College Bound: Tougher Course or Higher Grade?

Question: Should I take a higher level course where I might get a B or take an easier course where I know I will get an A?

Answer: I am often asked this question by college bound students and parents of high school students. My first response is to take the more difficult course and get an A. Then I go on to say, that while it is easier to say, it is often more difficult to do. The question really is which is more important getting a perfect grade or challenging oneself with a higher level course. Assuming that the student has good grades and is realistically capable of doing the work my answer usually is to take the more rigorous course.

The Center for Public Education recently conducted a study that supports this view. They found that perfect grades are trumped by higher level courses. "Taking more rigorous courses, especially in math and science, gives an applicant a better chance of getting into a competitive college than does raising his or her GPA."