Students strive to accomplish wonderful things in high school, both for their own sake, and to impress colleges with their vigor and drive. Of course, accomplishments are better if there is some verification that they happened; anyone can say they’ve flown to the Moon, but unless there’s some way to verify that, then the claims are worth far less.
Of course, most claims are not nearly this grand, but colleges do like seeing some third party confirmation of your accomplishments. One great way to do this is certifications, professional and otherwise. These state that you have a specific skill, and the training to use it, and that this has been verified by an independent body. In this article we’re going to go over how these certifications work, and how they can contribute to your college application. Then we’re going to cover a long list of possible certifications you can earn, broken down by discipline. Let’s get started!
Why Certifications Matter
Certain jobs and opportunities require specific skills. At a basic level, if you want a job doing computer programming, you need to be familiar with at least one coding language. Some jobs require more niche skills; lifeguards need to know CPR, architects should understand CAD (Computer Aided Design), and archaeologists need to be able to use GIS (Geographic Information System) software.
These matter for professional jobs, but can also be impressive in other contexts. For example, if you are applying to college with the goal of one day becoming a doctor, then getting certified in first aid is a thing you can do right now to both show your commitment, and begin learning skills that will come in handy later. Colleges want students with the drive to pursue their passions actively, and earning a professional certificate is a great way to demonstrate this drive in a way that’s verifiable.
Of course, not all certificates are created equal. There are plenty of websites where you can get certified in all kinds of things as a joke, and even more which charge high fees for certifications that aren’t worth much of anything. You must examine the credibility of whichever institution is offering the certificate, as this will greatly impact whether or not it is worth the paper it is printed on. Here are the criteria we use to evaluate a certificate:
- What is required to earn it? Certificates where you need to complete set tasks and prove competence are worth more than ones where the only requirements are the ability to sign your name and pay a fee.
- Who is offering it? Note that an impressive sounding name is not all that you’re looking for. If it’s offered by a company, look for how long they’ve been in business, and what their industry reputation is.
- Who is it aimed at? Certifications required by professionals are often more credible, and a better use of your time, but this is not always the case.
- What does it cost? Some certifications may be quite inexpensive, while others are more costly. Cost alone doesn’t determine if a certificate is worth anything, but cost without purpose should raise red flags.
These are not the only questions to ask, but it is worth know exactly what you’re paying for, and what it’s worth, before you invest in it. As we go through certificates later in this article, we’ll let you know our evaluation of how credible each is.
Certificates For High School Students
This isn’t going to be a complete list of certificates that high school students can earn of course; there are a great many out there. We are going to cover ones we have found particularly interesting or useful to students, and which have solid reputations. A certification not being on this list is not indicative of quality, for good or ill, but we do advise verifying each carefully first, before committing.
This list is broken down by area of interest, for each of browsing.
Online Coursework Certificates
One of the most common kinds of certification we come across are those offered by online coursework organizations, such as Udemy, edX, and Coursera. These certify that you completed the courses you say you did, and thus have the associated skills. These are not worthless, but they are generally not needed for college applications.
You can’t earn college credit from these courses, and we recommend just using them as a way to explore areas of interest to you. Getting a certificate will add nothing to your profile that simply saying you completed wouldn’t already have done. These certificates do have a purpose if you are using them for job qualifications, but they are unnecessary when applying to college.
A Note on Engineering Certifications
Engineers are required to certify and register in order to work as engineers. These are intensive exams, and require you to have completed an undergraduate engineering program at an accredited school to sit for them. Understandably, this makes these certifications impractical for high school students to pursue. Luckily, there are plenty of amateur engineering projects you can pursue without certification.
Certificates for Business Students
Certified Futures and Options Analyst (CFOA)
Offered by the International Council for Derivative Trading, this is a specific certification to indicate that you are trained in trading derivatives. This is generally intended for professional investors, but is also a way for independent investors to prove their snuff and demonstrate they understand the markets they are moving in.
This certification requires completing the exam. There was originally a requirement of either a university degree or two years of trading experience, but this has been waived. That said, we do recommend you have both significant trading experience and an in-depth understanding of derivatives markets before taking the exam; the goal is to demonstrate mastery which you should already possess.
The exam is 80 minutes long with 100 multiple choice questions, broken up into four sections. It may be taken at a testing center, or through a remote testing service. The test covers derivatives, options, futures, and risk management. The current fee is $390; once you are certified, you remain so for life.
