Course Selection Guidelines

With college on the horizon, Baylor freshmen, sophomores, and juniors need to be reminded that their course selections for high school will be of primary importance in the selective college admission process; poor planning at this point could shut students out when final cuts are made.

  • A student’s Baylor transcript should show a commitment to rigorous academics, escalating from year to year in academic difficulty and culminating in a senior year with at least four solid academic courses plus electives.
  • Students should take the most demanding courses for which their teachers have recommended them.
  • Selective colleges expect to see seniors stretching themselves academically to demonstrate their seriousness about college, to enhance their academic performance, and to assure their success at the college level.
  • Students are strongly encouraged to exceed the Baylor graduation requirements with four years of mathematics, four years of science, and three or more years of foreign language. Many moderately selective university's now require three years of foreign language of its applicants. The Most Selective institutions routinely see applicants with four years in foreign language, mathematics and science.
  • Many colleges recalculate a high school student’s gpa and consider for admission only core academic courses which include English, foreign language, social studies, science, history, mathematics, and computer programming, but not Computer Applications.
  • Students can check a college’s recommended high school curriculum on-line.
  • Prospective Division I and II college athletes must post a gpa within the NCAA Qualifier Index Range; the NCAA bases the gpa calculation on 16 approved academic core courses (excluding any fine arts courses). Link to NCAA clearing house site  www.ncaaclearinghouse.net 

A CONTEXT FOR COURSE SELECTION:
KEEPING YOUR COLLEGE OPTIONS OPEN

Fiction And The Facts
1. I already know where I am going to college  1. College searches take surprising turns
2. I will be recruited for athletics; my sports stats are all that matter.            2. Prospective athletes must present test scores that fall within NCAA Clearinghouse guidelines.  To learn more and see which Baylor courses are approved by the NCAA, visit www.ncaaclearinghouse.net.
3. I am never going to use math or foreign language. 3. In a global economy, a diverse society, and a time of shifting employment, students should give serious attention to all academic areas.
4. Seniors are entitled to take it easy. 4. The Baylor transcript should show a commitment to rigorous academics, culminating in a senior year with a minimum of four core academic courses.
5. It is better to keep a 4.0 gpa than risk it with Honors or A.P. courses that their teachers have recommended for them. 5. Students should take the most challenging courses for which they have been recommended.

  • There is no absolute formula for college admission. The Recommended High School Curriculum above is a guideline, not a guarantee of admission.
  • Competitive college admission depends on meeting and even exceeding Baylor’s graduation requirements.
  • It is better to have a surplus rather than a deficit of core academic courses.
  • Students might add electives as sixth courses from time to time throughout high school.
  • The history requirement always includes US History or AP US History.