courses that go more in depth and are more challenging. Unlike APs or IB, there is no bigger organization that honors courses are connected to, which means there’s no big test at the end of the year aside from your final. This also means that what’s in the course can really vary depending on your school or even teacher.
Opting to take honors courses and doing well looks good on college applications. In some schools they are weighted differently when calculating GPA and colleges will take this into account. Even if your school doesn't weigh honors courses differently, they’re known as challenging courses and if you do well and decide to take them throughout high school you show colleges that you’re an ambitious and motivated student.
Some honors courses at certain have grade requirements, and you’re eligible and find yourself unsure as to whether or not to enroll, consider everything. Think about whether you would perform significantly better in the regular version of the course, and also think about whether or not going in depth into the subject interests you.
My Experience
I go to a school where every course that isn’t an AP or an elective is an honors course. Going into high school this was really intimidating, but after three years of taking almost exclusively honors courses I’ve found that it’s really not that bad. For me, it was about adjusting to the workload and staying organized. After freshman year I had a good grasp on how to handle challenging courses and felt ready to take APs and college courses as well. I was nervous about the amount of work, but I shouldn’t have underestimated how adaptable I am, and you shouldn’t be either.
APs
By Marisol Fraguada
Advanced Placement courses (APs) are classes whose curriculum is standardized by the college board and taught all over the country. The College Board is the administration that collects test scores from high schoolers that helps them get into college. There are 38 different courses in subjects like math, history, foreign language and more. AP classes are generally more advanced than another course that’s offered by your high school in the same subject, and they match the level of material that’s taught in a first year college course. Your teacher finishes covering AP material before the typical end of the school year, so you’ll be prepared to take the AP exam, usually at the start of May. Earning a good grade in an AP class looks good on your transcript, and can show admissions officers you’re prepared to handle the workload that comes with college. Because they’re harder, AP courses are weighted differently on your transcript, the same way honors classes count for more. When it comes to scholarships, many schools look to a student’s AP experience as a good sign. If you score well enough on the AP exam (usually a 4 or 5) you may be able to get college credit, which translates to one less class you have to pay for. In some cases, you can bypass an entire semester, but some schools do not accept any AP credits. If it’s important to you that APs translate to college credit, check each school you apply to for their policy on AP credit. And even if you don’t get credit towards your degree, AP courses can get you college placement during high school, allowing you to take more challenging, interesting courses. If in high school, you take the classes that are both interesting and manageable, they’re a great investment in the future of your education.
My Experience
Personally, I’ve only taken AP Spanish after having 3 years of introductory classes. In my opinion it’s been easier because, as in most AP foreign language classes, it’s less about learning the mechanics of the language and more about how to apply it in situations you’re already familiar with, like writing about the news. I considered taking AP bio but didn’t. The sciences tend to be very hands on and lab-heavy, so it was the right choice for me. I’m not taking any social studies APs currently, but I’ve heard that classes like AP Government and History are difficult but manageable.
IB
By Megan Ortiz
The international baccalaureate (IB) is a 2 year program offered at some high schools to students between 16-19. It is typically taken from Junior to Senior year. The IB consists of 6 subject exam courses, ToK, CAS, and an extended essay.
The 6 subject exams are the classes you normally take (ex. history, english, and math) also including an elective which differs from school to school these courses are either Standard Level (SL) or Higher Level (HL). Examples of electives are world religion, visual arts, and theatre arts. Theory of Knowledge (ToK) is a required course for the IB program, it is an epistemology class which is essentially just explaining how we know the things we know. CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, and Service it’s the activities you do outside of school work. Like painting a picture in your free time, playing basketball on a sports team, and volunteering are acceptable CAS activities, in order to count them you have to write a reflection about them. Lastly is the extended essay where you are given the 2 years to prepare for. Although it does sound daunting it is an essay of your choice and your school does provide you with help throughout the 2 years. At the end of your 2 years you will take IB exams which are exams on the curriculum you learned in your time taking IB. The exams are graded from 1-7, in order to get the diploma you must get a cumulative score of at least 24. The IB curriculum consists of college level courses, so they can be challenging and time consuming at times. It is also important to remember that you can receive certificates for the classes you pass, if you are unable to get the diploma. When talking about colleges, the degree or certificates you get are internationally known so they can help with applying to schools outside of the U.S and are recognized by many Ivy League schools.
My Experience
I haven’t had a bad experience in the IB program, I’m just finishing my first year. The work was a lot more fast paced and dense than I had originally anticipated. I’m not the most organized person which made finals more difficult. The most challenging part for me is keeping up with CAS and the extended essay as it is extra work outside of the school day. My advice if you are in the IB program is to be organized and figure out a studying method that works for you. Also, be kind to yourself, IB is difficult but you need to take time for yourself
College Classes
By Aisha Baiocchi
A lot of schools offer the option of taking college classes to upperclassmen and sometimes even before that. Taking a college class during high school is a great chance to see how you manage a college courseload and to experiment with subjects you’re interested in. If you have the chance to take these courses with actual college students (sometimes programs like College Now provide classes taught by professors but to classes made up of high schoolers), it’s a great chance to get a sense of what will be expected of you in a college learning environment. Performing well in these classes may not factor into your GPA, depending on your school’s policies, but they definitely stand out to the colleges you apply to, as they show what kind of student you will be in the future.
Though most universities have some sort of program, often during the summer, that lets high school students take their courses, taking them through your school is a great opportunity. The programs offered through individual colleges and universities, often called “Pre-College programs,” can be fun and interesting, but they’re also typically selective and require a large commitment (with some even requiring you stay in their dorms). One reason to do them would be to show interest in a particular school, because where you attend the program is seen on your college application. Doing college courses through your school means that they’re free except for the cost of materials, which isn’t always included. Pre-college programs carry hefty fees and though some have scholarships, they’re usually highly selective and need based. They also show that you can manage a college course load on top of whatever classes you already take.
My Experience
I’ve taken two college courses through my school, both at Lehman College. The first one was a College Now class, meaning it was a class full of high schoolers taught by a college professor. The workload was manageable and the content was easy to understand, so I signed up for another the next semester. This time I got a level three (which is meant for college Juniors) real class on Latino Literature. The class itself was amazing, and I loved my professor, but the readings were really long and it was a lot of work. I learned a lot, but in the future I will definitely check the level of the class I’m signing up for, because it was a lot to manage.