This is a detailed guide on the College Prep Classes and Courses.
The college admission process, over the years, has become so competitive and stressful that so many students have lost out because of inadequate preparation.
Therefore to be adequately prepared for college, it is necessary to attend a good college prep school that will expose you to everything you need to know about college.
If you do not know what college prep classes and courses are, read this article to the end, everything you need to know about college prep classes and courses is embedded here.
What are college prep classes?
College prep classes are advanced-level classes organized to prepare students for the rigorous coursework and teachings they will encounter in college.
College prep classes can be four-year high schools created to prepare students for undergraduate studies.
These can be public schools, private schools, boarding schools, or even charter schools that offer college counseling, advise on the admissions process, and help students prepare for enrollment,
college prep can also refer to a unique type of high school with a focus on the concept of college.
However, whatever a college preparatory classes may be, their sole aim is to make the transition from high school to college easier and less stressful.
College prep classes offer tough courses and intensive workload to adequately prepare students for college.
The classes also help to enlighten students on how to go about their college application, college financial aid and loans, which are usually handled by college advisors who help students identify, choose, and apply to their dream colleges.
College preparatory schools have a more rigorous and tough curriculum that prepares students for college activities.
These schools have more engaging coursework and projects, and students have more reading and assignments to do.
College prep classes are important because college is not just a place to earn a degree, but an advanced academic institution where students have to possess essential habits such as good study habits, self-discipline, proactiveness, Independence, self-discipline, self-motivation organization, and time management to attain remarkable academic height.
Types of College Prep Classes
There are many types of college prep classes and below are some of them.
Honors Classes
Honors classes are college preparatory classes that are so demanding. Students who enroll in honors classes must secure a teacher recommendation, be academically sound and plan to attend college.
Honor classes help students secure scholarship and admission into the college of their choice because the classes involve critical thinking and thorough study.
Honors classes do not have official standards so they may differ in design, quality, and content depending on the individual school.
Advanced Placement
Advanced Placement classes are rigorous and demanding just like honors classes. The class has 34 subjects offered in middle and high school in classrooms and online.
Outstanding students who pass the end-of-course exam with a score of 3 or higher, on a scale of 1 to 5, can earn college credit.
The beautiful thing is that the classes allow you to earn college credit and placement before you even get to explore the campus.
Advanced placement classes help students get conversant with college-level work and help them develop college skills such as time management, critical thinking, scholarly writing, and proactiveness.
Taking an Advanced Placement course and exam can boost your GPA because some courses will not be strange to you anymore when you finally start college.
AP gives students the ability to overcome college-level work while they’re still in high school, and through taking AP Exams, they can earn college credit and placement.
International Baccalaureate
The International Baccalaureate program is an advanced and rigorous program offered in some public high schools with an emphasis on critical thinking about pressing issues and global concerns.
Moreover, students who pass the program’s end-of-course exam with a score of 4 or higher on a scale of 1 to 7 can earn college credit for the course.
The Advanced International Certificate of Education
This is another rigorous academic program offered in some public high schools. Students can earn college credit for this program when they pass the end of the course exam.
The Advanced International Certificate of Education offers in-depth knowledge of a variety of subjects to students for them to have a variety of skills necessary for success in university study and employment.
Benefits of College Prep Classes and Courses
College prep classes and courses provide the following benefits:
Independence
College prep classes and courses enable students to be independent because independent students are responsible and accountable, they set their priorities and stick to them.
They know how to manage their time, carry out their assignments, and strike a balance between their school and social life.
They Offer More Academic Opportunities
College prep classes and courses provide more academic opportunities to students. They enable students to excel in their chosen college and career.
Moreover, the college prep school provides state-of-the-art teaching facilities and advanced learning experiences that equip students for college.
They Prepare Students for College
The main essence of college prep classes and courses is to thoroughly equip students for colleges.
Students who passed through college preparatory school will exert more confidence and be well prepared to face and overcome all the challenges faced by students in colleges.
College prep classes uses block scheduling, thereby helping students adjust to longer class times they will likely experience in college.
They also focus on advance exams and presentations, which students are likely to encounter in colleges or universities.
Personalized Education
College prep classes encourages personalised learning which enables students to learn at their pace and pursue their their passion wih the help of the teachers.
College prep schools implement small class sizes where instructors are able to access all students and have one on one conversations with them.
College prep schools also provide hands-on training which enables students to master what they have been taught and implement them.
Students are always assigned huge responsibility at college preparatory schools. They are encouraged to study Independently to discover their best learning methods.
Community Building
Community building is very important and it is a valuable life skill.
It is pertinent for student to connect with people in their community, therefore, college prep classes enable students to experience what it feels like to join and build a coordinated community.
What Percentage of College Prep School Students go to College?
The essence of College Prep school is to thoroughly prepare students for colleges, therefore prep schools who diligently carry out their tasks in equipping these children produce a high number of students who gain admission into the colleges of their choice.
Programs that Support College Prep Classes and Courses
Many programs have been created to support college bound students who are incable of paying for college prep classes and courses.
