Free Periods

Pre-College Issues
1

I have been constantly asking my friends whether it would be a good idea to take a free period second semester of my senior year. Half say no it will look terrible. The other say that I definitely need one and that it won’t affect whether I get into the schools I want or not. I’m currently a junior and I’m trying to plan out my classes very early. I have taken so many APs that the ones that are left don’t really interest me. These are the classes I have taken and what I want to take (my school does 7 classes a year):

Freshman year - all honors classes + AP World History
Sophomore year - Honors Chemistry, AP English Lang, AP Spanish Lang, AP Physics 2, AP Calc AB, AP US Gov, AP Stats
Junior year - Honors electronics class, APUSH, AP Pysch, Calc 2/3 (dual enrollment), AP English Lit, AP Physics C, AP Spanish Lit (online: AP Calc BC, AP Micro)
Senior year - AP Macro (free period second semester), Differential EQ (dual enrollment), AP Environmental, British Lit (dual enrollment), AP Chem, AP Human, AP Euro

2

You have a challenging Senior schedule so I would see no harm in having a free period Senior year. Younger son, did just that since he was taking 5 AP classes his Senior year. Older son, instead of a free period was a TA for his Pre-Calc teacher and was able to find time to do his homework when his teacher had no work for the class.

3

Thank you very much

4

It’s fine to take 7 classes in fall and 6 classes in spring. However, since college apps are all done during the fall semester, and fall grades will be considered for RD admission, why not do the reverse instead (6 in fall, 7 in spring)?