<p>I've always taken the maximum amount of classes (6) during high school, but for my senior year next year, I'm considering giving myself a free period. Here are my class schedules for reference:</p>
<p>Junior year- Honors English, Honors Physics, Spanish 4, APUSH, AP Micro/Macro, AP Calc BC
Senior year- AP Statistics, AP Physics C, AP English, AP Music Theory, Advanced Spanish</p>
<p>I want to take a free period, since I'll be taking some pretty challenging and time-consuming classes. Also, I figure I'll be really busy with the college application. If I were to take a 6th class, it would probably be AP Euro. Would not taking the maximum amount of classes reflect negatively upon me for elite schools like Penn Wharton, UChicago, and NYU Stern? Assume the rest of my application is on target for these schools (in terms of GPA, SAT scores, etc.)</p>
<p>The schools only care about getting the “Most Rigorous Course Offered” checked off. So talk to your GC and see if he or she will check that off with your current schedule. If they will, you’ll be fine and won’t have to worry about taking another AP class.</p>
<p>Instead of a free period, do you have any easy honors or easy classes in general that you could take? An easy class or an honors class will look much better than a free period as it shows you aren’t just slacking Senior year (which you aren’t, but many other students applying to top schools won’t be taking a free period).</p>
<p>And go make a common app account today and look at the writing supplements/applications for the schools you want to go to and start working on them in a separate document over the summer so when August 1st comes around and the app goes live for the class of 2015, you can just copy and paste your essays/responses into the appropriate fields.</p>
<p>Although some will disagree, the advice I got from our GCs, who are some of the best in the business, is that with four APs and 5 cores, you’re fine. Although some may quibble that Music Theory is not a core, since it’s AP, I’d argue it’s close enough, or you could substitute it with AP Euro. I would not go with 5 APs, you’ve got college applications to consider, and they take more time than you can imagine to do well.</p>
<p>I think it’s actually a good idea, provided that the rest of your classes are rigorous. One of my friends has a free first and she got into UChicago EA. Plenty of other people I know have free periods and they’re attending places like NYU and Berkeley. I think 4-5 AP’s is more than enough senior year, and not all of those AP’s have to be core ones like Calc or Physics. If you really don’t feel comfortable having a free period, then at least sign up for a fluff class like AP Psych. </p>
<p>Really, take it (relatively) easy your senior year. College apps and whatnot will eat up a huge chunk of your free time first semester and you won’t really want to do anything the next, so give yourself a break! You can thank us later </p>
<p>Assuming your guidance counselor checks the “most rigorous schedule” box, it’s fine.</p>
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Not me. While not as rugged as AP Physics C, it is certainly as rigorous as Human Geography, Environmental Science, Psych, Statistics, or any of the other AP’s that half of the people here seem to be self-studying. It is certainly a foundation for a student potentially majoring or minoring in music. </p>
<p>I would take an “easy” and “fun” class rather than a free period. Can you take band, or choir, or home ec or something similar?
While what matters is 5 core classes and 3-4 AP’s, a free period senior (unless mandatory) doesn’t “look good”. However, you DO NOT need to take a 6th class that is honors or AP, that would be crazy. And “fun” classes can be good topics of discussion to show you’re not just a drone. :)</p>
<p>FWIW, I think in my daughter’s high school, once a student has 5 AP classes (or more advanced), they get an automatic study period. They have an 8 period schedule. The idea is NOT to burn out.</p>
<p>Taking one free period in senior year does not “look bad”. If you’ve had a solid junior year and meet the five core requirement, including four APs, there’s no way they’re going to hold taking one free period against you. Colleges simply aren’t that cruel.</p>
<p>MrMom: if students have 8 class periods with 4 APs and 5 cores plus electives, one free period is okay (not ideal). In a 6-subject day, it does matter. Having only 5 classes senior year will not look good, that’s for sure. Of course I should have asked OP whether s/he was aiming for Top 25 universities/LACs, or whether s/he was aiming for the state flagship or universities were GPA+test scores trump rigor.
Overall, if aiming for a top25 school, it’s really not recommended to have free periods/study halls junior or senior year, unless mandatory or used for something (internships, being an assistant to a teacher, etc). When mandatory or automatic, which is common at high-performing schools where kids tend to overload, it should be mentioned by the guidance counselor (typically is).
Lunch does not count, so if it’s 6 periods including lunch yes 5 classes would be fine.</p>
<p>I can only relate what our HS has, and no one has trouble getting into top schools if they follow the 4 AP, 5 core rule, which the GCs make sure they do.</p>
<p>We are on a block system, so that means a total of eight periods over two days, one period is basically a study hall. So that means an ordinary load is seven classes. Taking one additional study hall would mean you have six classes - it is an option only open to seniors, unless you get permission. (D had AP Chem as a 2:1 class last year, nothing fit 2nd semester, so they let her have a free period, along with only having 6 classes this year.) It’s also possible to have only five classes, really not recommended unless you’ve got a job. </p>
<p>Most of our top kids will only take six classes senior year, they simply start running out of things to take that interest them, particularly if they took PE, Health, and/or Personal Finance online and completed Level 5 in a language by junior year. Many of them also complete Calc BC by junior year, and have no desire to pursue Level 6 in a language, Calc III, or take fluff classes. Many of them could graduate after first semester senior year if they took a full load, but instead stretch it out over a full year, so they can graduate with their classmates.</p>
<p>If you’ve put in the work, have good grades (and maintain them senior year), and 6-8 APs total (or more), the kids do fine. Letting up a little senior year after such a hard run is not seen as detrimental, I’ve seen the results. If anyone has a particular question about their school, I suggest the check with their specific school GC rather than relying on the wizards of CC, who know far less about their particular circumstances. If your school requires no free periods to get the highest recommendations, then I would do that. I’m just saying our school doesn’t require it, colleges obviously don’t, because the kids get the highest recommendations, but YMMV.</p>
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