<p>the max. number of ap's students are allowed to take at my school is 3, with a few rare exceptions being allowed to take 4. why? more than that is absolutely killer!</p>
<p>like the above posters have said, applications are like a course in itself. i'd go one further to say applications are like a part time job you don't get paid for. if it were me, i'd drop chem. </p>
<p>a friend of mine took an intro to chemistry class with lab at our local community college over the summer. it wasn't too expensive and colleges gobbled that right up. most of her credit hours transfer to her new school. another friend volunteered as a lab tech at a research center. colleges also gobbled that right up because it was both volunteer work and showed he was interested in pursuing science even if it wasn't required. could either of those be an option for him? </p>
<p>trust me, senior year flies by. i can't believe we're only a month from spring break. colleges are looking for great all around kids. chances are, he's already a fantastic students so one more ap wouldn't make or break him. by taking fewer aps, he'll be able to concentrate on applications, spend time with his friends, and excel in his other classes.</p>
<p>one word of advice- don't think that applying ED will relieve the pressure of applications- it will only relieve the pressure if he is accepted..if he is not, then there is the scramble to get other applications in, often during finals...
so if he does apply ED, have other apps at least started just in case</p>
<p>having seen the frenzy of kids who got deferred or rejected from what htey thought would be a lock for admissions to an EA or ED schoo, and then the panic of finishing other apps over Christmas while being disappointed and shocked by the non acceptence, don't be too confident of an ED admission</p>
<p>I'd echo what CGm says</p>
<p>The kids who get accepted ED are all set. The ones who are rejected--or even deferred--can be devastated. And then have to learn to get excited about a bunch of other schools while they're picking up the pieces of their shattered confidence and juggling their coursework. That's too many AP courses in one year. When would he sleep--in class? Encourage him to do Chem or apps or both over the summer. JMO.</p>
<p>It seems like there is a pretty straightforward process of elimination here. English, AP Physics, AP BC Calc, AP USH, and probably also Religion seem like must-takes from what you have said. That leaves AP French and AP Chem. I know that he really wants to take Chem, but as others have said, no college will be upset that he didn't take multiple AP science courses his senior year. On the other hand, unless the student really hates foreign language, to be on the most competitive level, they should really shoot for an AP foreign language. So, I would say that AP French is a keeper as well. I would gently encourage him to let go of Chem--take it the summer, maybe, as others have suggested--because even though he has completed a lot of the ground work for BC and USH, those classes, + Physics, + English + French are going to be a lot of work. </p>
<p>Speaking as a deferred EA-er, if your son goes EA/ED, make sure a) that he considers deferral/rejection as real, likely possiblities and b) is working hard on his RD apps, since he will likely (odds-wise) need them. College apps become managable when you work on them over a looong period of time--it doesn't have much to do with EA/ED.</p>