WESTERN HIGH SCHOOL

All Advanced Placement (AP),  Dual Credit and Honors courses at Western High School are on a weighted grading scale to give students a boost to their GPA for earning a passing grade in a more rigorous class.

Graduation/Academic Distinction

SUMMA CUM LAUDE

• “with highest distinction”
• 4.10 or higher GPA
• Academic Honors/Technical Honors diploma candidate

MAGNA CUM LAUDE

• “with great distinction”
• 3.85-4.09 GPA
• Academic Honors/Technical Honors diploma candidate

CUM LAUDE

• “with distinction”
• 3.70-3.849 GPA
• Academic Honors/Technical Honors diploma candidate

All students will meet with their counselor and create a four year high school plan. While these plans are not permanent, they should be used as a guiding tool when selecting courses each year in high school. Four year plans should reflect the student’s intended goals upon graduation from high school. Below you will find a course plan for each grade level to help students decide which classes they should take each year of high school.

FRESHMAN

• English 9
• Algebra I (some students are eligible for Geometry)
• Biology
• Geography & History of the World
• PE I and PE II
• Electives: World Language, Ag Science, Fine Arts, Family & Consumer Science, Business, Industrial Technology

SOPHOMORE

• English 10
• Geometry
• Chemistry or ICP
• Health / Personal Finance
• Electives: World Language, Ag Science, Fine Arts, Family & Consumer Science, Business, Industrial Technology

JUNIOR

• English 11 or AP English
• Algebra II
• Science (variety of options)
• US History 
• Electives: World Language, Ag Science, Fine Arts, Family & Consumer Science, Business, Industrial Technology
• *Academic Honors Diploma requires at least three years of world language

SENIOR

• English 12 or ACP English
• Pre-Calculus & Trigonometry, AP Statistics, AP Calculus, Finite Math, or Business Math
• Science (variety of options)
• Economics and U.S. Government
• Electives: World Language, Ag Science, Fine Arts, Family & Consumer Science, Business, Industrial Technology

2025-2026 SCHOLARSHIPS

Students aspiring to play NCAA Division I or II athletics must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center following their junior year.

To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during your first year at a Division I school, you must graduate from high school and meet ALL the following requirements:

• Complete 16 core courses:
  • Four years of English
  • Three years of math (Algebra I or higher)
  • Two years of natural/physical science (including one year of lab science)
  • One additional year of English, math or natural/physical science
  • Two years of social science
  • Four additional years of English, math, natural/physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
• Complete 10 core courses, including seven in English, math or natural/physical science, before your seventh semester. Once you begin your seventh semester, you may not repeat or replace any of those 10 courses to improve your core-course GPA.
• Earn at least a 2.3 GPA in your core courses.
• Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division I sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible.

To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during your first year at a Division II school, you must meet academic requirements for your core courses, grade-point average (GPA) and test scores.

You must graduate high school and meet ALL of the following requirements:

• Complete 16 core courses:
  • Three years of English
  • Two years of math (Algebra I or higher)
  • Two years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science)
  • Three additional years of English, math or natural or physical science
  • Two years of social science
  • Four additional years of English, math, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
• Earn at least a 2.2 GPA in your core courses.
• Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division II sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible.

Students aspiring to play at an NAIA school must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center. Keep in mind the NAIA and the NCAA are two separate associations. They have different rules and different processes, so you still need to register with the NAIA even if you have already registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Students must meet two of the three criteria and graduate from high school:

1. Minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
2. Minimum ACT of 18 or SAT of 970
3. Graduate in the top half of your class

Check courses carefully with your counselor each semester to make sure you are meeting NCAA or NAIA course requirements. This is ultimately the family’s responsibility.