Hey cc community, I’m in a weird dilemma. I’ve been in band since the 6th grade and I’d loved it ever since, except this last year I’ve really disliked it. I really dislike the band teacher and although I love the activity, the long hours and distress i go through in class everyday is pretty much unbearable at this point. I really want end my career in band but I fear if I do than colleges(especially ivy’s) will frown upon it because i’ve committed to it for so long. I’m in 7 ap classes this year and ill be in 6 next year and it’s started taking its toll on my grades as well. Anyways, will quitting band this far in severely affect my chances of getting into top schools or should i just stick it out for another year just to be safe? Thanks
I dropped it b/c I couldn’t fit my AP heavy schedule into it. Never looked back. Didn’t affect my applications one bit. You shouldn’t worry about it either.
Thank you for your response! I think i’ve made my decision to finish my career in band after this semester. @T26E4
Just a reminder that because you drop band class, it doesn’t mean that you have to drop band (or music) as an EC. You can continue to practice your instrument, play in a band outside of school, give lessons, etc…You’ve invested a lot in developing your skills as a musician - don’t walk away from that just because you don’t like the teacher. No teacher should be the cause of someone giving up on something they otherwise enjoy.
Definitely look into groups outside of school. Try your local youth orchestra or a community college band. However, I’m assuming you’re a second semester senior based on your first post. If your dislike of the class is due to a tough grading policy, maybe just keep the class and don’t stress about it? You’re so close to the end that you may as well just hang on at least until colleges accept you. I doubt they’ll rescind for dropping band once you’ve been accepted.
I’m a second semester junior as of now and I will definitely look into other groups outside of school. I wish to end my in-school band experience, not my music experience as a whole. Thank you! @Matt846
WOW I did the exact same thing this year! I’m a senior and my junior year I disliked the pace of the class (symphonic music & marching band) + social life of band + my course load was too much (and yes, I know some people can handle it all but I cannot). I’m also now in choir and musical theatre with piano on the side so music is still in my life. People quit activities for several reasons. If a college sees that your senior course load doesn’t include band anymore, your grades have dropped, no clubs, no hard classes, it’ll look fishy. If it doesn’t have band BUT you’re an active member of the community with a good academic standing then a dropped EC shouldn’t be an issue. As long as your resume and stats don’t appear to suffer because of your exit, you should be fine!
If you think it’s right, do it.
I’m a senior in band, and I honestly am I starting to wish I had quit.
The only thing i’ll probably miss is going up to atlanta and performing in the atlanta dome but yeah I think it’s for the best. @jamesjunkers @jomarch