Course Selection • GPA & Class Rank
College Entrance Exams • Extracurricular Activities

Colleges and universities use a number of criteria to determine who are accepted as students. There is not a standard set of prerequisites by which freshmen are chosen, although certain courses, entrance tests and extracurricular courses are encouraged. The degree to which admissions officers weight various criteria can be best discovered from college meetings or direct letters of inquiry.

Students interested in pursuing a college degree must concentrate on gaining a balanced program in high school. The following four areas are generally used to determine college admissibility:*

1. Course Selection: (Top of Page)
Initial steps toward successful completion of the course requirements for high school graduation are taken in the ninth grade when a student begins earing credits toward graduation. The criteria for graduation should be kept in mind by high school students and their parents in selecting courses each term.

The graduation requirements for Utica Community Schools' students listed are minimal and may not fulfill the basic requirements for admission to a particular college, vocational program or career. All students are urged to take a full-day program each year to achieve a maximum education.

Counselors are available to students and parents by appointment during the school day to answer questions about curriculum and graduation requirements.

Three years of resident attendance, grades 10-12, are required by the Utica community Schools for graduation.

To meet minimum graduation requirements in the UCS, a total of 24 credits must be earned in grades 9-12. One credit is granted for each one-year course successfully completed, one-half credit for each semester course.

Specific subject requirements which must be successfully completed are:

Four (4) years of English, grades 9-12 (one-half credit earned each semester).

Three (3) credits of social studies, grades 9-12. One-half (1/2) credit of United States History (11th or 12th grades, AP U.S. History or Contemporary U.S. History). One-half (1/2) credit of American government (12th grade).

Three (3) credits of science.

Three (3) credits of mathematics.

One (1) credit of physical education.

One-half (1/2) credit of health.

Three (3) credits in CTE (Career and Technical Education) or foreign language or fine or performing arts or any combination thereof.

Each student in the Utica Community Schools is expected to successfully achieve a full high school program each year regardless of credits earned to meet minimum graduation requirements.

The graduation requirements listed above are minimal and may not fulfill the basic requirements of the college and/or career of your choice. See your counselor for further information. Revised February 23, 1998.

2. Grade Point Average and Class Rank: (Top of Page)
Colleges generally compute grade point averages using only academic subjects: English, math, science, social science, foreign language, and computer science. Class rank is used to compare a student's academic performances with other students in the class.

3. College Entrance Exams: (Top of Page)
PSAT: Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test ACT: American College Test SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test

4. Extracurricular Activities (Top of Page)
Especially activities that demonstrate: leadership, creativity, outstanding or unique ability, involvement and varied interests.