<p>My daughter is struggling with choosing her schedule for senior year, and I was wondering if you all had any words of wisdom.</p>
<p>A little background: DD has a 4.0 unweighted GPA and attends a well-regarded suburban high school in the northeast. SAT score is 2370 (single sitting), and her schedule has been the most rigorous offered at her school (1 AP sophomore year, 4 junior year). Extracurriculars include a demanding varsity sport (~20 hours per week in season), leadership roles in school and statewide clubs....you get the picture. Typical BWRK. And she is hoping for admission to one of the "lottery" schools (she is a legacy).</p>
<p>The past few months, though, have been absolutely brutal. There are just not enough hours in the day for her to accomplish everything she feels she should. She's running on very little sleep and the stress level is very high. And now it is time for her to choose courses for senior year. She wants to sign up for 5 APs, plus honors physics. Her father and I feel that she will be letting herself in for another year of exhaustion...we want her to (1) decrease the course load or (2) quit the sport. She tells us that she NEEDS to take all six courses, and doesn't want to quit the sport because it would show a lack of commitment. (Although I think she would happily quit the sport, if she didn't think it would look bad.)</p>
<p>So what do you CC experts think? Is option 1 or 2 better, in terms of college admissions? Are we overreacting? (She is still pulling all As and is not depressed/anxious, etc.--just stressed.) I tend to think that she will be fine with whatever she decides, but she tells me (in no uncertain terms, LOL) that I am wrong and that admission decisions could definitely be affected if she drops one of the courses or quits the sport for senior year.</p>
<p>I’ll get to an opinion in a moment, but I doubt the advice of anonymous CC posters is going to convince your daughter. So here’s what I suggest that might persuade her. If she trusts her GC at her well-regarded HS then set up a family chat with her/him. Alternatively, hire a private admission counselor to review her record and give advice; have her take a part in the search for who to hire so she trusts the results.</p>
<p>As for my opinion, from what I’ve read the most selective colleges look for achievement and leadership. So if she’s spending 20 hrs/wk on a sport and getting neither from it, then it is not going to do much in the way of helping her app stand out, but it is certainly soaking up time that she could use for other priorities (including sleep!) And, again from what I’ve read, adcoms tell applicants that academics come first and that it is a mistake to put so much time into ECs that learning suffers.</p>
<p>Baystater- we always let our kids manage the actual triage of deciding what had to go… but as parents we reserved the right to declare “something’s got to go”. Health came first with sleep an important component of that.</p>
<p>I think you get to tell her that it’s time for a discussion with her GC and that you will respect whatever decision she makes with regard to what she drops-- IMHO leadership roles in school and state wide clubs but not be worth the time and effort she’s putting into them, but that’s for her to decide.</p>
<p>My kids HS would not have allowed 5 AP’s in any single year. Demanding HS with an excellent college admissions track record-- but 4 AP’s were the max. The school knew that the only way to get those high numbers of AP’s was to have the kids taking the AP Lites… vs. taking a high quality AP, doing well in it, and then a reasonable course load of non-AP’s (also very challenging.)</p>
<p>Getting accepted to the “dream” school is not the final prize; being successful at that school is just as important. Knowing how to manage time and setting priorities is an important skill that will be invaluable in college. Sometimes, you have to make tough choices and let go of the idea that you can do it all.</p>
<p>5 APS are too many…change the senior year schedule. She doesn’t need 5 AP classes. She’s going to go into an application cycle with everything through this year and without those AP classes (presuming she does some EA admissions) and she’s going to be applying side by side with kids who won’t be taking 5 AP classes senior year. Exercise is good…our kids don’t get enough fresh air and exercise.</p>
<p>I think it depends on what the sport season is, and which AP classes she is thinking of taking. At our school, all AP classes are not demanding. If the past few months have been brutal, I am guessing it is a winter sport. Can she wait until next year to decide to quit? See how it goes with classes and applying in the fall, and then decide if she has time? </p>
