Hi, I’m a freshman. I have planned out what classes I’m going to take the next year (9th grade). Please tell me if this is a manageable workload and if colleges will be impressed. Also, just tell me what you think of these classes in general. I will also put the classes I am taking this year.
GT Humanities
PAP Geometry
PAP Biology
AP Human Geography
PAP Computer Science
PAP Spanish 2
Band
Intro to Engineer Design
Yes. The schedule is typical for 9th graders in the honors track.
Students (and their parents) need to eliminate the words “impressive,” “like,” “best,” or similar words from their vocabulary until after college admissions decisions are made. It is the rare application/course schedule/EC that will “impress” admissions. Perhaps the AO that read Malala’s application was “impressed,” but she set the bar high.
I’m not sure of what type of classes you’ve taken in previous years, but by looking at your schedule, you seem to enjoy challenging yourself and picking the most challenging classes available, which is fantastic! This will distinguish you from your high school peers and will certainly make colleges keep an eye on you one day, but you’ll have to maintain overall good grades in the classes you choose and definitely want to keep them challenging.
If you feel like what you’re taking on is too much, however, don’t hesitate to make a decision. If that means dropping a class, that’s that. More importantly, don’t let trying to get the hardest schedule possible for your year get in the way of doing something you love. It goes without saying that I don’t know what your specific interests and passions are, but I trust that the classes you’ve chosen for this year reflect those interests.
That’s a nice schedule and looks pretty manageable for a freshman. Don’t forget about trying your hand at a couple different clubs to see which ones you like best and start developing extracurriculars.