Importance of Choosing the Right Curriculum and Subjects in Grades 9 12

While I typically meet families only somewhere in 10th grade, and many students only wake up to
the process of thinking about applying to colleges in 11th grade, it is important to note that colleges
will be looking at you from way back, since your 9th grade! The most important area of the
application, and the very first thing that admissions looks at, is the choices of courses that a student
chooses. I get asked very often about which curricula colleges prefer or what is considered the best?
Given the large number of International Baccalaureate high schools that have opened, many families
believe that this is the best choice. The fact is, colleges view you within the context of your school,
and do not compare you with other students from other schools. So unless your school offers two
different curriculum choices, you need not worry about what is better. That said, understanding
the choices and philosophy of curricular choices and what might be best for a particular child is a
good thing to do when the student is in the 8th grade.
In this article, I will briefly describe the IB program and the Cambridge International Examinations
(IGCSE and A-Levels). Each of these can be researched in more depth by going to their respective
websites. More important are course choices in 9th through 12th grade regardless of what
curriculum you are in. There are two things that admissions focus on when reviewing the academic
history of a students besides the grades: 1. Has the student had a breadth of preparation while also
developing strength in a specific area as it relates to potential interests in the college major? 2. Has
the student challenged him/herself with the most rigorous courses and taken full advantage of the
academic resources available to him/her?
1. Breadth and Depth: Universities want students to explore a broad range of subjects to explore the
connections between disciplines. It is also felt that future generations will likely switch complete
career paths. Therefore, a student is served well to have a broad foundation across the disciplines
more than simply being trained in one niche area. Colleges like to see that in your high school
choices, you have prepared for this breadth, but also honed your skills to have a strong base in the
area that you want to study. For instance, if a student is interested in Engineering, the college would
like to see that the student has consistently challenged him/herself with higher and more difficult
choices within math and science, culminating in the highest possible level by 12th grade. In very
specific terms, for breadth, these would be the preferred minimum that a college would hope to see
in 9th through 12th grade:
- English 4 Years
- Math 3 Years
- Science (with Lab) 2 Years
- Second Language 2 Years
- Social Sciences 2 Years
- Arts or Performing Arts 1 Year
Keep in mind that this is the minimum. A student would be expected to take more as related to
preparation for a specific major.
2. Challenging Yourself: I am often asked whether it would be better to get a B in a higher level
class or an A in a lower level class. Of course my glib response is that it would be better to get an
A in the higher level class, but then I answer that it would actually be better to get the B in the
higher level class. This is because the admission person wants to see that you challenge yourself.
Furthermore, they are looking at all of the resources the school has and then noting how much the
student has taken advantage of these resources. This is important information because while high
school is quite prescribed, college is quite independent. Colleges have amazing resources and
facilities, but students need to take the initiative to utilize these. So they are looking for your abilities
and desire to seek out the resources around you. Have you taken the assistance of a teacher to
pursue one of your interests? Have you started some club at school? In what ways have you been
able to benefit from the resources and people at your school?

Briefly on Two Popular Curriculum Options
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program 11th and 12th www.ibo.org:
The IB program is popular because it follows pretty closely the breadth and depth philosophy
described above. Students must take one course in all of those areas, and can choose Higher Level
courses for three of their subjects and Standard Level courses for other three subjects, allowing for
the depth aspect of preparation. The IB also has a requirement of an Extended Essay, an
independent 40-page research project that the student completes in 12th grade. I have students
who have gone into the IB DP from a variety of backgrounds, CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE, etc and done fine.
However, if English is not your favorite subject and you come from an Indian curriculum, it would be
wise to do some extra preparation on English prior to joining the IBDP. I would suggest doing an
online course in English (for Example English 1 10th Grade US High School English) over the
summer before joining the IB. Keystone Online School (www.keystoneschoolonline.com) provides a
good option for this.
Cambridge International Examinations 9th and 10th (IGCSE) and 11th and 12th (AS and A-Levels
AICE Doploma) www.CIE.org:
Many high schools offer the Cambridge International Examination curriculum. It is actually the most
widely used curriculum in the world. In 9th and 10th, students prepare for the IGCSE examinations in
a wide array of subjects that cover all of the breadth of subjects described above along with some
elective choices like Business or Computer Science. These prepare a student for either IB or the AICE
Diploma. In 11th and 12th grade students choose subjects. Unlike IB, there is a bit of flexibility in
whether a student wants to take a full subject over two years, culminating in an A-Level
qualification, or if the student wants to take only half the subject and receive an AS (Advanced
Subsidiary) qualification. Students should challenge themselves to take at least four A-Levels and
one AS Level qualification in my opinion, but most important is to see what is the norm in your
school and make sure that you are challenging yourself as compared to that norm. The AICE Diploma
is similar to the IB Diploma and covers the same breadth areas in English, Math, Science, Social
Science, but does not require the 2nd Language or the Extended Essay.
Whichever curriculum you choose, it is important that you assess the resources around you and
challenge yourself throughout your four years in High School. This is the best way to prove that you
are deserving of a spot in your dream school.
Written by: Prab Singh (http://www.parentedge.in/blog