Applicants for admission from a secondary school should complete an academic program that prepares them to be successful at Converse. While course offerings vary among schools, students should complete at least 20 academic units including 13 of the following at a college preparatory level:
| English | 4 |
| Foreign Language or Fine Arts | 2 |
| Algebra | 2 |
| Geometry | 1 |
| History | 1 |
| Social Science | 1 |
| Laboratory Science | 2 |
Additional units should be elected from the above areas of study.
Home-schooled applicants should provide proof of enrollment in a certified program of study. Home-schooled students are subject to the same documentation requirements as their peers attending a public, private, or parochial high school, with the following clarification.
- If an official transcript is unavailable, the following must be provided:
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printed list of classes taken through home-school
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the grade in which they were taken, the grade the student made in the class and the curriculum used, if available
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transcripts must be signed by the primary teacher of the student (most likely a parent)
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- General Educational Development (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) scores can be submitted in lieu of a final high school transcript if graduation requirements were not met.