Does it look bad to colleges if my senior schedule looks like this?
AP Lit (Year long)
Orchestra (Year long)
AP Chem (Year long)
AP Calculus BC (Year long)
Independent-Study AP Physics C E+M
All of the AP classes at my school are year-round, and the school is on a block system, so we can only have a maximum of four AP courses per year. Orchestra is a really big EC for me, but I risk having my senior year schedule look too easy to elite colleges because I didn’t take advantage of potentially taking another AP. So my question is: Does having this schedule hinder my chances greatly at elite colleges like Stanford and Cornell?
Also, would you guys think having AP World History in place of orchestra, along with a bunch of other ECs, be too time-consuming? Thanks in advance!
<p>I personally dont think it looks bad. It might look bad if your schools offers a lot of APs and you not taking advantage of them. You are taking a science, math, and english. The only thing that might look bad is that you dont have a history class. But if orchestra is that important to you, I would stick with the orchestra.</p>
<p>Well, I've taken two, and I am taking three more this year which makes:</p>
<p>AP Stats
AP Physics C Mech.
AP Lit
AP Chem
AP Calc BC</p>
<p>The school offers four/five others:</p>
<p>AP Music Theory
AP World History
AP USH
AP Bio
Maybe AP Psychology</p>
<p>What do you think might make it look bad? Asking seriously, not sarcastically.</p>
<p>dang you only have 5 periods a day? well it's not bad at all, really, i don't think they are gonna expect you to quit orchestra to take an AP</p>
<p>stick with orchie. Colleges, even elite ones, don't want someone who's going to quit somehting they love just to increase their chances</p>
<p>yeah i have the same problem...only 4 periods a day and my advanced ensemble class is a year long...still takin 3 aps though</p>
<p>"What do you think might make it look bad?"</p>
<p>Well, I thought maybe colleges would think that I was trying to slack off by taking two semesters of Orchestra instead of something more "academic". Truth is, I'm very involved outside of class as well. I guess I need to stress that more in the essays.</p>
<p>"dang you only have 5 periods a day?"</p>
<p>Well, four periods. Four VERY LONG periods (90 minutes each). It's also kinda weird. Two periods aren't exactly 90 minutes, but 93 and 106 each. Yup, that's 106 minutes of Calc BC for a whole year, every day.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice! Really, it helps a lot to hear input from other people. I've been stressing over this for the past three days. Not without reason though, because currently, I'm ranked first in my class, but I'm only taking three APs, whereas others are taking four. So it's a big trade-off.</p>
<p>^ I know, right?</p>
<p>My schedule:</p>
<p>AP Lit
AP Stats
AP US Gov/Microeconomics
AP Euro
AP World (Independent Study)
Debate VII Honors</p>
<p>Am I going to have to start asking if my schedule sucks? :|</p>
<p>That's horrible! you're such a slacker! How dare you think your life will amount to anything :p</p>
<p>Personally, I think your schedule looks fine. Especially for a senior schedule (maybe it's just where I'm from, but it seems as though everyone is taking it easy).</p>
<p>Yes, I know, I shall now repent to the college gods :)</p>
<p>Yes, you must pray your guidance counselor will let you trade that in for a harder schedule. You weakling. Not even a community college will let you in!</p>
<p>I knew it, I am now doomed to Bob Jones University's Clown School for Fundamentalists!</p>
<p>that is a sad fate my friend. look what taking a lazy schedule can do to you. Hopefully other students will read this and be warned at the dangers of only taking 5 AP classes.</p>