It’s not uncommon for families to start thinking seriously about course selection—and how it could impact the college admissions process—only when their student is a rising junior. But while 11th grade is the most important year from a college admissions perspective, it pays to be thoughtful about the courses you choose beginning with the transition to ninth grade.

Ninth grade is, of course, the beginning of the period in which college admissions officers will be scrutinizing your academic record. For that reason alone, you want to challenge yourself academically in your freshman year (without, of course, overwhelming yourself). But more than that, the courses that you take in ninth grade will have ramifications for your academic trajectory down the road—and could ultimately make it harder for you to complete the courses that you’ll need to be accepted into the major of your choice. Since this selection happens in eighth grade, make sure you talk to your eighth-grade teachers about your options and the longer-term implications that they may have.

This is particularly important for students aiming to enter STEM fields. For these students—as well as anyone planning to apply to highly selective schools—the most important piece of advice is to make sure that you’re on track to take calculus: ideally in your junior year, but by senior year at the very least. This means that as you select your ninth-grade math courses, you’ll want to game out how many further courses you’ll need to take to reach calculus, to make sure that you’re on track to get there. If you’re not tracked to get to calculus in time, you may need to double up or take a math course over the summer. It’s always easier to double up on a level of math earlier on: for instance, you won’t be able to take Algebra 1 and 2 at the same time (or Algebra 2 and Pre-Calc), but you likely can double up on Algebra and Geometry.

Note, also, that “calculus” does not necessarily need to mean AP Calculus, depending on the schools you’re interested in. (If you’re looking at more selective, elite colleges, then it does.)

Regarding APs, if your high school offers AP (or IB) courses in ninth grade, consider taking one! It will show future admissions officers a rigorous academic profile. Just be aware, if you do so, that for purposes of STEM majors, not all APs are created equal. AP Environmental Science is not considered to be equivalent to a core science class like Chemistry or Physics; nor does AP Statistics “count” as a core math class. And regardless of your intended major, or whether you’re taking AP/IB courses or not, all students should take every core subject in every year of high school: that means English, history, math, science, and yes, a foreign language.

Overall, the best guidance when choosing your courses—in ninth grade, and in the years beyond—is to take the most challenging courses that you’re able to do well in. Balance is key. If you anticipate that taking a given course will demand so much of your time and additional effort that the grades in your other classes will suffer—as well as your sleep and mental health—then it’s not worth it.

If you have any questions about choosing the best courses for you, Ivy’s expert coaches are here to help! To start a conversation about college counseling, reach out today.