Biology is one of the foundational areas of science, and most colleges require that you take at least one year of it. High school biology includes a range of topics, including zoology, botany and organism structure so that you have a broad understanding of the subject as whole. This branch of science is particularly important for students who plan on majoring or working on degrees in physiology, medicine or conservation. Regardless of your major, you will probably be taking another biology course at some point in your college career, and your high school course will help prepare you for that.
As another foundation of science, chemistry is commonly required by colleges and universities for incoming freshmen. Students in a high school chemistry course will learn the basics of the subjects, such as the periodic table, the differences between atoms and molecules and the components of different chemical formulas. Even if you don’t plan on majoring in chemistry or another science area, many of the skills you learn in your high school chemistry class may be applied throughout your college career.
Physics is another subject that many colleges want to see on your transcript. Aside from satisfying a college requirement, taking this subject in high school can be beneficial in helping students in their college physics courses. Like the other branches of science, critical thinking and problem solving also play a role in physics, and these skills may help you in your other classes and after you graduate.
A laboratory component of a science course is also required at most schools. In addition to the regular coursework, the high school science lab is a place for hands-on learning and development of practical skills, and colleges recognize this. While many high schools offer science courses with a built-in lab component, some do not and only provide the lab for students in advanced placement courses, which is something to think about when selecting your high school classes.