<p>Hello, I'm a current sophomore in a California high school and my class just had a conference about picking courses and discussing colleges. My junior year course doesn't seem to tough for me.
This is my course for junior year as of now:
1. English 3 AP
2. U.S. History AP
3. Pre Calculus Honors
4. Korean 4 Honors
5. Journalism
6. Basketball</p>
<p>Right now I don't feel like this course is that challenging for me and I want to take out either Journalism or Basketball and replace it with an AP science course like Biology AP, Physics AP, or Chem AP. I know I'm decent in Math, English, and History, but I feel like I need to challenge myself with a difficult science course. I know the AP Chem teacher next year is very good, Physics interests me, and Bio AP is a class that everyone takes and its the most difficult of the AP sciences. But I need to input either of those classes in the place of Journalism or Basketball. </p>
<p>Since I was a team manager for the Frosh-Soph team this year (I was enrolled in the actual class), there's a high chance that I will be the team manager for the JV team in junior year. I know that the head coach likes me a lot, but he has other people do different things during games without having them being enrolled in the basketball class like doing shot clock or game clock (I took statistics and drew plays, most important role of any non-player). But for Journalism, I haven't taken the course but the head and sponsor of Journalism knows me and thinks I'm a good writer because I had her in English 1H. Also, she said that the students in Journalism from my class are weak and she thinks I can be a possible editor-in-chief by senior year. Being in Journalism will reduce the stress of my classes because its 2 weeks of work then 2 weeks of break. Honestly, I like writing and featuring my articles in the school newspaper, but being a basketball team manager looks very good on a college application. So, in the end, it's either 2 years as an editor in Journalism (which I like more than basketball) or 3 years as a team-manager for basketball. Please give helpful insight and advice and wish me luck in junior and senior year!</p>
<p>This is a no-brainer–journalism, because you like it. Why do something you don’t like as much? And who told you being an editor-in-chief doesn’t look good on a college application? It’s a leadership position and the highest position for a school newspaper. </p>
<p>@foolish All athletics are 6th period except for zero period football and attendance is kept track of. Also some sports like swim gives you credit or no credit based on if you attend or don’t attend practices or meets.</p>
<p>@CE527M I was asking since being involved in an athletics is really beneficial for the extra-curricular part of a college app, but I think journalism will help me with writing and english skills since I’ll be doing either political science or business economics</p>
<p>Yeah but you’re the team manager, which isn’t exactly the same as lettering in varsity. Either way, athletics don’t make an application…plenty of ECs can take its place.</p>
<p>A sport IS an extracurricular; it is no better than a leadership position in something worthwhile. People really need to realize that you don’t (and shouldn’t) strive to be the stereotypical average well-rounded kid, as no school wants a body of homogeneous students who dabble in everything but excel in nothing. </p>
<p>In my stand, your schedule does have some rigor, they’re a combination of thinking and busy work. AP English Language and AP US History, both hefty. Pre Calculus Honors and Korean 4 Honors, my goodness…that is outstanding. </p>
<p>Both Journalism and Basketball are cool and excellent ECs, so in my stand, I would probably give your schedule a 7.5ish out of 10, which is good. </p>
<p>Can’t you ask your counselor to take a 7th class to take as a 0 period and put your desired AP in it? Since neither of your wanted majors are science lab related, I would go with the one that you’re most talented in with the exception of the high probability of you getting an A in the class. (B is fine, I would say C, but it’s junior year)</p>
<p>If you can’t then I would stick with the schedule, but if I had to choose in this situation, probably Basketball, since you are already commited to it, 4 years of an EC is quite intriguing for colleges. (Just my opinion, I see other people with Journalism as the wanted) Plus, AP English Language should prepare you at least at a satisfying amount. </p>
<p>@foolish, @CE527M, @elefish92 I’ve decided that I’m going to take this course:
Eng 3 AP
US History AP
Chemistry AP
Pre-Calculus Honors
Korean 4 Honors
Basketball</p>
<p>In senior year, I will have the opportunity to lessen my stress and take Journalism as a class I enjoy and stay with this course for junior year to show I can stay committed to a program, in this case Korean 1-4 and Basketball, and show that I tried to challenge myself. Thank you all for the helpful advice and wish me luck next year.</p>