Are senior year off-periods more beneficial than classes?

Applying to College
1

<p>At my school, there is the option of having up to 2 off periods in senior year. My current schedule for senior year is rigged as follows:
AP Calc BC
AP Statistics
AP German IV (This is actually my fifth year of German)
AP Physics: Mechanics
Tennis period
Debate III
AP Government/AP Macroeconomics (1st semester/2nd semester)
AP English Literature</p>

<p>Under this setup I plan on GPA exempting each non-AP class, so I am in essence just showing up to tennis period and debate III. German IV gets me a free 100, which helps cushion out my ranking if I mess up in other more serious classes. AP Statistics I am taking voluntarily because I am interested in majoring in economics. </p>

<p>That right there is 4 periods I could afford to give up. The only cost is that tennis and debate are my two main extracurriculars and I am not sure if colleges will discount them if they don't show up on my schedule. </p>

<p>Anyway, I need to get to the point. I ramble because CC always makes me anxious. I really screwed up at the beginning of junior year. I went into this slump of depression yadda-yadda-won't get into the details but time went by too quickly and I did not achieve ANY of what I planned since sophomore year to help me achieve my goal of getting into a top school. </p>

<p>I was recently whining about this in another thread and someone recommended I re-read "How To Be a High School Superstar," as I did not get the message the first time. MY QUESTION IS THIS: should I get rid of two classes in my senior year and have two off-periods instead so I will have less school time and consequently more time for me to happen upon a genius idea like one in this book that will be able to save me from the imminent fate of state school that I am headed toward? I guess this is the same as asking: will having off-periods help me find out what my passion is, or will it just be more time for me to procrastinate and fail at college admissions?</p>

<p>Jesus, I take way too long to ask a question. I haven't been on CC in a while, just came back and it's freaking me out because I thought I was really behind but now I know I am REALLY behind. Thanks thanks guys if you respond.</p>

2

<p>In my opinion, don’t take more than one off-period. Colleges want to see you’re still motivated and two of them does not show that. I have mostly AP classes, with one being an “easier” one (only Honors). But, that does not, by any means, mean that you can’t enjoy your year. You have to know how to manage your classes better. For example, I do 99% of my homework in school. At the moment I have all A’s and all though some might drop to B’s, IT’S senior year! It doesn’t matter. I am sure you are intelligent enough to at least get B’s in those hard classes without trying. </p>

<p>Take the harder classes, work hard your first semester, then relax. They will look better. Several of my friends go to private schools with off-periods and it did not benefit them.</p>