<p>I took 10 AP classes and 8 honors classes in high school. For my junior and senior years, I took (or am taking this year) a study hall to counteract the amount of practicing I was/am doing on my trombone (which last year paid off b/c I became on the of the top 3 trombonists in the state). I could have taken two more AP or 2 more honors classes (so 12 AP and 8 Honors or 10 AP and 10 Honors) instead of the 2 study halls. Will this affect my course rigor to the admissions people? If it helps you guys to know my GPA, I have a 4.0 unweighted average <a href="4.533%20weighted%20average">all A's</a>, so would these 2 extra classes have boosted my chances higher than what they are now? Also, one of my honors classes I am taking is a thesis class, where we write a 50-60 page paper throughout the year (I plan on sending Duke my first 2 chapters [roughly 25 pages of the paper] to show what I'm doing for that thesis). Will that class in itself pretty much counteract the 2 classes I didn't take? Is this something I really shouldn't worry about? Thanks for any replies.</p>
<p>first of all obviously if you've taken 10 AP and 8 honors courses you have a rigorous schedule. second don't send Duke a 25 page thesis paper; they will instantly throw it in the trash.</p>
<p>I think there is a common misconception that colleges want you to take the most challenging courseload possible. I don't think that's true.</p>
<p>What is true, IMHO, is that colleges want you to take the courseload that is most challenging to you. They want to see that you are challenging yourself, that you are trying to improve and striving to do better. They also want to see that you know your limits. Instead of loading up blindly on tough courses, I personally think it would be much better to handpick your courseload to fit your goals and priorities. That is not to say that one should take it easy. But the point is to challenge yourself academically while maintaining a balance between what you are passionate about and your school work. </p>
<p>So in response to your questions, I see nothing wrong with not taking every AP/Honors under the sun in order to free up time for your musical pursuits.</p>
<p>Do NOT dwell anymore on this. Instead, use your Why Duke and What I would Do at Duke essays to focus on your future contributions as a Trombonist. My son is in the Orchestra and talked a lot about his future roles in the music societies on campus, and he has a lot of friends in the music corners of Duke. The Symphony at Duke is fun, only requires two evenings a week and is playing very very well, and has a great leader and always needs great brass..and there are other specific brass venues at Duke of course. Do they use Trombones in the pep bands? Top three in a state is a fantastic accomplishment...so go ahead and note that you had to bypass a course to practice. Passion trumps all and your stats are fine. Duke is not a conservatory school but they want a vibrant music community. My son got in with only two APs and three SATIIs..our HS was weak. His essays were very very colorful about his life at Duke in music...
Forget about sending in a thesis. Spend time on your application essays. Duke is a school of high spirits...present yourself as someone who wants to contribute.</p>
<p>ok, that makes me feel better.. thanks for all the replies</p>
<p>By honor you mean pre-ap?</p>
<p>about 4 of those were honors and the other 4 pre-ap.... but both get a 5.0 GPA credit at my school (like AP), so they're virtually the same thing</p>