<p>Hi,
My school is on a 4x4 schedule, which means starting next week we have four new classes.My current schedule (the one I reported to colleges) contains Creative Writing (an English elective), Journalism, and two AP Classes. However, the AP Physics B teacher who wrote my letter of rec (also my favorite teacher) has asked me to become his teaching aide, but I would have to drop creative writing. I also have sports after school so I would have to miss fourth period often, and this would give me a chance to catch up on missed work. Lastly, I have heard Creative Writing is one of the hardest electives at my school, and I am a second semester senior, so I do want to become his teaching aide.</p>
<p>My question is: Will dropping Creative Writing to becoming a teaching aide hurt my admissions decisions? I am applying to top Ivy League schools as well as UC's and MIT. My guidance counselor thinks that this change might hurt my admissions, and has said these schools wouldn't like it. She says I should call them next week and ask them if it will hurt my admissions decision. What do you think?</p>
<p>Also, if I do decide to change, how would I go about notifying all the schools (email or phone)?</p>
<p>Why call your top schools before they’ve had a chance to “accept” you? What do you expect them to say when you tell them that you are cutting down your academic workload to 3 courses? If you follow this forum you will realize that many students have 6 academic courses senior year – many of which are APs.</p>
<p>How can any of us give you better advise than your guidance counselor without having all the information she has regarding you and your school, and without having a better understanding of the context of your decision?</p>
<p>First off, I am not second guessing my counselor, but she wasn’t certain, which is why I am asking college confidential. </p>
<p>Also, I am not cutting down my courseload to 3 courses. If you understood how the four by four schedule worked, you would understand that I have already taken 3 AP’s and an elective for a total of 8 classes this year (we do a full year’s worth of classes in one semester). I have 5 AP’s scheduled for this year and 3 electives, which is more competitive than students from my school who have gone on to Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Also, at my school being a TA isn’t an easy job, I have to work and help conduct class.</p>
<p>The schools will inform me if my change would make any difference in my admissions decision. If they tell me it will, then I wouldn’t change. If they say it won’t make a difference, then I will switch.</p>