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Registration Guidelines

Helpful Tips when Registering

Guidelines for advisory teachers and deans to discuss with students and parents.  

  • High school is a time of preparation for career development and training after high school. Your career pathwway will help determine if you're on the path to college, apprenticeship, or service. 
     
  • Thoughtfully plan high school years using the career pathways information. 
     
  • High school credits begin accumulating in grade 9.  Students need 26 credits out of a possible 28 to graduate.
     
  • Stress/evaluate graduation requirements as outlined on the final page of the registration form. Use advisory time to X out boxes in front of completed courses. Note: Ranger U courses satisfy subject matter requirements for graduation. 
     
  • Challenge students to actually READ the course descriptions online. The descriptions are far more accurate than what they might hear from friends or siblings. The registration guide reads well on all devices.
     
  • Pay close attention to prerequisites when choosing courses. Mistakes are often made around having the appropriate prerequisite.
     
  • Generally, when students take the “A” part of a course, they also take the “B” part – and the “C” part when applicable. 
     
  • Choose courses carefully. The goal is to have NO schedule changes once the schedule is built.
     
  • Electives are important. They can give students career pathway ideas.
     
  • Encourage challenging courses for ALL. It’s their last chance at a free education. However, students need to find a balance between working hard and being kids. 
     
  • Students planning to attend college have the opportunity to take Ranger U courses. Success in these courses offer free college credit, along with study skill acquisition that will be a major benefit after high school. 
     
  • It is recommended that sophomores generally should only take 1 AP course sophomore year. However, a few students are able to manage more.
     
  • Grades are important, but colleges also look at the rigor of courses taken.
     
  • Juniors should plan to take the ACT at the end of the junior year, and should design their course of study to prepare for that. Prep courses involve high levels of reading, writing, science, and math.
     
  • Senior year is the last chance to prep for college, but often the transcripts that students send for initial college applications only display grades through the end of their junior year.