Planning for your years in and immediately after high school will involve some of the most important decisions you ever make. Several equally important factors should influence your decisions about the courses you sign up for during the registration process. These factors include your interests and talents, requirements for graduation and honors programs, career and vocational opportunities, and available course offerings. One of the first decisions a student has to make as an incoming freshman or review as an upperclassman is whether you intend to prepare for a 4-year college education or a one or two year community college education after your high school career. Preparing for a college or university education requires taking different courses from preparing for further study at a community college or technical institute.
If you are a student planning to attend a four year college or university, you should sign up for courses recommended by university standards. Although standards vary for different four-year institutions, some general guidelines apply. The four year college or university places emphasis on a student’s GPA, class rank and SAT score when considering a student for admission. The admissions office also reviews the course of study a student has taken in high school. They expect a student to take college preparatory or honors or AP English courses, as well as advanced mathematics and science courses. The sixteen schools constituent to the University of North Carolina System have established course requirements, which are specifically stated in a later section.
If you are a student planning to attend a community college or technical institute to further your education after high school, sign up for courses in the career cluster area that you have identified for yourself. If you change your mind about any aspect of your future plans, guidance counselors can help you decide which courses best meet your needs.