Course selection for the 2026-2027 school year officially opened to all Prosper ISD students Jan. 12 on Skyward. Students are required to choose eight courses and three alternatives before the deadline for selection, next Wednesday, Jan. 28.
To discuss any questions or concerns regarding their chosen classes for the next academic year, students have the ability to meet with their designated counselors.
“Students are welcome to come by before school, after school or during lunch to visit with their counselor,” Julie Cooper, lead counselor said. “They can also email their counselor to get an answer to a question or to find a time to meet.”
As the lead counselor, Cooper oversees the counseling program, while each alpha counselor has a caseload of around 375 students.
“Counselors meet individually with students to go over course selections and graduation requirements,” Cooper said. “Counselors can answer any questions during individual meetings.”
At these individual meetings, students are able to discuss eligibility for off periods, career paths, choosing between Advanced Placement courses or dual credit enrollment and more.
“Choosing to take advanced courses like honors, AP and dual credit courses help prepare students for college coursework,” Cooper said. “CTE courses help students decide if they are interested in that career field before they invest in college or trade school to pursue that career path.”
More than 15 AP classes are offered for students to take through College Board, ranging from AP Precalculus and AP Statistics to AP Art History and AP Seminar. One can potentially earn college credit if they receive a qualifying score of 3, 4 or 5 in an AP courses’ standardized exam in May. In addition, PHS partners with Collin College to provide dual credit opportunities to students, where they can take college level classes while earning both high school and college credit.
“I kind of have to take advanced classes considering I want to go to law school,” junior Bianca Braguta said. “Then just in general, I think they’re really good for personal development and staying organized because they teach you more than a standard class would.”
To decide whether AP, dual credit, or on-level courses are right for them, students can refer to the graphic on the left, speak with their counselors, or consult the Prosper ISD website.
“A lot of kids have a (misconception) that they need to be in all these advanced classes or try to take all these advanced or dual credit classes so colleges would accept them,” Sakina Sitabkhan, special education, counseling and mental health teacher said. “When they do that, they tend to stress themselves out and have anxiety, so I will suggest picking classes that gear towards what you’re deciding to do as a career.”
For students having trouble choosing their classes, Cooper offered advice.
“Don’t panic,” Cooper said. “Counselors can answer questions and make any necessary changes to course selections during individual meetings.”
To view more information regarding available classes, Prosper ISD extends a course catalog which includes course descriptions and educational pathways for students and parents to access.
“Take a few minutes to look through the PISD Course Catalog,” Cooper said. “There is a lot of great information about course planning along with course descriptions and CTE pathways to help you plan your coursework for high school.”
This article has been edited by Tejas Konka, Trisha Panicker and Palak Agarwalla.
