As if high school classes weren’t enough! Being a high school senior can be overwhelming with sports, band, student council, debate and youth groups, not to mention work. Isn’t the last year of high school supposed to be one of the best times of your life?

It often is. But being a senior also means it’s time to prepare for

the future, and that’s why many seniors are now taking college classes during that final year of high school in addition to advanced-placement classes.

While good grades in core classes are important to help you get into college, so is the level of course difficulty. Though class rank and GPA are important in college admissions, you are probably better off with a B in an intro English class from a community college than an A in physical education in high school.

“If you have the chance to take college classes in high school, by all means take advantage of the opportunity,” says Peter Vogt, president of Career Planning Resources, a company that helps college students plan their futures. “You’ll get a direct sense of what college coursework is like, and you’ll soon understand that it’s a far cry from high school coursework in most cases. That is a good enough reason to pursue the idea.”

Vogt says taking college courses while in high school will also show college admissions reps that going to college is more than just Plan B.

“These are all good messages to send, especially when you’re trying to impress admissions officers at highly competitive schools,” he says.

So instead of padding your senior schedule with basket weaving, lunch and study halls, plan for your future instead. What you know now will only make you better prepared for college. Here are some questions Vogt offers to help decide whether you should take college classes while still in high school.

* Will taking a college course or two help you through high school? Will you earn

   credit for both your diploma and your college degree?
* Will taking college courses in high school save you time or money?

* Is there a college major about which you’d like to learn more? If so, taking a

   college-level course in high school in that subject area is a great way to find out if

   you’d like a job in that field.

* Do you have the time and energy you’ll need to succeed in a college-level course?

* Will the college you plan to attend after high school accept community college

   credit? Contact the colleges you’re interested in to learn how they treat college