Is it bad to get a partial schedule second semester of senior year??

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I just want to know if it would negatively impact my chances of getting into Harvard or Columbia if I got a partial schedule.
Here is the scenario:

I’m currently a senior about to start 2nd semester. I’m taking 5 AP classes (Calc AB, Lit, Comp Gov’t, Bio, and Euro). These classes fill up 6/8 blocks in my schedule (Calc is everyday). I have four classes a day and classes alternate on an A/B day schedule. I take a no credit study hall period and an teacher aiding period to fill the other 2 blocks. Last semester I didn’t mind having these two filler periods because I had one filler class on each day to keep my schedule and stress balanced. This semester my schedule is terrible. I now have 4 AP classes on my B day, but only 2 on my A day. My filler periods also are the last two periods of the day, so if I keep them I’ll just be doing almost nothing for four hours straight every other day. Unfortunately, I can’t get this changed. I was planning on dropping these classes and getting a partial schedule on my A days. However, I’m afraid that this will look bad to the Ivies, even though the “classes” I’m dropping are no credit. I don’t even know if they’ll know about me dropping them because I don’t believe 2nd semester classes appear on mid-year reports, but I want to make sure.

Just as some background info. I’ve taken 12 AP classes total, including the ones I’m taking this year and have gotten As in all of them. GPA is 3.9ish UW and 4.4ish W (my GPA has changed because of my 1st semester grades so I’m not sure of the exact numbers right now).

2

You would need to notify the colleges of any changes to your schedule from what you listed on the Common App. Your suggestion would probably not negatively affect your chances assuming your GC agrees, but since you have to tell the colleges anyway, why not just ask them?

3

I didn’t list aiding or study hall as classes on the common app because they were no credit. They do appear on my transcript as S or U though. Do I still have to tell them? And if I did would they think badly of me?

4

Also they aren’t full year classes so idk if I’d be “dropping them” just getting a half day for A days

5

If you didn’t list them on your common app, then as far as the colleges are concerned you have 5 classes on your senior year schedule. You will have all 5 classes on your final transcript.

They likely don’t care if you complete those “free hours” or not, but it seems like a simple thing to notify the admissions officers and let them know - better safe than sorry.

6

Okay I think I’ll do that thanks !