Student Success
Being a student is more than just grades and coursework.
While grades are important, there are multiple things that lead to being a successful student. This section will look at different pieces that come together to help you be a well-rounded student.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
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There are two types of GPA
Unweighted
Treats all classes the same when determining GPA.
Highest GPA is 4.0.
Weighted
Some classes impact your GPA more, so a weighted GPA accounts for the difficulty of a class.
Highest GPA can be more than 4.0.
For example, Honors, AP, or AICE classes might be worth more than 4 points and can show colleges that you took more rigorous classes.
Talk with your guidance counselor about how weighted GPA works at your school and why it’s important.
GPA is a way that your school will measure how well you are doing in your classes.
GPA is important because it can help you get into certain colleges/vocational schools and programs.
GPA is not the only factor that colleges, vocational schools and other programs consider.
GPA is the average of all your classes. If you struggle in a few classes along the way, it’s okay. You can still have a good GPA if some classes are more challenging for you because there may be other classes that you are really strong in.
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These are classes that have the potential to get you credit for graduating highschool and credit for college at the same time. The amount of college credit you receive depends on how you do on the AP Exam that is given by Collegeboard at the end of the course.
These classes are more difficult than a normal high school class and have some type of exam that is graded by Collegeboard graders rather than your teacher.
If you don’t pass the AP exam (passing is usually considered getting a 3 or higher on a scale of 0-5) then you won’t receive college credit for it. However, you can still get high school credit even if you don’t pass the AP exam.
Tips
Only take AP classes in subjects that you are strong in or where you want to earn a college credit (perhaps take an AP course in a subject that you are interested in majoring in for college).
If you know what college you want to go to, see what their policy is on accepting AP classes so that you don’t take an AP class that you don’t need or that won’t be accepted.
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AICE classes are similar to AP classes because you get college credit for them depending on how well you do on the AICE exam at the end of the course.
You can earn an AICE diploma if you take a certain number of AICE credits (See here for details).
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This program is available for 10th-12th graders.
Dual enrollment involves taking college courses (online or through a community college) while you’re in highschool.
It gives you college credit as well as high school class credit.
If you want to go to college after high school, this is a really exciting opportunity!
How to dual enroll: Steps for Students Interested in Dual Enrollment Program
Benefits
Dual enrollment classes are free! That means that you can take college classes without paying any additional fees for the classes or textbooks!
These dual enrollment classes typically only meet a few times a week (less than high school classes). Some of them even meet online. These options help make your schedule more flexible than it would be just attending traditional high school courses.
Dual enrollment classes only last for one semester, instead of a full year, so you could take 2-3 college classes each semester (4-6 classes per year).
You can also take summer college classes through dual enrollment to help you get ahead.
You have the chance to complete a lot of required basic/core classes (that often overlap with classes you need to graduate high school anyway).
If you plan your dual enrollment classes well, you could graduate with all/most of your first two years of college finished for free!
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Sometimes, honors classes can increase your weighted GPA, which can be helpful for you high school transcript if you plan on applying for college.
These classes are more rigorous than regular classes, but not as intense as AP courses. They do not give you college credit.
Types of Classes (for highschoolers)
This section will describe different types of classes that can be taken in high school and why you might want to take them.
To the right you can find information about each type, and below that there will be a summary of these classes for you to compare them quickly.
Extracurriculars
Another part of your school experience are things that you do outside of academics.
This can include clubs (like debate, National Honor Society etc), sports, or anything else that you are involved with outside of your classes.
If you are in high school, these can help round out your college applications (they don't just care about how well you do in classes, they are also interested in what things you might be passionate about, and things like sports and certain clubs can help you get scholarships and/or increase your chances of being accepted at certain colleges).
If you are in college, extracurriculars can help you get involved on campus, and can give you experiences that help prepare you for your future career (leadership skills, networking etc).
