Dear Students and Parents,
Rigor of course load...the new catch phrase for college admissions deals with course selection. How hard are the courses the student has selected in comparison with other students? In comparison with the courses offered? Highly selective colleges want students who have “maximized in the four core subject areas” of English, Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics, which means simply that the student has taken the highest level course offered by his school in each of those areas. With weighted grades and GPA’s rising to 5.0 in some cases, honors and AP classes are becoming increasingly important for college-bound students wanting to be competitive at selective schools.
Balance, however, is a word that is not used enough in the discussion. For the statistical edge in college admissions, students should take the hardest level course offered in which they can perform. But at what cost? This is the question students sometimes fail to ask. How much time will I spend? Will I be able to maintain my extracurricular activities? My job? My relationships – with family, friends, the Lord? Can I keep Biblical priority in my life while taking five AP’s? Four? Three? The question of balance should be at the forefront of this discussion, as students seek to follow God’s plan for their senior year, college selection, and life beyond that.
God does have a plan for each of you, and He is a God concerned with the details of your life. Proverbs 1 states that wisdom is crying out in the streets; James begs us to ask God for the wisdom we lack, yet still we are tempted to look to admissions standards in absence of Him when scheduling classes and considering colleges. A student came to me after his parents learned that his college of choice wanted maximization in core subject areas including science. He had not signed up for AP Physics and his parents were concerned that this decision would hinder his chances of admission. The student was confident in his scheduling choices; he had prayed over what he should take and felt at peace with the schedule he had. “I have prayed about this,” he said. “If I don’t get in because of this decision, then maybe God wants me somewhere else.” I was impressed by this young man’s maturity and confidence in the wisdom he received from God. Apparently, so was his college of choice – he was accepted.
As you strive toward college acceptance, remember to seek God in the process. He knows the plans He has for you.
In His Hands,
Dr. Daniel Ray
OCHS Principal
