We’re planning out our schedules in school right now and I just have no idea what classes I should take senior year. My main concern is senioritis. I’m already feeling a burnout 2nd semester of junior year. Currently, I’m at a 4.0 unweighted and I’m taking 5 APs (Physics I, Statistics, Psychology, US History, English Lang.). I took two last year (AP World History and Studio Art: Drawing). The most competitive places I’d be applying to are Oxford, Columbia, and Harvard (sounds crazy but you have to have some reach schools!) For my senior year, I was thinking of taking one off period and AP English lit., Gov/Econ (our school breaks them up into one semester each), AP Biology (or Physics II), AP European History, AP Spanish, and AP Studio Art: 2D.
I’m going to be a fine arts major (in film) so I’m also taking a dual-credit film course. Over the summer I’m taking Calculus I (dual-credit) and two other online courses that are more humanities/art centered. I’m really not sure how competitive this schedule is or what I should do. Should I take regular Gov/Econ? Would I be on the right track with this schedule or should I add the AP Gov/Econ to give my schedule more weight? Would it matter if I’m not taking the AP credit for either? AP Art is super easy and the teacher there is letting me work on my college portfolio during that time. I love European History so that class won’t be a pain. Since I’m not taking a math, so, I decided to take a science and the only two that are offered at our school as electives are AP bio and Physics II. I need to finish my 4th year of language and English, so I’d have to take those.
Sorry, this is so long but please help me out! Thanks
Agree with @10slife and take the most rigorous HS schedule you can handle and do well in. Remember, all acceptances are provisional and you need to maintain high academic standards throughout your Senior classes. No room for Senioritis. That said, for UCLA in particular, your Senior grades will not be available at time of application and are not used in their admission decision but you will report your Senior classes which should good rigor.
Thanks! I think I’ve sort of figured out the stuff with AP Gov/Econ. Now, can I take an Anatomy class over the AP Biology? I’d have 5 APs instead of 6 and does that really make that big of a difference?
You can take anatomy, it makes sense in particular because you can work on scientific drawing if your teacher will let you.
4-5 APs would be considered plenty.
The person to ask is your guidance counselor, not any one of us. Rigor is relative to what is offered in your HS.
The top tier colleges will want to see the guidance counselor check the box on the recommendation saying you have taken the most rigorous course-load available at your HS (which doesn’t mean taking every AP class – there is often some latitude in this). If the guidance counselor says that your prior and current HS schedules are sufficient to get that most rigorous box checked then you are fine.
