<p>I go to a small high school in Hendersonville, North Carolina, notorious for its large class room sizes and a diminishing staff. Senior year I will be taking four AP courses and one honors course, but I should be taking seven courses total, as is the norm. I cannot, however, fit any more courses into my schedule because 1) my school has a very limited number of classes, with a limited number of seats in each class, and 2) of the courses offered in my open periods, I have taken ALL of them, other than a few technical/vocational courses that will bring down my GPA. I want to be in the top ten of my class. I feel that my workload will be enough to occupy my time next year, but I don't want the colleges I will be applying to (Boston University, UNC Chapel Hill, Boston College, & NYU) to see this as inadequate. I talked to my principal and he didn't know what to do. Can someone please give me some advice?</p>
<p>The important consideration is that you have taken the most rigorous curriculum available to you. Now, you need to be sure that colleges understand your reasoning. I would suggest that you ask your GC to include an explanation in his recommendation letter for you. You can do something similar with an addendum on your Common App. A third option might be to have your principal send an extra recommendation letter with his explanation.</p>
<p>Now, as to how you should handle your senior year, I would encourage you to look into taking a couple advanced classes at a local community college or online. If these don’t fit in your schedule, you can self-study for AP classes - although this would make it difficult for colleges to quantify your effort when you apply in January.</p>
<p>The important thing is that you challenge yourself and maximize the use of all your resources, including time. Don’t limit yourself based on what your school offers.</p>
<p>I have many extra curriculars that should prove that I am not lazy, such as National Honors Society, Varsity Cross Country, and I am the Key Club VP. I also took an extra course last year, which somewhat makes up for my lack this year. There isn’t much I can really do now.</p>