Course registration forms are sitting on your kitchen counter (or in your email inbox), and you’re staring at a grid of classes thinking: What’s the right choice here?
You’ve heard all the conflicting advice. Take more APs. Don’t overload. Show rigor. Follow your passion. Build a well-rounded transcript. Develop a spike.
And now you’re supposed to make decisions that will affect your kid’s college chances, their stress levels, and the next entire year of your life.
So let’s cut through the noise.
As a school counselor who averaged a caseload of 450, I’ve guided thousands of families through course selection. And the ones who make the best decisions are the ones who have a clear, practical action plan.
Today, I’m giving you that plan.
This isn’t theory. This isn’t “what colleges want in general.” This is a step-by-step guide for what to do right now with those course registration forms.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode below
Step 1: Pull Out Your School's Course Catalog
Before you make any decisions, you need to know what’s actually available.
Grab your school’s course catalog (usually online or in the registration packet) and look for:
✅ Graduation requirements — What does your student HAVE to take to graduate?
✅ Course prerequisites — What classes unlock other classes later?
✅ AP/Honors offerings — What advanced classes does your school offer?
✅ Elective options — What choices exist beyond core academics?
You can’t make smart choices if you don’t know the full landscape.
Pro tip: If your school has a course planning guide or “four-year plan” template, print it out. It’ll help you see the bigger picture.
Step 2: Lock In the Five Core Subjects
Your student needs a strong foundation in five core areas. This is non-negotiable.
For most students, that means:
English (4 years required for almost every college)
Math (through at least Precalculus for most competitive schools)
Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science—aim for 3-4 years with labs)
Social Studies (typically World History, US History, Civics, Government)
World Language (2 years minimum, 3-4 years preferred at selective schools)
Start here. Choose the appropriate level (regular, honors, or AP) in each of these five areas based on your student’s current performance and readiness.
Quick decision framework:
- If your student earned A’s and high B’s last year in a subject → consider stepping up to honors or AP
- If they struggled or felt overwhelmed → stay at the current level or step down
- If they’re bored and coasting → definitely step up
Don’t skip a core subject to add another elective. Colleges expect to see consistency across all four years.
Step 3: Evaluate Rigor Strategically (Not Emotionally)
Now that you’ve got the five core subjects locked in, let’s talk about rigor.
Remember: Rigor means challenging yourself strategically within the context of what your school offers.
Here’s how to evaluate whether you’re hitting the right level:
Ask These Questions:
1. How many AP/Honors classes does your school offer?
If your school offers 5 APs total, taking 2-3 over four years is solid.
If your school offers 20 APs, taking 2-3 total looks weak.
Context matters.
2. How many AP/Honors classes did your student take last year, and how did it go?
If they took 2 APs last year and thrived → they can probably handle 2-3 this year.
If they took 2 APs and barely survived → scale back.
3. What does “challenging but manageable” look like for YOUR kid?
Some students can handle 5 APs and still sleep 8 hours a night.
Others max out at 2 APs without burning out.
Know your kid. Don’t compare them to someone else’s kid.
The Magic Number for Most Students:
For awesomely average kids applying to great schools (strong state universities like UNC, Michigan, UGA, and excellent private schools with merit aid like Elon, Wake Forest, Furman):
- Sophomore year: 0-2 APs
- Junior year: 2-4 APs
- Senior year: 2-4 APs
That’s a total of 4-10 APs across four years. That’s solid. That shows rigor without destroying your kid.
You don’t need 15 APs. You need a thoughtful, strategic approach.
Step 4: Make Room for the Electives They Actually Love
Here’s where parents panic.
Your kid wants to take ceramics. Or weightlifting. Or photography. And you’re terrified that choosing passion over “one more AP” will hurt their college chances.
Let me be very clear: It won’t.
As long as your student has a strong core foundation and is showing appropriate rigor, the elective is not a problem.
In fact, the elective might be exactly what makes their application stand out.
Here’s Why:
Depth beats breadth. Colleges want to see students who found something they care about and stuck with it.
A student who took ceramics all four years, developed real skill, entered competitions, and wrote a compelling essay about it? That’s interesting.
A student who dropped ceramics to take AP Environmental Science because it “looked better” but had no genuine interest? That’s boring.
So if your student loves something, let them keep it.
The One Exception:
If your student is taking ONLY electives and avoiding core rigor entirely, that’s a problem.
But if they’re taking English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language at appropriate levels AND want to add ceramics? Let them.
Step 5: Check Prerequisites and Map Out Next Year
Before you finalize anything, make sure this year’s choices don’t accidentally close doors later.
Questions to Ask:
If my student wants to take AP Calculus senior year, are they in the right math sequence now?
If they want to take AP Chemistry junior year, do they need to take Chemistry this year?
If they want four years of Spanish, are they continuing it now?
If they want to take AP US History next year, does it have prerequisites?
Pull out that course catalog again and trace the path forward.
Make sure the classes you’re choosing this year set your student up for what they want to do in 11th and 12th grade.
Pro Tip:
While you’re at it, sketch out a rough four-year plan. You don’t have to lock it in, but mapping it out helps you see the trajectory and avoid mistakes.
Step 6: Have the Conversation With Your Student
Don’t make these decisions in a vacuum.
Sit down with your student and ask:
✅ What classes are you excited about next year?
✅ What felt too easy this year? What felt too hard?
✅ Are there any classes you need to take to unlock future opportunities?
✅ What activities or commitments do you have outside of school that we need to consider?
Your student’s input matters. They’re the one who has to live this schedule for a year.
Find the balance between what they want and what makes strategic sense.
Step 7: Don't Overthink It
Here’s the truth: There’s no perfect schedule.
You’re not going to nail this perfectly. You might choose a class that turns out to be harder than expected. Or easier. Or taught by a teacher your kid doesn’t click with.
That’s okay.
Course selection is not a one-time, make-or-break decision. It’s part of a four-year story.
As long as you’re:
- Building a strong core foundation
- Challenging your student appropriately
- Leaving room for passion and depth
- Thinking ahead to avoid closing doors
You’re doing it right.
Your Course Selection Checklist
Before you submit those forms, run through this checklist:
✅ Five core subjects locked in (English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language)
✅ Rigor level matches your student’s readiness (not too much, not too little)
✅ At least one elective your student genuinely cares about
✅ Prerequisites checked for future classes
✅ Four-year trajectory makes sense
✅ Schedule is challenging but sustainable
✅ Student had input in the decision
If you can check all of those boxes, you’re good.
Next Steps
f you want more guidance on course planning across all four years of high school, I created a free resource that walks you through exactly what colleges are looking for, how to balance rigor with sanity, and how to build a transcript that tells the right story.
It’s called Maximizing Your High School Course Selection, and it includes:
- What colleges actually evaluate when they review rigor
- Year-by-year checklists for 9th-12th grade
- How to choose between honors, AP, and regular-level classes
- Sample four-year plans for different student profiles
Download it here: https://freebie.thecollegecounselingmom.com/maximizing-hs-courses
Course registration forms are due soon. You’ve got this.
Cheering you on,
