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– High School Electives –

On this page, you will get an overview of the electives offered in the high school curriculum. You’ll also get a better idea of what colleges are looking for in terms of electives and info that will help you guide your teen as they choose between elective options.

High school electives are those courses outside of the core curriculum that gives students the opportunity to explore specific areas of study they are interested in.

Electives are crucial to helping students discover their passions, narrow down the subjects they’re not that interested in, and get the most out of their homeschool experience.

What are Elective Classes?

In high school, elective classes are any course that doesn’t align with the traditional, mandatory curriculum. Taking the class is considered completely optional.

If the class isn’t one of the must-take math, science, English, history, PE, or similar courses, it is likely an elective.

Elective classes in high school give students some freedom. Students choose courses not based on their potential for academic enrichment, but because we view them as easily.

While not having an overly strenuous high school experience isn’t a bad thing, as too much stress can be harmful, using that criteria alone to choose electives may not be wise.

The best electives to take in high school offer more than a few credits on a transcript. For example, they may allow your student to acquire or develop a useful skill, one that could set them up for future academic or professional success.

Similarly, they might enable your student to explore an area they may otherwise miss, making them solid introductions to subjects they may want to pursue in college.

Why are Electives Important in High School?

Band, yearbook, computer science—when we look back on our high school experience, it is those non-core courses that we realize may have truly shaped the people we’ve become.

That’s why the choice of high school electives courses is so important. Not only do they give a teen the opportunity to explore future careers, but they can sometimes provide personal insight into talents and passions high schoolers never even knew they had!

Electives Provide the Following Value to Your High School Career

‣ Offering a glimpse into new interests and abilities.

‣ Providing a well-rounded education that blends arts, life skills, and vocational studies with core courses.

‣ Preparing you for individual college course requirements.

‣ Personalizing your overall education.

‣ Giving you insights into potential future career paths.

How Many Electives Can You Take in High School?

The number of elective classes in high school is determined by each individual homeschool family. While most colleges typically expect between 5-7 elective credits during high school, homeschoolers are certainly not limited by these averages.

Homeschool families have the freedom to explore any number of interests, skills, and career paths through elective studies.

How to Choose High School Electives

For students with college aspirations, the decision of which electives to take in high school may be influenced by individual college requirements.

Some universities, for example, require two high school fine arts credits for admission. If your homeschooler has his or her eye on specific colleges, it is a good idea to explore the admission requirements of each when making your yearly course selections.

Certainly, not all high school electives for homeschoolers should depend on college obligations.  In determining which electives to take, your high schooler should consider:

‣ Future careers of interest

‣ Life skills they want to improve

‣ Self-improvement goals

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List of High School Electives

Electives you should try, check out this list of six elective classes that all high school students should take.

1. A Foreign Language

We highly recommend taking a foreign language in high school – or a second one if your school already requires one, and there are many reasons. First, many colleges require one these days for admission.

Further, learning foreign languages has been proven to have myriad cognitive benefits.

For example, learning a foreign language can open up opportunities for you to work, travel, and study across the globe and provide you with an important sense of perspective about your own country and culture.

It’ll also allow you to communicate with people different from yourself. Additionally, the ability to speak another language looks impressive on job resumes. So if you’re wondering why you should take a foreign language, maybe you should be asking yourself… why not?

2. Public Speaking

You’ve probably heard that the most common human fear – aside from death – is the fear of public speaking. In fact, many people freeze up when faced with talking before a room full of people.

But this is an important skill in academic and professional life. Whether you’re delivering a presentation in a classroom or a brief to a boardroom, practice in public speaking can come in handy.

As public speaking is a skill, this means that it can be taught. So don’t shy away from this elective if you’re one of those people who would rather swallow a spider than talk in public.

High school students should take a public speaking elective.

3. Writing

Here’s a skill that’s completely and totally necessary in today’s professional world: writing.

Even if your future job may not entail writing reports or books or anything of that nature, you’ll inevitably be required to do a lot of writing throughout your career: resumes, cover letters, emails, and so on.

If you want to be successful in the working world, if you want to impress people and be taken seriously, you should consider taking an elective class that will help you sharpen your writing skills.

