Select Subjects That Strengthen Your College Application
The time to choose your subjects in school is a very important and a very difficult time. It can feel like a huge decision that will change the rest of your life. And it is. Your grades, your activities, and your subject choices are all a part of your story. When you apply to a college, you are telling the college a story about yourself. A good story is a story that has a strong plot, a clear main idea, and a lot of good details.
Your subjects are the roadmap for your college application. A college is looking for a student who is ready for a challenge, who has a passion for learning, and who has a good idea of what they want to do in the future. In this article, we will take a deep dive into how to select subjects that strengthen your college application. We will explore the different subjects that are important for a college application, the subjects that show your passion, and a few simple tips on how to make a good choice that will help you to get into the college of your dreams.
The Big Picture: What Colleges Look For
Before you start thinking about your subjects, you should first understand what colleges are looking for. A college is not just looking for a student who has good grades. They are looking for a student who is well-rounded and who has a story to tell.
A college is looking for:
- Academic Rigor: A college wants to see that you have challenged yourself. They want to see that you have taken hard classes, and that you have done well in them.
- A Passion for Learning: A college wants to see that you are not just a good student but that you are a student who loves to learn. They want to see that you have a passion for a subject or a field.
- A Good Fit: A college wants to see that you are a good fit for their school. They want to see that you have a passion for their major and that you have the skills to succeed.
- A Story to Tell: A college wants to see that you are more than just your grades. They want to see that you have a story to tell, a story of your passion, your hard work, and your dreams.
Your subject choices are a key part of this story.
The Foundation: Strong Core Subjects
The core subjects are the foundation of any college application. They are the subjects that are required for a student to take, and they are a way for a college to see that you have a good academic foundation. A student who has a good grade in a core subject is a student who is more likely to be a good student in college.
- English: A good grade in English is very important for any major. It shows that you are a good writer, a good reader, and a good communicator. These skills are a crucial part of every college major.
- Math: A good grade in math is very important for a lot of majors, especially for STEM majors. It shows that you are a good problem-solver and a good critical thinker. You should take a lot of math classes, including advanced math classes, to show a college that you are ready for a challenge.
- Science: A good grade in science is very important for a lot of majors, especially for STEM and healthcare majors. It shows that you are a good critical thinker and that you have a good understanding of how the world works. You should take a lot of science classes, including biology, chemistry, and physics.
- Social Studies and History: A good grade in social studies and history is very important for a lot of majors, especially for a humanities major. It shows that you are a good reader and a good writer. It also shows that you have a good understanding of the world and of the people who live in it.
The core subjects are the foundation of your application. You should work hard to get a good grade in all of them.
The Edge: Advanced and Challenging Subjects
To make your application stand out from the crowd, you have to show a college that you have challenged yourself. You have to show them that you are ready for a college-level work.
- Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors Classes: AP and honors classes are a great way to do this. They are more advanced and more challenging than a regular class. When you get a good grade in an AP or an honors class, you are showing a college that you are ready for a challenge. A good grade in an AP class can also get you a college credit, which can save you a lot of money.
- The Right Electives: Your elective subjects are a great way to show a college that you have a passion for a specific field. If you want to be a computer programmer, you should take a computer science class. If you want to be a painter, you should take an art class. A college wants to see that you are not just a good student but that you have a passion.
The subjects that you take can give you an edge over the other students.
The Career Path: Matching Subjects to a Major
To make a good choice, you should think about the career that you want and the subjects that are important for it.
For a STEM Major
If you want to have a future in a STEM field, you should take a lot of math and science subjects. The subjects that are important for this career path are:
- Advanced Math: Calculus, statistics, and other advanced math classes.
- Science: Physics, chemistry, and biology.
- Computer Science: A computer science class is a must for a future in a STEM field.
For a Humanities Major
If you want to have a future in a humanities major, you should take a lot of English and social studies subjects. The subjects that are important for this career path are:
- English: A lot of advanced English classes.
- History: A lot of history and social studies classes.
- Foreign Language: A foreign language is a great way to show a college that you are a well-rounded student.
For a Business Major
If you want to have a future in business, you should take a lot of math and business subjects. The subjects that are important for this career path are:
- Math: A lot of advanced math classes.
- Economics: Economics is a crucial subject for a future in business.
- Business Studies: Business studies is a great subject to learn how a company is run.
The Final Decision: A Balance of Challenge and Passion
The final decision is to make a choice. You should look at all the information you have gathered, and you should make a choice that is a good fit for you. But you should also find a balance. A student who has a good balance of challenge and passion is a student who is more likely to be successful.
- Challenge Yourself: You should take a few challenging classes to show a college that you are ready for a college-level work.
- Follow Your Passion: You should also take a few classes that you are passionate about. This will help you to be a happier person and will make your application more interesting.
A student who has a good balance of both challenge and passion is a student who will stand out from the crowd.
Tips for Making a Smart Choice
- Tip 1: Talk to a School Counselor. Your school counselor has a lot of resources for students who are trying to choose their subjects.
- Tip 2: Research a College’s Requirements. You should look at the websites of the colleges you are interested in and you should find out what subjects they require.
- Tip 3: The Power of a Good Grade. You should not take a hard class if you are going to get a bad grade. A good grade in a regular class is better than a bad grade in an advanced class.
- Tip 4: The Power of a Good Story. The subjects you choose are a part of your story. You should choose subjects that will help you to tell a good story.
Conclusion
Your subject choices are a powerful tool for your future career. They are a roadmap that can help you to be a happier and a more successful person. By knowing what a college is looking for, by taking strong core subjects, and by challenging yourself with advanced and elective subjects, you can make a good choice that will set you up for a successful future. The subjects you choose are a key part of your story, and you should choose them wisely.



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