3 Insights to Choose the Right High School Courses

Summertime is here, and so is course selection. If you are a parent, student, or family member of a high schooler, you probably have some questions. What’s the difference between AP and dual credit? What are the benefits of career and technical education (CTE) courses? Do extracurriculars really matter that much for college applications?  

During a recent Apex Learning “Lunch and Learn,” Dr. Courtney Acosta, Head of School, walked us through exactly these questions. Here are three key insights to help your student build a high school schedule that sets them up for success. 

What to Know About Dual Credit vs. AP vs. Honors 

One of the most common misconceptions about advanced coursework is that there's a clear ranking that dual credit is best, then AP, then honors. Dr. Acosta was clear that's not how to think about it. 

• Honors courses are standard high school classes taught with more depth and rigor. They stay at the high school level, but signal to colleges that a student challenged themselves beyond the baseline. 
• AP or Advanced Placement courses follow a nationally standardized, College Board-approved curriculum. At the end of the year, students have the opportunity to take a national exam scored 1–5. A score of 3 or higher may earn college credit, but it depends on the college. Some schools won't accept AP credit for certain majors regardless of the score (engineering programs, for example, often require students to retake calculus with them directly). 
• Dual Credit means the student is actually enrolled in a college course at the same time, earning both high school and college credit. Unlike AP, there's no end-of-year exam. If the student passes the course, they receive a college transcript with that credit. Whether the receiving college accepts it still varies, but the credit is guaranteed if the student passes the course. 

The right choice comes down to a student's goals, readiness, and plans after high school. Dr. Acosta's advice is that students don't need to take every subject at the AP level. A student planning to study chemistry might take AP Chemistry to demonstrate deep commitment to that field but opt for baseline or honors in English. Mixing and matching based on your goals is not only fine, it's smart.

Why Are Career and Technical Education (CTE) Courses Beneficial? 

CTE has changed dramatically, and it's worth a second look if you haven't explored it lately. 

These are industry-aligned courses in many fields such as healthcare, IT, business, and engineering. The core idea is real and applied learning. Students don't just study a subject; they get hands-on experience. Dr. Acosta framed one of the biggest benefits this way: CTE lets students test drive a career field before committing to it in college, where the stakes are much higher. 

She shared a vivid example: students at her former school completed three years of veterinary technician preparation, passed a certification exam, and were working in vet offices by their senior year, and they all carried that credential into their undergraduate years. 

That's the other major upside. CTE pathways can result in industry certifications that open doors to jobs, internships, and stronger college applications before a student even graduates from high school. 

Beyond technical skills, CTE courses build the workforce readiness fundamentals that matter in any career. These are skills that even college graduates often have to learn on the job, but CTE students get a head start. 

The bottom line is CTE isn't a fallback track. It's a strategic pathway that complements high school coursework and helps students get to the next chapter with real world experience.  

Are Extracurriculars and Community Service Valuable on College Applications? 

Colleges not only want to see that a student challenged themselves academically, but also that they grew as a human.  

Dr. Acosta emphasized this point. Colleges today aren't impressed by a résumé covered with 10 clubs a student barely attended. What they're looking for is two to three meaningful, sustained commitments that show growth in the student over time. The student who joins band as a member freshman year, becomes a section leader in sophomore year, and earns drum major by junior year? That's a compelling story for colleges. 

The same logic applies to community service. Logging hours matters less than being able to speak authentically about what an experience meant, how it changed your perspective, challenged your assumptions, or deepened your sense of purpose. Colleges want to see that students allowed their experiences to shape them and help them grow. 

Dr. Acosta also offered an important reminder that students who work to support their families should include that experience in college applications. Holding a job consistently over time demonstrates exactly the kind of commitment and responsibility colleges are looking for.  

The guiding principle for extracurriculars, just like for coursework, is finding what you are genuinely passionate about. Once you find it, pursue it, show up, and let it grow with you. That's what a balanced profile looks like, and it serves students just as well when they eventually enter the workforce. 

Wrap Up  

Choosing the right high school courses isn't about doing everything, but it's about doing things with the right intention. 

Whether a student is weighing AP versus dual credit, exploring a CTE pathway, or figuring out how to spend their time outside the classroom, the best starting point is always the same. Get clear on your goals, understand what you're passionate about, and build your schedule around that. 

When in doubt, ask for help. School counselors and teachers are genuinely great resources and are there to have those conversations early in the process. 

And if a course your student wants isn't available at their school, Apex Learning offers AP, honors, CTE, and world language courses that can fill those gaps flexibly, whether during the school year or over the summer. 

View the full course catalog here to find your fit.  

The right path forward is out there; it just starts with asking the right questions.