<p>I had one D take 5 AP classes and 2 honors classes senior year, played a fall sport and had 2 other regular EC’s. She managed it fine, but all the AP’s were not equally demanding.</p>
<p>I agree that it depends on the AP classes. AP Psychology, AP Environmental Science aren’t usually any more time consuming than a “regular” class. One sanity-saving thing that both my D’s did was to NOT take the AP Literature CLASS their senior year, but they both signed up to take the test. They both are avid readers and excellent writers. They read up on the “tips” for taking the AP Lit exam (having a “classic” book or two from which to derive examples, etc) and both got 5’s. With your daughter’s grades and SAT, this would be easy and would eliminate all the required reading that comes along with the AP Lit class.</p>
<p>I agree that if the main reason she’s staying in the sport is to look good on her college aps, by all means she should drop it. She’s shown commitment for the time she’s been in it, and a very legitimate reason to drop it would be so she can focus on college applications (and she can say that’s why she did it on those applications). Unless she loves it, or it helps to relieve stress, then she shouldn’t do it. I agree with the others, though, it needs to be her decision in the end.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say I left the sport to do college applications. There are many reasons to stop a sport: job, volunteering, getting cut, injury, other after school activity, all kinds of reasons.</p>
<p>I know a star football player who quit senior year because he wanted to do drama. And he got into college just fine and is doing theater there. He is sooo happy. Ps team did fine without him.</p>
<p>If she is doing the sport to show commitment, that’s kind of lame. </p>
<p>To be blunt, that’s not a very good reason. How many people do things becuase they think it will look bad to stop?</p>
<p>The sport can go if she is not being recruited as an athlete or is not the team captain. </p>
<p>Also, if she applies early decision (Nov 1), then most of the admissions decision will be based on what she did through the 11th grade. Then, having a number of AP classes is a plus but 5 is unnecessary - if she knows what she wants to major in she should take APs that will help with her intended major. She doesn’t need AP economics if she is going into a STEM field for example. AP history courses are not that bad and Calc BC is a good course to take.</p>
<p>Go early decision. Actually knowing in Dec if you got into your number 1 takes all the stress off and the odds of acceptance are near double or triple at elite or near elite institutions.</p>
<p>“Is option 1 or 2 better, in terms of college admissions?”</p>
<p>Assuming that she’s doing well overall and just needs a little breathing room: I’d cut an AP rather than dropping the sport. One is a marginal, possibly even irrelevant cut in the academic side of the picture. The other is a drastic cut on the EC side. What is the season for the sport? If it’s winter/spring, she may already be admitted before the crazy time starts, and she could drop it with no admissions impact.</p>
<p>Since many have asked…it is a winter sport. She has actually had a fair amount of success (post season qualifier, pretty good shot at captain next year). The team would miss her–she is a contributor, though not a star. She is definitely not good enough to be recruited. And she does enjoy it…when she’s not so strapped for time. She’s also thinking about asking the coach for a (third) recommendation (he really, really likes her–she is a very hard worker, which counts for a lot in her sport).</p>
<p>As for the APs, I agree that some are harder than others. I’m actually more concerned about the AP Calc/AP Chem/Physics combination than the other APs. </p>
<p>In any case, as many of you have said, in the end it’s her decision. Seeing these responses has been helpful for both of us (she is reading along too)!</p>
<p>If she really enjoys her sport, it can provide both physical and mental health benefits, so I wouldn’t ask her to drop it, especially if she is named a captain.</p>
<p>However, I would suggest to her that she choose one AP science class only, since she is also taking AP Calc.</p>
<p>There was an article recently (you might try googling it) where top college admissions officers said that taking more than a certain number of AP’s did nothing to help you get into college. I want to say it was a TOTAL of 4 or 5, and beyond that it wasn’t necessary (but you’d need to research that). Perhaps if she reads it from the mouths of admissions officers, she’ll listen.</p>
