<p>From personal experience, I'm going to suggest that your son may be in a depressive state that has nothing to do with the objective reality of his classes. Reducing the academic load may be a good idea anyway, but I think his bleak view of his present and future and his failure to turn in work are loud warning bells for you--get him to a professional ASAP.</p>
<p>My D took 5 APs senior year and was incredibly burned out by the end. She told her brother not to make the same mistake ... she felt it was just overkill. </p>
<p>I can't imagine 5 APs JUNIOR year. D's junior year was very difficult, and she "only" had 2 APs and several honors (including 2 math & 2 science). She was very motivated ... no one "made" her take her courseload ... and it was pretty consuming.</p>
<p>My thought is that if this is a bit much for your son, let him know that he can drop an AP or 2 ... and he WILL be fine. I would worry that next year might be a real problem if he's feeling overwhelmed now. He will dread college, rather than look forward to it.</p>
<p>I agree that 5 APs junior year is no big deal for some. The point is, though, that it IS a big deal for others. Your son and other kids need to realize that they have the ability to control their lives ... and it is okay to take a step back in order to breathe, if need be. It won't ruin his life (honest!).</p>
<p>Went through a similar thing with our son sr. year--wish we would've acted to help him sooner, as he could not adjust to college and withdrew first semester. He still says he doesn't want to go to college, though he has agreed to go to community college and live at home--tells us not to pressure him about college. This from a near straight A student who took many AP courses.
I would suggest counseling now for your son, and letting up of any pressure.
At this point, I just hope our son develops a love of learning that I have had my entire life.</p>
<p>It's good that you care. I know a lot of parents (mine for sure) wouldn't care one iota. I know that if my parents talked to me without putting my problems down it would really help.Maybe it'll help your son too.</p>
<p>Many of the kids who go through this, in my experience, are from the big, academically competitive public high schools. There is an expectation that the top students will take a full slate of APs. There is a lot of fighting for GPA and class rank. These are the kids who tend to burn out (not all, of course) and struggle at college and even drop out first semester freshman year. I know of several "medical leaves" at my son's Ivy which fit this exact profile. The private/boarding school kids don't seem to go through this as much.</p>
<p>If S has always been an achiever, it may just be overload, this was case with D in junior year. also fear of college process and her own high expectations. </p>
<p>In reality it may be hard to drop class at this date with incomplete, so he needs to evaluate each class and set time frame each day for work for each class. This helped D. putting on paper with alloted time helped with the stress. if need be missing a small homework assignment may be enough to focus on the bigger things. NOT the end of World and it won't keep them out of college.</p>
<p>D did speak to therapist a few times and it did help.</p>
<p>We told her if she was burnt, she could always take a gap year, this relieved MUCH STRESS! ( enough so that she has gone ahead with college process, but that option is still on table if thats what she wants.)</p>
<p>I think reducing the stress by gearing down on some of the courses and getting professional help are good suggestions. It is so easy for kids to overload, particularly with the emphasis on class rank (and the extra points that come with AP classes). D went to a very competitive public HS and completed 9 APs with good test scores (4's, 5's and a single 3). Last year, as a senior, she went into a terrible slump and made some of her "worst" grades-a couple of C's. We sought out a therapist and the grades didn't improve but her spirits did. D was accepted everywhere she applied (all were top 20 US News LACs and universities) in spite of the C's.</p>
<p>D is now at a top LAC and is excelling. She feels her decision to not work as hard last year was a good one (although at the time, I did not). She has noted that many of her current classmates who are now doing poorly were HS valedictorians, AP scholars with distinction, community service superstars and club leaders. These young people sacrificed everything for top HS grades and resume building. She says that these kids talk about being burned out and sick of school. Sometimes our kids actions are telling us it is time to do something different. Hindsight is always wiser and I do feel terrible that I contributed to the stress my daughter went through. Clearly she was the wiser one on her "gear down". With my second child, I am less anxious. He is considering a service year before going to college which, given what my daughter has reported, sounds like a good plan.</p>
<p>I often hear the claim that colleges want to see a rigorous course selection, which seems reasonable, but then there is an additional component to this that students should take the 'most rigorous' high school curriculum available if they are hoping to be admitted to the most selective universities. Thus, students who aim high feel that they need to add these AP courses to their curriculum. </p>
<p>College admissions, even for the most selective universities, should not be a hazing process, where students pile on AP classes, extracurricular activities, and community service commitments, and then colleges see who is left standing at the end, as if this trial ensures that you will be the most worthy for admissions. </p>
<p>I'm not suggesting that high school shouldn't be challenging, or that you shouldn't make an investment in your extracurricular activities, but I think that there should be more guidance in terms of what a high school considers to be 'very' or 'most' rigorous. </p>
<p>I guess my point to the OP is that I can see where you and your family are coming from. You have a bright child who aims high and there seems to be so much expectation. I don't think I have any more to add, other than that many of us hear you and see your situation reflected in our own. You have our support in whatever you decide is best for your son and family.</p>