Microsoft Office Certifications
Microsoft Office, and the tools associated with it, are some of the most used software products in the world. Having an understanding of how they work is an excellent skill, and having an advanced understanding of how they work is valuable indeed. These certifications do tend to be more useful for job applications, but the skills you learn are broadly applicable.
Some high schools offer these certifications to their students through certain coursework and electives, but this is not universal. If your high school doesn’t (or you simply can’t fit them into your schedule), you can get certified from Microsoft directly. The cost for this varies based on the test and the level you are aiming for.
We recommend focusing on Word and Excel, but other programs may be of interest based on your own pursuits. Word and Excel are the most widely used and applicable programs however, and both provide powerful tools, which can be of great help to you in college and beyond. If you are attempting certification by exam, you should make sure you have a thorough understanding of each program first. Some of these have associated training, other times you must find training separately.
Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst
This certification is offered by the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI), and is intended for people who want financial analytic and modeling skills. This certification is not just an exam, but includes a number of optional and required coursework; thus it is a good introduction to the topics as well, rather than just a signifier that you have already mastered the material at hand.
These courses do mean that this certificate requires some time commitment; you will need to spend several months learning material before you actually take the certification exam. That said, learning is valuable in its own right, and this is a good certificate to aim for first because of the coursework included. The pricing structure on their website is opaque, but this is not the cheapest certificate.
Investment Foundations Certificate
Offered by the CFA institute, this certificate is an introductory overview to investment, in both simple and complex cases. It covers structure, concepts, and ethical considerations of investing. This is done through self-paced online coursework, which culminates in an exam to earn the certification. The cost for this is currently $350.
This is more introductory, but that is good for students, especially those looking to get involved with stock trading themselves. The coursework which comes with it is a good introduction to concepts that you usually won’t find in high school, and can serve as a solid foundation to be able to investigate further on your own.
Certificates for Computer Science Students
Codecademy Certifications
Codecademy offers professional certifications in most popular programming languages, at multiple levels of expertise. If you have taught yourself programming and want to apply for a job doing coding, then investing in one of these may be worth it. They are less important for college applications, but do look quite good on a resume.
Codecademy generally is a great resource to learn coding online, and they are generally well regarded in the tech field. That doesn’t mean one of these certificates is always worth it, or even necessary, but they are useful if you want to demonstrate to an employer that you have coding skills, even if you were unable to take any coding courses at your high school.
Certified Ethical Hacker
This exam is for those interested in cyber security, with a focus on understanding and defending various techniques used by hackers. There are technically no prerequisites to take this exam, but they do expect you to already have a solid understanding of both coding and cybersecurity principles. You can take the exam without any qualifications, but it will be quite difficult.
You can either take their class, or learn cybersecurity elsewhere. Once you are fully confident in your skills, you can take the exam. You must first apply to take the exam, and then take it. These exams are offered both virtually and through testing centers. This is a fairly time-intensive process, both in terms of initial preparation and for the exams themselves, requiring two days and multiple hours of training. The cost varies, depending on what training you sign up for.
Google Certifications
Google offers a plethora of online coursework and certifications. These cover a range of fields, but as a tech company, most are at the very least tech adjacent, and a significant number cover useful tech subjects. These are self-paced courses, allowing you to learn at your own pace and then test for certifications in fields such as data analytics, UX Design, or cybersecurity.
Working through Google certificates is a subscription model, costing $49 per month. These courses are offered in partnership with Coursera. These are intended primarily for job growth and career readiness, but will also serve students looking to get introductions to these fields, or to learn specific skills to launch their own projects. These are a great place to begin with, as many of these courses require no prior knowledge in the field, and teach you all of the fundamentals you need as you go through them.
You can do as many or as few of these courses as you wish, but we recommend sticking to ones that complement your core interests, and where you can put the skills to use on projects you are undertaking.
Linux Professional Institute Certifications
Linux is a very popular operating system among significant portions of the tech field, and a large number of tech companies and systems make use of it. While it is not used nearly as broadly as Windows or Apple, it still has a broad appeal. The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) offers training and certifications in using Linux and other open source software.
These certifications parallel and complement similar offerings for more popular operating systems, but offer a particular benefit for students interested in specific realms of tech. If you are interested in working in Linux systems or open source development, either now or in the future, these are useful certifications to earn.
Exams vary by price and requirements by level. Note that prices also depend on your country. All exams are offered fully online; you do not need to do any training first, but we recommend having a thorough command of the associated systems before sitting for the certification exams.