Whether you opt for a professional writing course, a creative writing course, or something more or less specific, you’ll probably be better off for it.

4. Personal Finance

Not all high schools offer personal finance as an elective, but if your school does, please take it! This is an invaluable skill that’s taught with unfortunately low frequency.

Regardless of where you go in your life after high school, the skills you learn in a personal finance class will come in handy. For example, do any of the following seem important?

‣ Opening a checking or savings account

‣ Using debit or credit cards

‣ Leasing a car or an apartment

‣ Buying a house or car

‣ Establishing good credit

‣ Saving for retirement

‣ Understanding 401K and insurance benefits

Chances are you recognize the value of these important skills already. And if not… all the more reason to take a personal finance elective!

High school students should take a personal finance elective

5. Computer Programming/Science

Today’s world is teeming with technology – but we don’t have to tell you that. You are reading this blog post on the Internet, using a computer, tablet, or mobile device.

If you’re currently in high school, you already know just how much we rely on computers (yes, your phone counts) to get us through every moment of the day.

If you want a major advantage in this culture, and/or to open up a world of career opportunities in a very lucrative field, think about taking a class in computers.

Whether it’s computer programming, computer science, computational mathematics, or something else, this class will look good on your college application and resume. It will also help you acquire a skill that’s becoming increasingly key to functioning in our digital world.

6. Something Fun

Outside of these considerations, there’s one more thing you should think about when you’re choosing a high school elective: doing what you enjoy while giving yourself an academic break.

So whether your thing is playing an instrument, painting, acting, or something else, definitely consider choosing that for your elective. Not only are creative pursuits so good for your brain, but they also show colleges your personality.

So go ahead and take that basket weaving elective if that’s what’s calling to your heart – we think it’s a great idea!

7. Art

High School Art develops organization through works of art. Students focus on the creative process as they express themselves through their own work and an exploration of the works of others.

They experiment and develop skills through a variety of mediums, techniques, and reflective processes. Students who have had art experience in the may be placed in advanced art based on teacher recommendation.

Requirement Category: The Arts

8. Careers

This class focuses on the life and job readiness through career exploration, interview process, resumes, and skill development.

Requirement Category: Careers & Technical Education

9. Global Leadership Studies

In this class, students study the characteristics of people, and present, and scrutinize whether their traits, be their virtues or faults, so that we may analyze the best and worst aspects of decision making and leadership throughout human history.

Requirement Category: General Elective

10. Math Support 

This class will provide additional support to students in their effort to meet the standards of more rigorous and relevant mathematics courses.

This course will be taught concurrently with a student’s regular math class, giving extra time and utilizing a variety of strategies to help students build a stronger foundation for success in their current and future mathematics courses.

Requirement Category: General Elective

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11. Music

Students learn about the science and art of music composition and performance through active participation.

Requirement Category: The Arts

12. Music Assistance inion and Podcasting

Students use a program called Sound trap to learn skills needed for music production and podcasting. For music production, students will use loops to create songs and learn about song form.

Students will also learn to use the MIDI keyboard to create songs from scratch. For podcasting, students will learn to edit and record skills to create their own podcasts. Students will learn about different podcast formats such as interview, documentary, investigative, monologue, and co-hosted.

Requirement Category: The Arts & Technical Education

13. Robotics 

Students learn the basics of robotics, including construction, physics, and coding in a fun, engaging course that involves building robots and competing against peers.

Requirement Category: Careers & Technical Education

14. Stage Assistance inion and Writing

Students learn about and develop the craft of stage production through hands-on work with the various elements of theatre including costumes, scenery, props, sound design, lighting design, special effects, playwriting, and projections.

Requirement Category: The Arts

15. Theater

Students develop their performer’s instrument (voice and body) through work with articulation, breathing, physical warm-ups, games, activities, and various performance assignments, including scenes, poems, improv, and plays.

Now that you know the options you have for electives, do well to follow our guide and make a choice that suits you and equally lets you have fun.

If you find this article useful, please share it with your friends and loved ones. Also, you can leave your comment or questions in the comment below. 

CSN Team. 

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