Classes to Take in High School for Psychology

So you want to be a Psychology major in college? It’s a great and very popular choice. While there are no formal prerequisite classes you need to take in high school to become a psych major in college, taking certain classes might help you get in. Why is that? Well, colleges are looking for applicants who feel passionately about their academic interests and have already demonstrated interest in the field. There are many ways to do this, but taking certain classes in high school is a great way to show your interest and commitment to psych. Let’s break down some classes you should consider to help you get into the Psych program of your dreams.

Psychology

Ok, so this is kind of a no-brainer. Not every high school offers a psychology course but many of them are starting to. If your school offers a psychology course, you should take it. Schools also often offer Human Development or Intro to Neuroscience. These classes overlap with psychology and are also great choices. If your school doesn’t offer these courses, don’t freak out. More on that later.

Take strong sciences, especially Biology

Bio is often a required class by high schools, but you should try to take the highest level they offer. AP, IB, Honors, whatever it is, try to take it. Biology is probably the most connected science class to Psych, but taking high-level science, in general, is a good call.

Statistics

Statistics is a highly underrated high school class. Most high schools offer AP Statistics and it’s a great class to take before college. Statistics is the backbone of many types of research. Most colleges are very serious about research and love seeing that students already understand stat. Trust us, it will help if you ever want to do any type of Psych research.

Take a class outside of class

This is an especially good tip if your high school doesn’t allow for a lot of class choices or they don’t offer Psych as an elective. However, we advise all students to try to explore their academic interests outside of their college classes. There are a lot of ways to do this, but one of the easiest is taking a class outside of your high school's classes. There are a couple of ways to take these types of classes:

  • Do a summer session at a college:

Many schools offer summer sessions/pre-college programs to high school students. These can be a little pricey but are great ways to explore a college and learn more about your academic interest. Emory, Cornell, U Chicago, and many more have specific summer sessions in Psych for high school students.

  • Check for classes at your local community college

If a summer session at a four-year school is too expensive, a cheaper alternative is community colleges. Community colleges routinely let high school students sign up for courses. This is a great way to take an Intro to Psych course if your school doesn’t offer one.

  • Consider an online course:

Taking an online course is a great option. Many of them are free and you can take them at your own pace if your schedule is already packed with extracurriculars. Here are some we love for hopeful Psych majors (but there are many, many more online):

There are many ways to show that you are interested in Psych both in and outside of the classroom. Showing colleges you know what you want to study and that you have already started to explore the subject will make you a stronger candidate.

 

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