<p>I want to switch out of a pointless (to me) elective that I was registered to take second semester of my senior year. I applied regular decision to all of my colleges, so I havent been accepted anywhere. When I applied to all of my schools, and they asked for my senior year classes, I said I was planning to take Business Entrepreneurship second semester. However, I just started this class and I HATE it. I really want to switch out into a free period, and since it is my last class of the day, I could leave early.
However, I am nervous that this will look bad to the colleges I applied to. I called USC (one of my top choices) and asked if switching out of an elective would have a significant impact on my application, and the operator said that since its an elective I don't need to graduate, and sophomore and junior year grades count the most, that it shouldn't be "that big of a deal". BUT they said that I would have to email them and tell them that I am no longer taking that class.
UCLA (another top choice) basically said the same thing when I called- that since its just an elective that I dont need to graduate, and since they care most about sophomore and junior grades, that it shouldn't be a big deal.
So basically I'm thinking that I can switch out since its just a random elective (mostly sophomores take it, which is one of the reasons I don't like it), I'm not majoring in business, and its just a second semester senior year class.
However it still makes me nervous that they want me to email them and tell them that I'm not taking it, and will a free period look really bad?
I'd love to hear some opinions!</p>
<p>And have I already done damage by calling USC and letting them know that “due to scheduling conflict” I may not take the class? Is this considered not “upholding the same level of academic achievement” during senior year?</p>
<p>My kid’s high school guidance counselor strongly discouraged her from dropping an elective this semester (full schedule, no study halls, and it was an art class she had already taken once). They settled on having her swap it out for another elective, but she still has to notify her schools. The counselor would rather she had not changed it at all… and our guidance counselor worked in admissions for a top 25 LAC, so we kind of take her word for it on these things. :(</p>
<p>I work in an Honors College and I review applications for admissions to Honors. We base our decisions on the grades we have at winter break of the student’s senior year. </p>
<p>However, if a student is invited to interview for a scholarship, the committee might ask about their last semester schedule, and I’ve know a few students to get a little flustered if they’re taking a really easy load. We don’t usually get too worked up about it because we were once high school kids too, and we remember what it was like, but the question could be asked.</p>
<p>Knowing how many phone calls we get every day, I sincerely doubt that the receptionists at the two colleges you called wrote down your full name, contact info and that you were thinking about changing a class. They were probably on the phone again 0.5 seconds after you hung up. So I wouldn’t worry about that.</p>
<p>If it’s possible to switch into another elective that won’t be so awful, I’d recommend that instead of dropping it completely. If you want to be at a research-intensive university in the fall, you should start prepping now for what that’s going to be like - lots of work and time management, and leaving early won’t really prepare you for that.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>:) Angela</p>