Diplomas Have Changed, College Admission Standards Have Not

By Emily Hancock, University of Indianapolis Director of Admissions

Before I started working in college admissions, I was an eighth grade English teacher at an Indianapolis charter school. I loved my students. They were smart, funny and fun. Together we read graphic novels, acted out scenes from Shakespeare and wrote plenty of essays preparing for standardized tests.

Each year, on the last day of school, I had all of my students write a letter, “What did they want to say to themselves as seniors?” I remember how they silently wrote their words, then sealed them for the future. I also remember our discussions of both fear and excitement about what was to come as they headed off for high school.

If you are a middle school parent, you are likely experiencing the same feelings of fear and excitement about your child’s high school experience. It is a time of great personal and academic growth. It means more freedom to choose courses they want that will put them on their future path. 

But that path just became a little more complex. The state of Indiana recently passed legislation creating new high school diplomas. Where there have been three primary diploma options for Hoosier students, starting with the Class of 2029, now the diploma offers six optional seals aimed at three postgraduate pathways:

• Going to College seals: Enrollment honors and Enrollment honors plus 
• Going to Work seals: Employment honors and Employment honors plus 
• Going into Service seals: Enlistment honors and Enlistment honors plus 
• Indiana Diploma with components 2 and 3 of a Graduation Pathways

The diploma most aligned with college readiness is the Enrollment Honors Seal. While “Honors Plus” sounds more rigorous, it doesn’t actually involve more coursework. It requires students to find an apprenticeship, part-time job or internship. While jobs or internships can be valuable in helping students gain practical experience in their major and career interests, they aren’t typically required for college admission. Involvement and leadership can be obtained through school activities and community service.

While the minimum requirements to graduate from high school are changing, college expectations are not. As Director of Admissions at the University of Indianapolis, when I look at a student’s application I primarily look for academic readiness. This includes grade point average (GPA), the courses the student took in high school and how well they performed. I want to ensure students not only get into college, but are successful once they arrive. Having the right courses on your transcript can make or break that success. 

If your student is thinking at all about going to college when they graduate, here are some classes they should consider when building their schedule:

8 semesters of English: Includes literature- and composition-based courses to develop critical reading and writing skills.

6-8 semesters of Math: Includes Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry. Most college majors require some math. Students considering business or physics should be on track to take at least precalculus. Statistics is also required for many humanities, STEM and social science majors. Taking math during your senior year keeps skills fresh so that students perform better in college math classes.  

6-8 semesters of History or Social Studies: Includes U.S. and World History. History strengthens critical reading and writing skills while giving important perspective to current events.

4-8 semesters of a Science: Includes at least four semesters of lab science like Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Students considering Engineering should take Physics. STEM students can benefit from advanced and AP sciences while in high school.

4-8 semesters of a Foreign Language: Many colleges require foreign language as part of their degree. Taking just two years of foreign language in high school is often not enough to perform well in college-level classes. Students who take language for three to four years may test out of this college language requirement.

If you or your student have questions about diploma options or which courses to pursue, your high school counselor is a great resource. Most colleges, including the University of Indianapolis, also list their admissions requirements online. If your child is interested in a specific institution, the admissions staff there may be able to give advice on coursework that would build eligibility towards future acceptance.

When your student graduates high school and looks back on their eighth grade self, I hope they are proud of the person they have become and the academic choices they made as they near adulthood. It’s never too early to start planning for college. With Indiana’s new diplomas and seals, together, you have the power to choose the right path, beginning with the first day of high school.