CompTIA Certifications
The Computing Technology Industry Association offers a number of introductory and professional level certifications in IT and other tech specialties. These are accredited, and widely respected in the tech field. These are generally sought by those applying for jobs in the industry, but can also be used to build skills you need for personal projects, or demonstrate competence to colleges.
Note that unlike many other certifications we have mentioned here, CompTIA certificates expire after three years, and require you to either pay for a retest, or pay a maintenance fee and access continuing coursework. Their reasoning for this is that the tech field is constantly changing; this is true, but it does also provide a solid revenue stream for them.
The cost and time commitment varies by certification. We recommend focusing on one or two which best complement your interests, or that will give you skills to pursue your own independent projects.
Apple Certifications
Apple exists in its own operating system bubble, which some prefer and some do not. If you are working in this bubble, then getting trained and certified can be quite useful. They offer training on both app development and general IT. Note that Apple systems do tend to be a bit more closed box than Windows, and significantly more closed than Linux (but everything is more closed than Linux), so you may get less room for experimentation within the system.
We recommend this for students who want to work within the Apple ecosystem; it is equally good as any other certificate when showing colleges your interest in computer science. It is slightly less helpful as far as career certification though, simply because there are fewer companies using Apple systems.
IBM Certification
As a major and long-standing player in the tech field, IBM offers a number of certification programs online. These are intended for professionals to showcase career skills primarily, but are also a way for you to show off your skills and expertise. The process offers both training courses and certification exams; you may pay for training, or just the certifications themselves.
We do advise undergoing training before undertaking any of the exams. This does not need to be from IBM, of course, but you should be confident of passing the exam before attempting it. The cost varies by certification. We advise doing one or two of these which complement your own areas of interest. Note that many of these are offered at an advanced level, and are not necessarily intended for those new to the industry.
Dell Certifications
Dell, the computer manufacturer, offers a number of professional certifications. They have fewer than some competitors, and most focus on tools which are often packaged with Dell devices, with the intended clients for these trainings being companies who purchase industrial quantities of Dell laptops.
These can be useful for students as a demonstration of your interest in certain fields, but often have less immediate applicability to your own projects than some other certifications. Dell offers trainings as well, which may be packaged with certifications, or approached separately. The cost varies by certification. These are not bad for students, but may not be as immediately relevant as some other options.
Certificates for Pre-Med Students
Red Cross Certifications
The Red Cross is a major force within medicine, and offers a significant number of fully online courses and certifications which are available to all. Some courses are only offered in person, but due to their broad reach, it is often easy to find courses in your area. These courses tend to focus on various aspects of medical care that non-emergency personnel may find themselves doing, from CPR to full first-aid courses.
The cost of these varies by format and course, but they offer a wide variety of options. Many of these are basic, but they have some advanced and specialized ones as well. You may even be required to get certified with these courses for certain jobs, specifically lifeguard.
If you are interested in medicine, then getting certified for first aid, AEDs, or other lifesaving care is a great first step to take. On top of that, these are just really good skills to have, for both medicine and in life generally. Note that not all courses are intended for the public, but students are welcome to take part in any that are.
American Heart Association Courses
The American Heart Association offers online courses on first aid, CPR, and other health related topics, specifically those related to heart health. They have slightly less breadth than the Red Cross here, in large part because they have a more narrow purview.
In general, you only need a single first aid or CPR certification, though you may be asked to recertify regularly, especially if you end up in a job which requires it. We advise going for whichever provider best meets your needs; there isn’t going to be any major difference in material presented in these courses. You are, of course, free to certify multiple times, but we don’t see any benefit to this.
Wilderness First Aid
These are an extension of first aid training, and offer a significant amount of new material to students. The point of first aid generally is to stabilize a patient until professionals arrive. In a wilderness setting, this can be more difficult, so what is required of you as a responder may be significantly enhanced. These courses are generally a good idea if you go camping often, but are also good for students interested in medicine because they go far more in-depth on treatment techniques and methods than a standard first-aid course.
There are several levels to these courses, which become more intensive and more expensive as they go, as they cover more and more ground. These are a good way to gain some initial insights into medical treatments, and also give you some useful and practical skills, ones you hopefully will never need (but being prepared is always a good thing).
