Stanford Online High School is known for its academic rigor, with its classes not only covering a broad amount of topics each, but also going into unique depth. At OHS, the standard workload for a full-time student is five courses. However, after their first year, a student has the option to send a petition to take a sixth class, which is then reviewed by a committee that includes but is not limited to the academic advisors. Which is an optimal course load for full-time students, five or six classes?

In general, students opt to take five classes. A voluntary survey of 26 current full-time students from grades 8-12 revealed 85.2% of these students were taking five classes, while the remaining 14.8% were taking six classes. Why is that? 

When asked whether she recommended five or six classes, high school academic advisor Yliana Gomez said “Six is considered a lot…consistently to every student we recommend five.” Five classes is already difficult, and adding another can significantly increase academic pressure. Gomez has seen many students’ grades start slipping after committing themselves to 6 classes. “There’s also a lot of burnout,” she said, pointing out the concern of mental health. A 2021 study called “The Effect of School Burnout on Academic Achievement and Well-Being in High School Students: A Holistic Model Proposal” published by the International Journal of Contemporary Educational research found student burnout “Had a direct and negative predictive effect on both academic achievement […] and well-being.”

Yet, that does not necessarily mean one number of courses is better than the other; taking a sixth class gives students the option to explore more topics they are interested in or would like to take to build their resume. Indeed, OHS’s standard of five classes is below the typical number of classes one would take at other high schools.

 “I really appreciate the opportunity to explore different topics and classes,” said an anonymous student from the survey. 

Another explained “I joined OHS last year and immediately became a full-time student, so if I wanted to take any classes that weren’t directly for the sake of fulfilling my graduation credits, I had to take more than five classes.”

If you are a full-time student with plans to graduate from OHS, there are many credit requirements you will have to meet, and if there is an additional class you want to take, you may need to schedule a sixth class. In this case, a sixth class at OHS – or other options – could be good for you if you believe you can handle its workload along with your other classes and activities. As one surveyed student stated, the ability to handle an extra class is “heavily based on whether your current course load is hard enough.”

One can also take classes they are interested in outside of OHS during the school year, or even during the summer. This also opens doors for students to take classes OHS may not directly offer. Your academic advisor can provide you with a list of schools whose class credits will transfer to their OHS credit hours. However, Gomez says students should not pressure themselves to take six classes because “OHS has a reputation for its rigor, so it doesn’t affect students that are applying to universities.” Altogether, if you choose to take a 6th class at OHS or outside of OHS, it is recommended that it be because you are genuinely fascinated by a topic or know it will give you practical knowledge you need – not just to fill space on a transcript. Moreover, it is important to recognize you have several options.

Cases also vary from student to student. For instance, student athletes have to take into account the challenge and work a 6th class brings to the table and if it will interfere with their sport. Sophomore Sophie Quang is a competitive ski racer and tennis player who opted to take a 6th class this year. During ski season, she will have several hour sessions that can range from a few days a week to every day. She acknowledges her 6th class this year is a half-credit class and manages well, but sometimes finds her course load “still stressful.” 

As an athlete, she says, “I think it definitely depends on what your sport is and what other classes you are taking, and just how comfortable you feel at the school in general.”

Overall, as Gomez says, “Every student has a different path, so it is important to talk to advising.” OHS offers many support systems that students can make use of, especially when considering what course load is right for them.