How do I choose my high school classes?
Picking a freshman-year schedule can feel like guessing — here's how to actually think about it, four years out.
In order to graduate, students are usually required to take four years of English, three years of science, three years of math, three years of social studies/history, and two to four years of a world language. However, this is just the minimum, and on average, selective colleges — especially highly selective ones — expect you to go above and beyond, taking four years of English, math, science, social studies, and world language. No, you don't have to do that, but taking four years of each subject is a straightforward and surefire way for your college application to be considered by admissions committees all over, especially more selective ones.
At those highly selective colleges, around 75% of applicants are deemed "academically admissible," but academically admissible is not the same as being accepted. Those same colleges typically have an acceptance rate closer to 7.5%, not 75%. So if you're aiming for a highly selective school, it's essentially required to go further than the minimum graduating requirements.
What selective colleges actually recommend
Here are the recommended courses for 11 of the most selective colleges in the U.S., pulled directly from each school's own admissions website:
| College | English | Math | Science | Social studies | World language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 4 yrs | 4 yrs | 4 yrs | 2–3 yrs | 4 yrs |
| Yale | No specific year targets. Yale's guidance is just to take a course "each year" in each core area. | ||||
| Princeton | 4 yrs | 4 yrs | 2+ yrs | 2+ yrs | 4 yrs |
| Brown | 4 yrs | 4 yrs | 3–4 yrs | 3–4 yrs | 3–4 yrs |
| Dartmouth | 4 yrs | 4 yrs | 3 yrs | 3 yrs | 3 yrs |
| Columbia | 4 yrs | 4 yrs | 3–4 yrs | 3–4 yrs | 3–4 yrs |
| Penn | No specific year targets. Penn just asks for consistent coursework in core areas across all four years. | ||||
| Cornell | 4 yrs | 3 yrs | 3 yrs | Not specified | 3 yrs |
| UChicago | 4 yrs | 3–4 yrs | 3–4 yrs | 3+ yrs | 2–3 yrs |
| MIT | No specific year targets. MIT organizes around math, science, and humanities/arts/social sciences broadly, and says outright: "There are no specific high school courses in these fields that we require." | ||||
| Stanford | 4 yrs | 4 yrs | 3+ yrs | 3+ yrs | 3+ yrs |
A few things worth knowing about this table: Cornell's numbers are for the College of Arts & Sciences specifically — other Cornell colleges (like Engineering) recommend more. Columbia's numbers are for Columbia College — Columbia Engineering wants a full 4 years of science instead. And Harvard's history range comes straight from their own wording: "at least two years, and preferably three."
Table idea via College Essay Guy's writeup on choosing high school courses — worth a read. The numbers above were independently verified against each college's own admissions page as of August 2026.
Even social studies and history, the most controversial recommendation, is a subject that's still strongly recommended for all four years, considering the list above was only a sample of the 2,500+ four-year colleges in the U.S.
At the same time, it's important to keep in mind that colleges only assess your courses and schedule based on what's offered at your school, so don't worry if your schedule looks slightly different than the one above.
AP (Advanced Placement), Honors, and IB (International Baccalaureate) classes
Is it better to get an A in a regular class, or a B in an AP/Honors/IB class?
Let's be real — neither an A nor a B is a terrible grade, and both tend to be signs of strong academic commitment, as well as strong retention of course material, at most colleges.
So because of that, our advice would be: if you think you can maintain a B in an Honors/AP/IB class, that's generally a good sign that you're capable of tackling the material and level of challenge. C's and below are typically when admissions committees begin to raise eyebrows. With that said, getting a B is fine, and can be an opportunity for growth if you improve it to an A, since most colleges are looking for commitment and academic growth, not perfect people.
In fact, multiple studies show that embracing more challenging courses can help students develop intellectual curiosity and certain important life skills. So not only are these courses appealing to colleges, but they can also help improve your quality of life long-term.
In short
Build your schedule around things that interest you, while doing your best to incorporate course rigor. Yes, colleges look for A's and 4.0 GPAs, but they also look for academic maturity, growth, and overall commitment — so throw a couple of challenging courses in there and see where they take you. Be courageous, embrace not knowing everything, and just remember: one B is not the end of your life, so don't stress about it.