National Caregiver Certification
This is a certification intended for those working in senior care or assisted living facilities, or those who may be helping a family member in convalescence. For pre-med students, this certification can qualify you to work in a nursing home, and gain some initial patient interaction experience.
This is a basic certification, costing $99-$138, and covers what you need to know to be able to give a standard level of care. This is most helpful for students to qualify for other opportunities of note, but also shows an early commitment to helping people. If you do have a responsibility to care for a family member, this can be a good resource as well, to affirm the work you are doing.
Other Certifications for High School Students
ArcGIS Certification
GIS programs are used to create detailed maps of areas, and are commonly used in fieldwork, specifically archaeology, but in other related fields as well. Some universities offer specific courses on using GIS programs, but you can learn on your own as well. If you are interested in archaeology or geology, this is one good way to get a jump on a useful subject in high school.
The certification is offered by the company who makes the ArcGIS software, and demonstrates your mastery of it. If you are looking to explore GIS generally and don’t think a certification is necessary at this time, then we recommend QGIS. Both programs are used in the field, and both are respected by experts.
Pilot’s License
You don’t only get the chance to gain a learner’s permit for a car at 16 (at least in most states), you can also get a student license for aviation. This is of course somewhat niche, and requires access to things like a plane (you know, just a minor thing like that). This is an interesting certification to get simply because it is rare, and unique, and likely to make an application stand out.
One of the things we help students do often is figure out how to differentiate themselves from their peers. When 50,000 people apply to a school, what makes your application unique? Being a certified pilot doesn’t necessarily make you more qualified to be a doctor or lawyer, but it is unique and interesting, and makes admissions officers take interest. This won’t be an option for all students, but if you do have access to an airplane, then you should consider learning to fly it.
CAD Certifications
Autodesk, the maker of the most commonly used CAD (Computer Aided Design) software, offers training and certifications for their products. This program is commonly used by anyone doing design work, and is therefore quite useful in a lot of fields, notably engineering, architecture, and construction, but is also used in everything from set design to robotics.
Of course, you don’t need to be certified to use CAD, but if you are going into architecture specifically, you should have some experience with CAD, and a certification is quite helpful here to showcase this. This isn’t as necessary for engineering, but can still be a useful skill to pick up for students interested in pursuing engineering projects, either now or in the future.
Translator Certification
You can become a certified translator if you have full fluency in both languages (generally to and from English, but not necessarily). This exam focuses on written rather than spoken translations, and is open book. The passages translated are high level, and are university-level texts (though they do not include technical terms).
These certifications are primarily useful for people who want to get jobs in translation, but students interested in international affairs or international business will need to study languages anyway, and having a jump on that can help. Note that the level of fluency required is generally above what you would gain even in an AP language course; these exams would require self-study and a degree of proficiency beyond what you can generally achieve in high school. If you do have this proficiency already, however, they can be a very good option.
Are Certifications Right for You?
This is an important question. While there are many certifications available to high school students, most of them require a significant investment of time or money, of which you only have so much. The answer, as with so many things in life, is that it depends. In this section then, we’re going to go over when you should get certified, and how doing so properly can improve your candidacy for top colleges.
The first thing to note is that certification is not an end unto itself. The goal of a certificate is to prove that you have the skills that you claim you do, and to demonstrate your competence in them. Putting these skills to use is often more important than getting them in the first place.
Thus, getting a certificate showing that you are qualified to trade derivatives is nice, but using the knowledge you gained in doing so to help your parents manage their portfolio is more impactful. Getting the certification is just the first step, you must then put that knowledge to work.
You can, of course, simply start trading derivatives without one of these certificates, the point of it is to prove that you have this knowledge, and that you worked hard to get it. Colleges want to recruit students who are active in their pursuit of new horizons, and working towards a certification demonstrates this. Further, colleges want students who will do something with all of that knowledge, on campus and beyond, and so too should you make use of your newly certified skills.
Final Thoughts
There are many potential ways you can explore during high school, but certifications are one that many students have never considered, and which can allow you to explore avenues and subjects many high schools don’t cover. In addition, the skills you gain in doing so can directly contribute to other projects you seek to take on, and find use both now and in any future career you pursue.
We hope this article has given you a solid introduction to certificates, and introduced you to some which may be of interest to you. Of course, we can’t cover everything, but we have tried to be as comprehensive as possible. If you are looking for more personalized advice about exploring your passions, or becoming the kind of student top colleges are eager to admit, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience guiding students in discovering their passions, and are always happy to hear from you.
