<p>I am sort of at a cross roads because I am about to be a senior in high school and am 95% sure that I will be going to UMass Amherst (my local state school) for computer science. As of now I do not have any plans to apply to any other school except for a couple of safeties, because UMass Amherst is the best investment considering my major is CS and the low cost. However, if magically some financial aid lines up and I and I decide to cash in my parents ability to afford more expensive schools, then I would probably apply to UW Madison or UMD CP. But I just do not see that happening. My question is would it not be the smartest move to ease up my senior course load (in order to make more time to self study AP's that will provide college credit) and maybe not pile on AP's to impress colleges, rather only taking the AP's that exempt me from certain courses at UMass. Also, I already have a 30 on the ACT and I believe that is enough to qualify me for the 2,000 Dean's Scholarship at UMass, therefore I am considering not spending more time raising my ACT. Additionally, I should add that I am not interested in the honors college at UMass so that is not a reason for me to pile on AP's and improve my ACT. The reason I am considering optimizing my senior schedule and time spent on the ACT is because I want to take full advantage of the fact that I already know where I want to go for college and I want to spend more time helping my UMass career.</p>
<p>Sorry, but I have to disagree with jkei911. I think it’s a mistake to assume that a light senior schedule is sufficient to get you into UMass Amherst. It has gotten much harder to get in to. You could lighten up and perhaps be assured admission to another UMass campus, but not Amherst. They will still look to see if you are working to your capacity and not “slacking off.”</p>
<p>I wouldn’t let up senior year, but also know that no financial aid is going to drop out of the sky for the other schools you mentioned. But I think your plan sounds pretty good… what APs have you taken and would you take senior year under this scenario? I wouldn’t self study extra APs. </p>
<p>Do you have a couple of other schools in mind that would be affordable if for some reason you don’t get in? Do you plan to apply EA or ED, so you have time to get some other apps in if you are rejected?</p>
<p>Remember that UMass Amherst won’t know about self-studied APs because you’re not taking the tests until after you’d have been admitted. They need to see a rigorous schedule that can be verified by something other than you saying so.</p>
<p>Thanks for the responses, I really appreciate them. </p>
<p>Just one thing … by no means would i consider myself to be lazy. I am mostly trying utilize the ability of molding my senior year schedule to fit my needs at Amherst. </p>
<p>@intparent During my junior year I took AP Chemistry, AP US history, and AP Computer Science A. The rest of my junior year courses were honors. For my senior year I plan to take AP Calc AB and AP Physics C and the rest of my courses would be honors, unless I could squeeze out a CP1 English, because that course hands down will free up a lot of time. I do not believe that UMass has a ED admission so I will apply EA and try to make my essays and letters near perfect.</p>
<p>@Chedva To be honest, I just do not see UMass rejecting me. According to the way that UMass recalculates GPA (they recalculate the GPA a weighted GPA) I have a 4.38 ( 3.86 UW), which is higher than the average (3.76) UW GPA for the college of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at UMass. </p>
<p>Ah… I had just glanced at their admissions FAQs and there was a question about ED, but when you click through it says they don’t have it. So you are right, EA is the way to go. </p>
<p>But one problem with your plan is that you won’t hear back from EA until January 15 (and you could even be deferred at that time if they don’t admit or reject you). You need a backup plan of a couple of schools that are affordable and that you would be willing to attend if UMass doesn’t work out for some reason. Stranger things have happened in college admissions…</p>
<p>@intparent Ya I have a couple of safeties but they are all OOS. Also the earliest I could hear back is mid December. if I apply EA. So I should have enough time to apply even i I hear back in early January.</p>
<p>They aren’t safeties if you can’t afford them without sufficient financial aid, which you implied in your first post. And the schools you listed aren’t going to give much FA to an OOS student.</p>
<p>The UMass website says this about EA decisions:</p>
<p>Admissions decisions mailed and posted online
Early Action
By the 15th of January</p>
<p>So you may hear earlier, but you may not. Be sure you don’t miss the admission deadlines on whatever other schools you may apply to in waiting for your EA response. And if you wait until the last couple of days to write any essays, get recommendations & transcripts sent, etc., it could be very stressful.</p>
<p>Why are you self studying lots of APs? They won’t help you in admissions, only in getting credit after being accepted, and then only at some schools. Concentrate on your school classes and take part in ECs that give you a breather.</p>
<p>My advice and the advice that has been given to me multiple times is to not lighten your senior schedule. Not for the reason that it will impress schools per say, but for the reason that it will get you more prepared for college (especially when going into STEM studies!). I know freshman year at a lot of colleges especially in STEM departments are used to weed out those who aren’t fully prepared. And after that it gets easier. I would stick to at least a semi-challenging senior schedule.</p>
<p>As a fellow Massachusetts resident and being a graduate of a school where a majority of the kids go to UMass Amherst, hooray! Re: scholarships at UMass, you’ll probably get something if your GPA is good, 30 ACT is probably good enough, not sure if you’ll get into the honors college.</p>
<p>Anyways, tuition is free if you qualified for the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship (having scores of advanced and proficient on the MCAS for math and English in 10th grade). It’s pretty easy stuff, and makes UMass even cheaper when you only have to pay for room and board. If you didn’t qualify for that scholarship, look up the Stanley Z Koplik scholarship which also waives tuition at UMass (and other state schools, but UMass Amherst is clearly the best).</p>
<p>@Erin’s Dad I am planning on self-studying these AP’s in order to AP out of courses at UMass.</p>
<p>@baileybreanne I do not believe that cutting slack in my senior year will make me lazy, I intend to use the extra time to self study 3 AP’s along with the 2 AP courses I am taking. Also do you believe that UMass will be able to tell that I cut slack considering that my junior schedule (AP Computer Science A, AP Chemistry, and APUSH) and my senior schedule is (AP Calculus AB and AP Physics C). </p>
<p>@enigmaticescape Thanks for the links. To be honest, I have no idea how well I did on the MCAS, because I am blanking on the score and can not find the score report sheet. But I do remember I blew off the MCAS because I had other tests to study for and did not believe the exam counted toward anything. All in all, I would not be devastated to find out that I missed the $900 scholarship (just to clarify the scholarship does not waive the fee which is the majority of the combined fees and tuition). </p>
<p>I am a Massachusetts resident and the mother of a now-college graduate. I cannot tell you how many kids said “Oh, my grades are higher than average, so I’ll get in” to UMass Amherst and didn’t. I certainly hope you do.</p>
<p>All I have heard here from you, OP, are arguments about why those of us who disagree with your plan are wrong. If you’re so convinced that you’re right, why bother to ask?</p>
<p>@Chedva You’re absolutely right, I am just disagreeing with everyone’s advice telling me not to ease up. I guess I subconsciously already have my answer. Anyways I am beginning to question whether UMass will even notice the difference between my junior year schedule (AP chem, AP Computer Science A, and APUSH) and my senior year schedule (AP Calculus AB and AP Physics C)</p>