Welcome 8th Graders!

If you are selecting course for the first time for high school, here are 4 things you need to know...

1

Know how many credits you need to graduate

You need a handful of credits for core areas like English, math, science, and social studies. But you also need a specific number of credits in Career Education, Health, Consumer Education, and General Electives. Check out the graduation requirements here.

2

Know about AP and Dual Credit

The rigor of your education is important, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Taking some Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit courses while in High School may show your college of choice that you are prepared. Do a little reading to understand how District 100 gives extra weight to your GPA on your transcript for these "Early College" courses and start thinking about which available "Early College" courses you may want to take during your high school career.

3

Know you can start exploring career and personal interests

Are there certain careers that are starting to interest you? As a 9th grader you'll take mostly required classes, but you have up to 3 courses you can choose based on personal interests. Read about our career endorsement program to know what your options are and how you can get a head start. If you don't want to get started on a career interest, that's okay. All 9th graders take a career planning course to help them start thinking about a possible career interest.

4

Know what you can and cannot choose

Your options may seem limited your first year, but you will have more and more options each year. Understand graduation requirements, look below to visualize how many elective choices you have each year, and read course descriptions for future courses to see course prerequisites and understand how today's choices impact tomorrow.