Many school leaders and counselors are looking to encourage and inspire students to take more rigorous coursework for a number of really important reasons. But, many of the more rigorous options come with prerequisites and prior learning needs to be eligible for access and to be successful in more difficult classes. This means that it takes foresight and planning within a four year academic calendar to include the more advanced courses within a student’s schedule. If schools, students, and families don’t map out a four year academic plan, students may not take the proper steps necessary to enroll in advanced courses, such as IB, AP, and dual enrollment offerings. 

When students have a clear picture of their four year journey, they can make decisions about which classes make sense in a sequence–accounting for their current and future interests. With the growing movement toward pathways, increases in career and technical education courses, and changes to block and A/B scheduling, navigating a course catalog can be intense. Creating an academic plan that spans four years sets students up for success in a way that year-over-year planning cannot achieve. Below, we outline three of the major advantages, but using an academic planning strategy has limitless advantages for students as they strive to reach their postsecondary goals. 

The Advantages for Accessing Advanced Coursework 

Taking advanced courses is an excellent way for students to challenge themselves, develop their critical thinking skills, and demonstrate their academic abilities to colleges and universities. Remember, college admissions committees are looking for indicators that a student can successfully complete the coursework at their institution rather than having to take remedial courses first. Having nationally recognized programs such as AP and IB coursework on a student’s transcript sends a clear message to college admissions committees about a student’s intent, the level of effort they’re willing to put forth, and their academic mindset. 

Proactively enrolling in these types of courses can provide students with a competitive edge in the college admissions process. However, it’s important to note that many schools require prerequisite courses before students can take AP or IB classes. As an example, students may be required to complete a sequence of Algebra I, Honors Algebra II, Honors Geometry, Physical Science, and Honors Biology before applying to take IB courses in their junior and senior years. Without the proper planning, students may not have the correct sequence to enter into the upper level courses, preventing them from benefiting from the advantages associated with taking these courses and displaying them on the transcript. This is why a four-year plan, created at the end of 8th grade, for the way that students will experience high school is such a critical need, especially for students who know that they want to go to selective or highly selective colleges or programs. 

The Advantages for Mapping Course Sequences

Effective academic planning empowers students to craft not only a cohesive learning experience during their high school years but also tell a narrative through their course selection. This is a way to showcase one’s interests, strengths, and academic growth over time. By mapping out courses in advance, students can intentionally build a sequence of classes that aligns with the future that they want for themselves. 

These are examples of intentional course sequences, which tell a story about each of these students and their interests. It’s worth noting that no matter how students go about choosing courses, the courses will ultimately tell a story about their high school courses selection and prior academic experiences. The important point about planning is that some courses have to fall in a certain order. One cannot take AP Chemistry without taking Chemistry first. 

This means that counselors, students, and families must pay close attention to the prerequisite courses in early grades. Without them, it’s not possible to advance to the associated upper level courses later, which takes a four-year plan to do. It’s also true that schools do not always have the capacity or student interest to offer certain courses every year. For example, AP Biology may only be offered every other year; this means that students would not only have to plan to take the prerequisite coursework but may also need to do so before their junior year rather than their senior year. 

Finally, consider how elective classes like Speech and Debate or Engineering might complement the narrative. These courses can communicate an even more specific program interest to admissions officers and can also help students to stand out among other applicants. Whether it’s climbing through a specific sequence to get to an upper level course or adding courses to the transcript that might not otherwise fit, it takes a solid four-year plan to get to this level of specificity and outcome. This type of planning can be the difference between a student getting into their first choice college and program or not. 

The Advantages for Earning Dual-Credit 

One of the most significant benefits of proactive academic planning is that it enables students to earn college credit while still in high school. Dual-enrollment and articulated courses (on campus and virtually), potentially save money and time, but students must make sure that they complete all of the eligibility requirements ahead of time. By taking dual enrollment courses, students can get a jump start on their college education, providing greater preparation than other courses while killing two birds with one student–acquiring credits for high school graduation requirements and gaining transferable credits for college course completion. 

The landscape for dual enrollment options has evolved, especially with the increase in virtual options for students who do not have a local university partner to attend in-person. Virtual options also allow for more flexibility to ensure that students are able to balance the demands of both school schedules. The ability to just stack these classes onto existing schedules or fit them into a course sequence often requires surgical precision and won’t happen by chance. If students want to work their way up to earning college credit before graduating high school, they should develop a plan for all four years of their high school experience to make sure that it occurs.  

Conclusion: The Nuances of Academic Planning 

The news is not all dim and grim for students who realize that they want to take a unique course before graduation but who didn’t plan it out. There are certainly ways for counselors and administrators to get creative with schedules to include courses that students didn’t anticipate needing or wanting. But, to maximize the value of a quality course catalog, pathways in high school, and a transcript that stands out, a four-year plan is an important tool.  

There are many nuances associated with this type of planning that should also be noted. Inevitably, we get the question from both counselors and families about students who are doing long-range planning for their academic choices and life goals but who don’t know what they want to do after high school. There are two answers to this question. The first is simple; the second is a bit more complex. 

First, taking a bunch of classes that students don’t end up liking is as informative as finding a path of interest and staying the course. Taking courses in a subject that you hate can save tons of money and years in a college major that doesn’t pan out. Second, students should have access to college and career planning tools as early as elementary school. Through interest surveys and other tools, students can learn a great deal about themselves and what they want to be and do along the way. That’s not always the case, but it’s an evolving landscape in schools, and it’s one that we’re excited to see grow. 

Finally, we know that finding time to create a four-year academic plan for every student can be daunting for counselors who are already overwhelmed and overworked. That’s why we also support the use of online academic planning tools that make the process of planning for four years of coursework that much easier for counselors and their students.