<p>I'm about to enter my junior year of high school. I've always been a straight-A honors / AP student, and I load myself down with tough academic courses. The only non-academic courses I've taken are phys. ed, which is a requirement, and two full years of my school's journalism class, where I write for the school newspaper (I will have taken three credits of this course by the time I graduate). [[Journalism, it should be noted, counts as an English credit instead of an art/media credit. Being on the staff for the school newspaper is also counted as an extra-curricular activity.]]
What concerns me is that I am putting off taking "fine arts" courses until my senior year.
I am fully aware that all of the colleges to which I will be applying require at least a credit of fine arts courses (arts/music/media). Will it hurt me that I haven't taken any before senior year? Will schools see that I will be taking fine arts courses by the time I start applying to colleges next year?
I did not forget about fine arts classes or anything, and I participate in many art-related extracurricular activities. I just wanted to put off my school's art courses until senior year so that I could tackle the more rigorous academic classes.
Please tell me this won't hurt me. I just want to know if colleges will see that I'm taking my fine arts classes senior year, and will therefore consider me for admission. Colleges look at your senior year schedules, at the very least, correct?
By the time I graduate high school, I will certainly have all of the requirements out of the way. I just need to know if when I APPLY to colleges, they will see / care that I took my fine arts courses.</p>
<p>Colleges generally require a transcript, so they will see your senior year schedule. And their course requirements are for all four years of HS (at least for every college I’ve seen), so you should be fine taking your fine arts classes senior year. The only possible concern is if you opt for much easier courses instead of maintaining academic rigor. As long as you still have challenging academics in your schedule, your fine arts class won’t hurt you. </p>
<p>@pumpkinpatch35 Thanks a lot for your response!</p>