Are you hoping to get into business schools like Wharton, Haas, Stern, Ross, Tepper, McCombs, or the like? Undergraduate business schools want applicants who have already shown commitment to the field and have some business experience. While you can show this through internships and clubs, you can also show this through the classes you take. So you might be asking yourself, what classes should I be taking? Let’s break it down.
Economics
Most high schools don’t have courses like business law, business management, entrepreneurship, or marketing (however if yours does, you should 100% take them.) The closest most schools have to a “business class” is Econ. While it is technically a different field of study, understanding econ is important for anyone who wants to go into business school.
Math
If you want to get into finance, you are going to need math. Investment bankers and entrepreneurs use math every day. Accounting is straight-up math. Even marketing has to do with math. You should show that you have great math skills by taking higher-level math courses. We especially recommend AP, IB, or BC Calculus and AP Stat. Stat has a lot of real-world applications in business and research, so it will give you a good base of skills.
Computer science
If your school offers classes in computer science you should take oy. This could be advanced programming and computer science class or as simple as an Excel workshop. Whatever they offer will help you. A lot of business pursuits use data, algorithms, and even, yes, excel. Having a background in computation will help you jump into these pursuits.
Accounting
Not all schools will offer accounting or personal finance classes, but some do. If your school does, it’s a great choice as an elective for hopeful business students. Even if you aren’t dreaming of being an accounting major, the skills that these classes will give you will help you more generally and grow your knowledge base.
Take a class outside of class
Many high schools don’t offer much in the way of business classes. We advise all our students to explore their academic passions outside of the classroom. A great way to do this is to take a class outside of class, there are a couple of ways of doing this.
Consider a Summer Session at a College or an Intensive
Many colleges offer pre-college programs and many of them are in business. They can be a great way to explore not only your field but a college campus. These programs however can be fairly expensive.
Take an online course
Unlike summer programs, online courses are usually free or affordable. They also allow you to study at your own pace. We recommend taking an online course or two to almost all of our students. There are a lot of courses out there, but the ones we love include:
Penn’s Business Foundations or Business and Financial Modeling Specialization
University of Colorado’s International Business
Business Data Management and Communication Specialization at Illinois
Coming into any college program with some background and knowledge is great, but it’s especially an asset when it comes to business. Business programs can be highly competitive and having that background will set you apart as a candidate.
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