4 Year College Requirements

Although each 4-year college or university has slightly different admission requirements, there are some generalizations that can be made to help students plan. For Wisconsin colleges, the three (3) main entrance requirements include: 1) High School Coursework, 2) Class Rank, and 3) ACT or SAT Test.

Minimum High School Coursework*

• 17 credits (23 Credits are required for graduation from OCHS)

• The "traditional" course pathways will meet the 4 year college requirements

• Academic Core

  • English: 4 Credits - must include Literature and Composition classes

  • Math: 3 Credits - Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2

  • Science: 3 Credits - courses must have a theory and laboratory component (see course descriptions).

  • Social Studies: 3 Credits - History and Government

• Electives

  • Choose from “academic core” or World Language, Career & Technical, Fine Arts or Computer Science

  • UW Madison requires 2 years of World Language for admission

  • Some colleges accept vocational or technical courses as a part of this requirement

Class Rank

• Students in the top 50% of their class have the best chance of gaining admission to a Wisconsin college.

• However, some Wisconsin colleges require the top 35%. At some campuses, students in the top 35-50% are placed on a waiting list or may be denied admission.

ACT or SAT Test

• Students need to take either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) to be accepted into a four-year university.

• Students participating in state testing requirements will be taking the ACT in the spring of their junior year. They may take additional tests to meet college admissions requirements.

*Please be aware that these are guidelines only. It is a good idea to earn more than the minimum credits as some colleges have additional college prep requirements. In order to be more competitive at more selective schools, course rigor is very important to consider.