There is no one-size-fits-all rule or guideline when it comes to course selection (every student is different and every high school offers various classes). Students should keep in mind that colleges are looking at your transcript within the context of your school profile (meaning you won’t be penalized for not taking AP classes if your school doesn't offer them!) and that colleges practicing holistic admissions generally consider a couple of questions when evaluating transcripts:

What classes did you have available? (In other words, what opportunities to challenge yourself were there?)

What did you leave on the table? (What were missed opportunities? What did the other top students at your school take that you didn’t?)

For most students in U.S. high schools, the minimum required credits/courses for graduation are typically:

• 4 years of English

• 3 years of science

• 3 years of math

• 3 years of social studies

• 2-4 years of world language

But if you want to maximize your chances at highly selective (aka, highly rejective colleges), you need to make sure you are taking more than the minimum required courses for graduation–ideally in all five of those coursework areas. Not every college requires or even recommends this (you can find the requirements on the college Common Data Set), but if you want to leave nothing to chance, take all 5 core subjects all four years of high school, and you'll be covered.

Not only that, but applicants to those colleges aren’t just checking off credits; they are earning those credits in the most rigorous curriculum offered at their high school. Some of the specific rigorous classes you might want to make sure are included on your transcript (if available at your high school) include:

• AP US History
• AP Literature & Language
• AP Physics (1 & 2, plus C if you are applying for engineering programs)
• Language other than English through senior year
• AP Calculus (BC if you can handle it, but especially if you are planning on engineering)