<p>Hey,
I am currently a junior and I have taken band all 3 years of high school. However, I am debating whether or not to take band my senior year. I don't want to take it because my band teacher is a jerk and it's really not fun anymore, and to free up room in my schedule so I have some free periods. The reason I want free periods is because I have taken 7 classes all 3 years and I don't want to kill my self my senior year. The only reason I would want to take band is for colleges. My question is, how much will dropping band hurt me in college admissions? Keep in mind that I'm not aiming for HYPS or anything; my choices are the UC's, ranging from UCI to Berkeley.
Thanks,
Matthew</p>
<p>Taking band is a huge time suck... i've been in band for four years. i was in your position too, except at the end of soph year i really hated marching band and didnt want to ever have anything to do with again. I joined jazz band instead and its a lot more relaxed. On the other hand if the root of the problem lies in your dislike of your band director, switching to a different band won't really help.</p>
<p>That being said, it's hard to say how much dropping band will hurt you. Is it one of your main, important ec's? or do you have other stuff that you care about more and have shown just as much devotion and given just as much time to? If band is your only ec, then dropping it senior year is not a good idea.</p>
<p>If it helps at all, my other main ec's are ASB (commissioner of sound technology, about 6 hrs/wk for about 45 wks/yr) and Science National Honor Society (co-founder and treasurer, about 5 hrs/wk about 40 wks/yr). I also have CSF and NHS, but I'm not as involved with those. Also my UC GPA is approximately a 4.0 and I haven't taken my SAT's yet.</p>
<p>I'd say you might as well take band again just to be on the safe side. Better one year of misery than a lifetime of regret.</p>
<p>You'd probably be ok. I had to drop band my senior year because it wouldn't fit in my schedule, and it didn't hurt me.</p>
<p>If you're not heavily involved in music outside of school, then band is just another class, right? I can't see that it will make much difference, unless your senior schedule looks too easy. Why don't you take another arts class or something instead?</p>