My senior year schedule was messed up. Will that hurt with college admissions?

Applying to College
1

<p>Some background:</p>

<p>I have a GPA of 4.2, am in the top 5% of my class, and am a National Merit Scholar. I also participate in several extra curriculars including Theatre (Officer and participate in 5 productions a year) , Choir (Officer) (including the top choir at school, a traveling ensemble, and an 8-girl acapella group), Student Council, National Honor Society (Officer), Renaissance, and Key Club. By this year I will have taken 4 years of English, 4 years of History, 4 years of Science, 5 years of math, and 3 years of Spanish (plus 1 year of Acting and 4 years of Choir). I have taken 3 AP classes so far (US History, European History, and Language and Composition). I want to double major in Theatre and English and am looking at schools like American, Barnard, Vassar, Penn State, University of Michigan, and Belmont. </p>

<p>I saw my Senior Year schedule for the first time today and realized that, due to the level of classes I'm taking and the periods when they're offered, I will be unable to take a fourth year of Spanish. I originally signed up for AP Spanish 4, but my guidance counselor put me in a study hall at the end of the day instead. Right now my schedule is:</p>

<p>1) AP Biology
2) AP Biology
3) Choir
4) Lunch/Student Mentor
5) AP Government
6) AP Calc AB
7) AP Literature
8) Study Hall</p>

<p>At my school I have the option of replacing the 8th period study hall with an early out. If I took this option, I would have more time to dedicate to extra curriculars and could get more help with math, which I struggle with. Another option would be take a class called World Drama which would be related to my future major, but it is an extremely easy/slacker class at my school and I would get frustrated with the people not trying. </p>

<p>Would taking the early out make me look unappealing to colleges?</p>

2

<p>I can’t see how an early out versus study hall makes the slightest bit of difference. In at least one high school (with an open campus philosophy) I’m familiar with any time window in which there isn’t a formal academic class students (other than freshmen) are free to go to the library, or to the local coffee shop, or home. There’s no concept of “study hall”. Your high school appears to have a different approach, but the rationale for it is not based on academics.</p>

<p>I do however think that taking AP Spanish would strengthen your schedule. For your reach colleges 4 years of language, and some advanced literature in the language would be a strong plus. I think this would be a better choice than the AP government class.</p>

<p>And I doubt that your other class choices instead of study period would make any difference in your already very strong schedule.</p>

3

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<p>Agreed.
10char</p>

4

<p>Another benefit to taking AP Spanish is that if you can place out of a foreign language in college, it saves you from what is at most schools a five-day-a-week class.</p>