I need a little advice.
I over scheduled for junior year by deciding to take 5 AP classes, which isn’t the main issue - thinking I loved science and math based off of the honors classes I had taken sophomore year, I’m now taking two AP sciences (Chem and Physics 1) and I absolutely hate AP chem!
I’ve discovered that I’m just naturally gifted in the arts/languages and I totally regret ever signing up for AP Chem (physics is bad, but not as bad as chem); I just never know what’s going on in that class and I have -6.02 x 10^23% motivation to do any work for that class.
I have a B- and I can already tell that grade is about to slip further down, so I was considering whether I should try maintain the B first semester and then drop it for second semester? Or whether I should just keep going and try to deal with the class. I know junior year is an extremely important year and I’m afraid dropping an AP class would look disastrous on my transcript, but then I’m worried about the time I’m wasting in this class that I could be focusing on the other 4 AP’s I’m taking and another one I want to self-study for. The time I feel like I’m wasting in AP chem I could be using to raise my grades in my other classes and focus more on my extracurricular activities.
The colleges I’m looking into in the US are mainly UCSD, UCLA, Georgetown, maybe UChicago for a political/government major (I understand this could easily change.)
Ultimate question: for the colleges listed above, how detrimental will it be for my transcript if I dropped an AP class second semester? Any advice for what I should do if you don’t think I should drop it?
Thanks for reading all this 
Wait, does your school show that you dropped on your transcript? Because if it doesn’t, then colleges will never know you ever took that AP class, much less dropped it, so it wouldn’t be “disastrous”. IF the school DOES put a “no mark” or “F” or anything of the equivalent, try talking to your guidance counselor about it because an F or a No Mark would look bad.
If you’re dropping in the second semester, then it would be obvious you dropped on your transcript. It doesn’t RUIN your chances, and it definitely won’t be the deciding factor, lol, but they will see that you weren’t able to handle it. They may question it, but it’s not going to be the worst thing in the world. Try talking to your counselor for your options. If you can drop now without any transcript penalty, take the opportunity if you’re sure you want to drop.
Dont worry about an dropped AP science class. One heavy duty AP science class a year is plenty.
Good for you for recognizing you took on too much.
Colleges care MOST about maintaining a strong GPA, and 5 AP classes in one year, for any student, is probably way too much.
Ask your guidance counselor if it’ll show on your transcript and what else you can take instead. You could even do that right away and have the other class appear on your semester transcript (most colleges get the semester transcript).
Typically, it doesn’t.
At worst, if it shows, it’ll show you have a B. Make SURE to maintain that B - NO ONE is impressed with a C in an AP class.
4 AP’s in a year is PLENTY. Top colleges want to see 4-8 TOTAL, including if possible 4 from English, Calculus, Foreign Language, Science, History. So, drop AP Chem and don’t worry about it.
However you should replace this class with something else - could be Graphic Design, Shop, Current Events, Sociology, Personal Finance, an elective seminar offered by your English dept… Since you’re a junior, you can’t afford to have a “study hall”.
Thank you all for your input! I will talk to my counselor and find out how it would show on my transcript if I dropped the class, and I’ll try to replace it with something else second semester - since I believe in my case it is too late to drop an AP class at the moment . I’m relieved to hear that my views on AP classes and college admissions were exaggerated and that it would be fine to have 4 this year