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Attending College

To attend a four-year college straight from high school, you must fulfill:

1.    Your school district’s graduation requirements

2.    California state minimum high school graduation requirements

3.    A–G requirements for California UC and CSU systems

Work with your school counselor or advisor to create a course schedule that will meet your school district’s requirements and those of any college you hope to attend.

You can also work on your own to find your district’s requirements on their website. Use the California School Directory to find your district’s website.

To find  A–G certified courses at your school, use the UC/CSU A–G Course List .  Once you find them, work them into your class schedule.

Before exploring college entrance requirements, be sure you’re meeting your high school graduation requirements.  

Next, you’ll need to know the admission requirements for the college you plan to attend. Find the college’s website and read their admission requirements: all schools' requirements are not the same—be sure you’re on the right website! Once you find their requirements, use them to plan your classes. 

Elite universities also expect you to take higher level courses, like honors courses. These schools may also use your grade point average in their admissions decisions.

If your school counselor or advisor does not have a course planning form you can use, the course planning template or program of study found on the Creating a Plan for High School and Beyond page.

Related Pages

Grade Point Average (GPA)
Completing High School 
College Entrance Exams