Most colleges are interested in student applicants who have challenged themselves throughout their high school careers. These colleges look for students who have taken a rigorous, broad-based course of study. Therefore it is in your best interest to be able to present a picture of a well-rounded student to your prospective college choices. In addition to examining your academic curriculum, colleges are looking for a demonstrated level of participation in the "extracurricular" aspect of your high school career. This includes, but is not limited to, athletic participation, community service, arts participation, leadership experiences, and interesting experiences that have helped to define the person you are today.

The Pennington graduation requirements indicate a minimum load necessary to complete your Pennington School career. If you expect to apply to more competitive colleges or universities, each year you should select courses in English, math, science, history, and languages, as well as exceeding the minimum requirements in arts, religion, and technology, being sure to include:

4 years of English
4 years of math
3-4 years of a foreign language
4 years of science
4 years of history
advanced courses in arts, religion, and technology

By the time you reach your senior year, you may decide to forgo a fourth year in history, science, foreign languages, or math in order to take an additional course in a particular academic area of interest. This decision should be made carefully and in conjunction with your advisor.

If you are considering a highly specialized college course of study you should consult with your advisor and the chair of the specific department to help you select a course of study that will put you in the best position possible for college acceptance. For example, if you are interested in engineering programs, you should select four years of rigorous math and science, as well as advanced technology classes. For those of you who would like to focus on art, drama, or music programs, you should consult with the chair of the Arts Department. Admission to select arts colleges is based primarily on audition or portfolio assessment. Regardless of your arts concentration, we strongly encourage you to speak with a member of the Arts Department about opportunities outside of Pennington (i.e., summer programs at various arts colleges or universities) to supplement your high school program.