Students at Gabrielino High School are selecting courses for the 2026-2027 school year, with new electives, dual enrollment options and continued competition for Advanced Placement (AP) classes shaping their decisions.
Course selection is taking place this month as students meet with counselors, review graduation requirements and submit requests for next year.
According to Maribel Arreola-Gonzalez, counselor, there are several new course offerings available.
“We do have a new course offering. Animal Science is one of them,” Arreola-Gonzalez said. The class will be available to juniors and seniors.
A new physical education course, alternative fitness, is also being offered. This class includes a variety of workouts, including high-intensity interval training (HIIT), step aerobics, pound fitness and mindful movement.
A new video production class will also be offered to sophomores through seniors. Arreola-Gonzalez said it is a Career Technical Education (CTE) course, but additional information is still being finalized.
New dual enrollment courses are scheduled to begin on Feb. 19. One of the courses is Introduction to Criminal Justice.
“It is a class that I would recommend to any student who is considering going into that field,” Arreola-Gonzalez said.
While new options are being added, some courses continue to grow in popularity.
“Drama has been very popular this year,” Arreola-Gonzalez said, noting that enrollment has increased compared to previous years.
The Production Tech class has also received positive reviews from students and typically fills up, even though it is held after school.
Although there are no major changes to graduation requirements, Arreola-Gonzalez said students must pay attention to prerequisites. For example, students interested in AP Physics must be enrolled in at least Algebra II.
Arreola-Gonzalez said a common mistake students make is not considering their current grades before selecting more rigorous classes.
“Sometimes students do not consider their current year’s grades when selecting classes,” Arreola-Gonzalez said. She recommends that students speak with their current teachers before enrolling in AP courses to ensure they are prepared.
Arreola-Gonzalez also said that while course selection has always been competitive, more students have recently attempted to drop AP courses mid-semester.
“It is extremely difficult to drop an AP course mid-semester because it will appear on your transcript as a ‘Withdraw/Fail,’” Arreola-Gonzalez said.
Freshman Emelle Li said college preparation was the main factor influencing her choices.
“Mostly college,” Li said. “I was thinking about what would look good and help me later on.”
Li said her approach to scheduling has changed since eighth grade.
“I am more focused on what I actually need and what will help me in the future, not just what sounds fun,” Li said.
Li said she is nervous about taking orchestra next year because it requires consistent practice.
“You cannot really study for it. You just have to practice,” Li said.
Junior Chelsea Wu said her schedule is focused on making up classes she missed last year.
“I am basically taking everything I would have taken before,” Wu said.
Junior Julie Bauzon said her course choices connect directly to her intended college major.
“I chose classes that connect to what I might want to major in during college,” Bauzon said. She plans to take AP Physics to strengthen her science background as a future STEM major.
Bauzon said she is intentionally challenging herself next year.
“I want to prove I can handle tough classes and build perseverance,” Bauzon said.
Both juniors said balance is important when choosing classes.
“Find a balance between challenging yourself and protecting your mental well-being,” Wu said.
“Choose classes that make you happy but also set you up for college and your future,” Bauzon said.
As students finalize their schedules, counselors advise them to consider graduation requirements, academic readiness and extracurricular commitments before submitting their requests.
