A core objective of this college admissions blog is to demystify the elite college admissions process and debunk common misconceptions — misconceptions so often perpetuated by high school counselors, teachers, parents, students, the press, and the local police chief. Today, we’d like to debunk a misconception in a recent US News & World Report piece, a piece which even has a slightly misleading title: “Use College Goals to Choose High School Senior Year Courses.” So why is the article by Brian Witte and Tiffany Sorensen a tad misleading?

Electives are No Substitute For Core Subjects

Because if a student is seeking to earn admission to an elite university, they can’t take electives in lieu of courses in core subjects. The core subjects, of course, are English, social studies, math, science, and foreign language. For instance, a student may aspire to major in computer science in college. That’s wonderful (or not so much, in light of the rise of AI)! But that student should not replace any core subject with computer science. Don’t get us wrong — we love computer science. However, from an elite college admissions standpoint, computer science doesn’t count as a science. When you think of science, think of biology, chemistry, and physics. Not ecology. Not environmental science. Not computer science. And while these are great classes to take in addition to the core subjects, they should not be taken in place of the core subjects.

Senior Year of High School is Not the Time to Prepare for Your College Major

This, of course, is not made clear in the US News piece. Instead, the authors seem to imply that students should craft their senior year schedules around what they hope to major in while in college. And while we at Ivy Coach are all about a singular hook, such course selections cannot be chosen instead of core subjects. Put it this way: even if a student is a future computer scientist, she can’t take computer science instead of a foreign language. No way! From a college admissions standpoint, computer science is not the same as English. It’s not social studies. It’s not math. It’s not science. And it’s not a foreign language. It’s a great class to take if a student is already enrolled in these five core subjects; however, admissions officers prefer to see a CS class paired with a science class. Got it?

Take Every Core Subject All Four Years. Or Kiss the Ivies Goodbye

The importance of taking all core subjects all four years of high school is underscored by a look at any top school’s recommended curriculum to prepare for the academic rigor of campus. Take, for example, Harvard University’s recommended curriculum for prospective applicants:

• The study of English for four years: close and extensive reading of the classics of the world’s literature
• Four years of a single foreign language
• The study of history for at least two years, and preferably three years: American history, European history, and one additional advanced history course
• The study of mathematics for four years.
• The study of science for four years: physics, chemistry, and biology, and preferably one of these at an advanced level
• Frequent practice in the writing of expository prose

And just in case we haven’t made ourselves clear enough on this point: two or three years of a core subject (like social studies, in this case) is simply not sufficient, even if your prospective college suggests it’s the bare minimum. Four years is non-negotiable, and any student who assumes that colleges won’t penalize them for taking less than four years of all four subjects will learn the hard way when they wind up with a rejection letter.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance With Choosing the Best Curriculum for Elite College Admissions

At Ivy Coach, we are well-versed in selecting the most strategic courses in middle and high school to optimize our students’ chances of admission to their dream schools. Our team of former elite college admissions officers will work with you and your child to clear through all of the misguided advice and well-meaning but harmful helping hands when it comes to course selection. To get started, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch with an outline of our services.