<p>My tendency would be to keep the sport - she needs a mental break and the physical release of activity, and it sounds like it’s good socially as well. But taking 5 APs is over the top, unnecessary and probably counter-productive. If she’s that stressed out she won’t do well in them. Plus - remind her that next fall will be full of writing college admissions essays, visits, interviews, gathering recommendations… </p>
<p>You also might want to point out to her some not-quite-so-lottery-ish schools that have fabulous reputations and that kids love, with good outcomes to grad schools and/or careers. She needs to know that if for some reason Ivy doesn’t work out, her life will NOT be over.</p>
<p>Many selective colleges are taking the emphasis off of APs. There are APs that do “count” however, and calc happens to be one of them. Talk to her guidance counselor about what could be done about loosening up her schedule without losing the difficulty of curriculum designation. It seems that she is going to a school where the counselors are well aware of what is needed to keep the chances of getting into the most selective colleges optimal.</p>
<p>For the Ap Chem and Honors Physics has she had an honors chem class or any previous physics/physical science classes? If so how did she do…easily understanding the material and achieving an easier A or really struggled to pull the 4.0 in the class?</p>
<p>Physics can throw some students for a loop vs. some of the other STEM classes. Some get it while others really, really strugggle.</p>
<p>Is the Ap Calc AB or BC? meaning did she already have the AB and is moving on to BC from there or from a pre-calc class to AB? makes a difference.</p>
<p>So what would be the 5 APs? AB/BC calc, AP Chem and the other 3?</p>
<p>What SAT IIs did she take and how did she do? Is she a STEM or humanities kiddo or both?</p>
<p>Is her winter sport a high-impact, injury prone sport or a life-time sport? Swimming vs. basketball. </p>
<p>And a shot at captain isn’t something to easily walk away from, especially for senior year.</p>
<p>The greatest gift we can give our children is the gift of time. Time to really enjoy their last year of high school. Enjoyment can be academic success, social participant, athletic achievement and really giving themselves the chance to soak up all they have accomplished.</p>
<p>They have 4 more years of academics and new opportunities. They deserve the chance to finish up high school in a way they will look back fondly and cherish their high school final year. And this is why I would also use words of caution for forcing an ED decision if they are hesitant or unsure. It is a big decision and again given the gift of time can play a large outcome in their later success, or a transfer from a rushed decision.</p>
<p>This seems like a brutal schedule. If she’s already taken honors chem, why not keep the AP calc, take the honors level physics, and eliminate AP chem? That seems like a huge stress reliever right there. Doing well in a couple of things seems to me to be more valuable then spreading herself so thin…</p>
<p>I think the real problem is that she is living a life geared to getting into college. If she were already in her dream school, what would she be doing about these decisions? Does she love the sport, is the team important in her life? Does she love science?</p>
<p>Top colleges don’t seem to care as much about racking up AP classes as people think. Often they are looking to create a class, and so how you contribute to the class is important, rather than your individual accomplishments.</p>
<p>This is also a great time to branch out, try new things, or deepen some interests that have started. If she doesn’t love the sport, then is there something else she does love? Or something entirely different that she wants to try?</p>
<p>In any case, 5 AP’s and honors physics sure sounds like a lot to me. I’m sure she is in a culture where kids are vying for “most rigorous” schedule, but it really is misguided in a lot of cases.</p>
<p>I would say that this isn’t healthy, mentally or physically. Living for college is just bad news. </p>
<p>She ought to be having some fun. </p>
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<p>Can you be more specific? Which APs. Some are a breeze, some are just brutal. </p>
<p>I would keep the sport and carefully examine the load. It may or may not be too much. </p>
<p>In our HS, AP Calculus AB is easier than Honors Precalc. AP Calculus BC is about 50% more work than Calculus AB. AP Chem isn’t that bad, but AP Bio is like taking three hard classes at once. Many APs like Stats or Psych, represent semester based courses in college and these aren’t so bad. AP Histories have a lot of reading. It really depends.</p>
And she does enjoy it…when she’s not so strapped for time. She’s also thinking about asking the coach for a (third) recommendation (he really, really likes her–she is a very hard worker, which counts for a lot in her sport).</p>