The Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan is a non-profit serving Michigan's 15 public universities. Its primary mission is to advocate higher education as a public good and promote its collective value in serving public interest. The organization may focus specifically on higher education in Michigan but its perspectives and advice are relevant to all students and families nationwide.
EduGuide asked the Presidents Council about the courses students should take in high school, why they're important to success and what students should expect to learn from them.
Here’s the inside scoop:
Math
More than any other subject, colleges will pay special attention to how high you go in math when deciding whether to enroll you and whether to admit you to the many college programs that require strong math skills. Higher math skills will also give you far more job options in fields ranging from manufacturing to business, and science to technology.
Go as high as you can on the recommended course list. If you can take extra math courses beyond the U-Prep list, go for it. The most useful would likely be an introduction to probability and statistics.
You should also take math every year. Those who skip a year or slack off as seniors get rusty. Most will have to pay to redo high school math in college without even getting credit for it.
Science
A good understanding of science will not only help you better understand how things work, it will open the doors to jobs in engineering, technology and health care.
Four years of science will better prepare you for college level work. Each one adds value; students who stopped taking science after Biology and Chemistry scored much lower on the ACT college entrance exams than those who also took Physics. Look for yearlong courses that will help you develop greater mastery in a subject.
English
Success in college requires the ability to read and listen critically and to express your own ideas in writing and in speech. It’s also fundamental to most careers. Take English all four years. Students who skip it senior year often have to make it up when they get to college.
One important skill is reading critically. It includes the ability to recognize an author’s assumptions, intentions and message. You should learn to use critical reading skills with a wide variety of literature — both fiction and non-fiction — from different cultural perspectives and in different formats: from novels to essays to instructional texts and beyond. You should also learn to evaluate the credibility of Internet, media and other research sources.
Another key skill is writing clearly. You should learn to master spelling, grammar and sentence structure to convey your thoughts accurately. College courses will include lots of writing. Prepare now by taking courses and doing projects that give you plenty of practice with the writing process. That includes collecting and organizing information, developing a thesis, and preparing an outline of what you want to say. It also includes writing multiple drafts of a paper, editing, reorganizing, and rewriting your work. Like exercise, the more you do and the better coaching you get, the stronger you will grow.
These communication skills are also important in the way you listen and speak. By training yourself to listen carefully, to ask critical questions and to take well-organized notes, you’ll be able to learn and do more. Similarly, by learning to express your ideas concisely you’ll gain more influence and clearer relationships.
Social Studies
History and the social sciences will give you new ways of understanding your world. You’ll learn how past events influence the present and see how different cultures have contributed to our world. You’ll also learn how political, economic and social conditions relate to each other, and how to participate in a democracy.
Foreign Language
Language shapes the way people think and see the world. By studying a language other than English, you’ll gain a better understanding of different worldviews and a fresh perspective on American language and culture. In a global economy, you’ll also pick up a skill that can open more jobs and promotions to you.
More colleges are requiring proficiency in a foreign language as a requirement for earning a degree. That’s why you should aim for mastery in one foreign language rather than dabbling in several. Study extra hard and you may even test out of your college’s requirement. Experiencing another culture first hand is another good way to address this goal.
Other Ideas
Beyond the Core Courses, the Presidents Council encourages you to use additional time to take courses or get experience in the arts and information technology. The fine and performing arts will not only give you new ways to express yourself and to enjoy life, they will also teach you more about the creative process, which will fuel your pursuit of other subjects. Knowing information technology is now a standard expectation at colleges where students use computers regularly for tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, and Internet research.