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Plan for college as a freshman
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Ask Jean
Question: My daughter is a freshman in high school. What should we be doing now to make sure she is academically on track for college admission?
Answer: You're smart to be thinking about college admissions now. The classes your daughter takes this year will determine what classes she can take down the road. And that, in turn, will determine where she can go to college.
So your daughter, with your help, might want to come up with a four-year plan, using University of California and California State University requirements as her guide.
Generally, that will mean taking four years of English and math; three years of science and a foreign language; two years of history, and one year of visual and performing arts. Competitive schools will expect more.
Colleges recommend high school students take the most challenging courses they can, so she might want to include some honors or Advanced Placement courses in her plan, especially if she's hoping to attend a competitive university.
At the same time, she shouldn't load up on those courses just to impress the college admissions officer. She'll be a much healthier and happier kid if she takes AP classes in subjects she finds interesting.
One last suggestion: your high school counselor can be a wonderful resource for your daughter as she navigates this journey. But most public high school counselors in California are responsible for at least 500 students. So she will probably need your help, too. Just remember she's the one going to college, not you, so try to guide her through the process, rather than taking over.
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