These programs are initiated by the Federal Government, State Government, Universities, Private Organizations, and Communities to ensure underprivileged students are enrolled in higher institutions. These programs are:
Upward Bound Program
Upward Bound provides basic support to college-bound students preparing to enroll in colleges. This program enables underprivileged high school students whose parents are uneducated and do not hold a bachelor’s degree, to succeed in their higher education pursuits.
Upward Bound program ensures that many underprivileged, homeless, and disconnected students complete their high school education and get admitted into higher institutions.
This program organizes classes in mathematics, laboratory sciences, composition, literature, and foreign languages for impoverished students with inadequate secondary school preparation.
Competent instructors are employed to tutor, counsel, and mentor students to improve the overall aspect of their lives and sharpened their intellect to get them ready for College.
Talent Search Program
The Talent Search program is designed to help disadvantaged students, limited English proficient, students with disabilities, homeless students, students who are in foster care, and other disconnected students, to complete their studies.
This program provides academic, career, and financial counseling to students that will help them to graduate from high school and get admitted into higher institutions.
The program also encourages secondary school dropouts to reenter school and complete their education. It offers financial aid and assists students with their college application process.
The talent search program provides tutorial services, career counseling, mentorship, workshops, and information on college applications.
The Student Support Services Program
The Student Support Services Program awards funds to higher institutions to improve academic standards, help students with basic college needs, and encourage students to work towards completing their college education.
This program provides tutoring on reading, writing, study skills, mathematics, science, and other subjects to help low-income, first-generation and disabled students gain admission into college.
The Student Support Services Program advises students in college course selection, provides information on student financial aid programs, assists them to locate public and private scholarships, and assist them in completing financial aid applications.
Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
This program is designed to assist low-income students who are enthusiastic to enter and succeed in higher institutions with scholarships.
GEAR UP offers grants to encourage low-income students to attend college.
New York, California, New Jersy’s Educational Opportunity Programs
This outreach program offers educational assistance to low-income, academically disadvantaged students in sixth to 12th grade by helping them develop and maintain the knowledge, skills, and behavior necessary to successfully enroll and complete a college program.
What are College Preparatory Courses?
College prep courses are tough courses offered in college preparatory schools to prepare students for colleges and universities.
These courses ranges from Latin, geography, history, computer science, psychology, physics, music theory, chemistry, Language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, arts, etc.
High school students taking college prep courses may have a load of classwork, and goals to accomplish.
Moreover, college prep courses are greatly suitable for providing the academic experience needed to prevail in a degree program at colleges or universities.
Students can access the online prep courses at Coursera or edX if they cannot afford college prep schools.
Both Coursera and edX offer courses that college prep students can take for better chances of gaining admission into their desired college.
These courses are developed by accredited schools and delivered in a suitable online format convenient for full-time students.
Students can examine many courses for free or enroll in authorized accredited ones for a fee.
Also see: Top 20 Cheapest Colleges in Canada for International Students
Examples of College Prep Online Courses
Below are some of the college prep courses online developed by accredited institutions for college-bound students.
1. How You Say It Matters: A Toolkit for Improving Communications About Academic Standing.
2. Calculus Applied.
3. Introduction to Algebra.
4. Precalculus College Algebra and Problem Solving.
5. A-level Mathematics for Year 13 – Course 2: General Motion, Moments and Equilibrium, The Normal Distribution, Vectors, Differentiation Methods, Integration Methods and Differential Equations.
6. A-level Mathematics for Year 13 – Course 2: General Motion, Moments and Equilibrium, The Normal Distribution, Vectors, Differentiation Methods, Integration Methods and Differential Equations.
7. A-Level Further Mathematics for Year 12.
8. A-level Mathematics for Year 12 – Course 2: Calculus, Newton’s Law, and Hypothesis Testing.
Attaining Higher Education.
9. Learning Success.
10. How to write an essay.
11. Academic and Business Writing, etc.
Examples of College Prep Courses in High School.
Below are examples of college prep courses in high school that prepare students for college education.
- Math Study Skills.
- College Algebra.
- Elementary Algebra II.
- College Prep Math.
- Pre-Algebra.
- College Algebra and Problem Solving.
- Algebra 1.
- Geometry.
- Algebra 2/Trigonometry.
- Pre-Calculus.
- Calculus.
- Strategies for Composition.
- College Preparatory Writing II.
- College Preparatory Writing I.
- AP English Language and Composition.
- AP English Literature and Composition.
- Preparing for College: The Placement Test.
- How to Apply to College.
- Understanding College and College Life.
- College Foundations for English Composition.
- College Composition.
- AP Biology.
- AP Chemistry.
- AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism.
- AP Physics C: Mechanics.
- AP Physics 1 and 2 (Algebra-Based).
- AP Environmental Science.
- AP Computer Science A.
- AP Computer Science Principles, etc.
Also see: Best Online Colleges For Working Adults
That’s all on what are college prep classes and courses, I hope it helps.