I am a Junior and I’m taking these ap classes next year.
AP Calculus AB
AP Literature
AP Environmental Science
AP Chemistry
AP Microeconomics
Are there any tips you can give me for my classes next year? Or should I drop AP Environmental Science for Lab Assistant I (Basically Free Period). I’m trying to decide if it would be too much or should I drop APES so I won’t be overwhelmed and I will be able to do college applications in the beginning of the year. Or should I end senior year with the hardest but fun classes yet. Or should I have one breather class and take it easy? Will this schedule affect my applying make it harder (Any difference)
Sorry so many questions feel free to answer any of them.
It’s all on your decision. I’m only taking 3 APs senior year at the moment (AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP Biology) because I want to go a bit easier for my last year in high school. I would suggest removing AP Environmental Science and doing that Lab Assistant I thing to have a little “laid-back” part of your schedule, especially when it comes to the fact that you’ll be doing college applications in the first semester as well. If you believe you can handle the workload of 5 APs, go ahead and take AP Environmental Science. I didn’t believe I could take 4 APs senior year while keeping my first semester senior year GPA decent, so I eventually narrowed it down to three. However, we’re different people, so, like I said before, it’s your choice. Hope your senior year next year goes well! Looks like we’ll be senior buddies 
Thanks for your feedback highly appreciated
I would say remove APES and do the free period thing. It would allow you some breathing air in your schedule. I will say don’t slack off too much though because it’ll show colleges you’re going to finish strong in high school.
If you can handle it, go for it. However, as all rising seniors seriously underestimate the work involved in writing college applications, I would trade APES for the lab asst. thing, assuming that your GC will still rate your schedule as “most rigorous” on the Secondary School Report.
Ask your guidance counselor if you’ll still get the “most rigorous” check if you take Lab Assistant.
However, I’d recommend something a bit less obviously “blow off” that will demonstrate you’re an intellectually curious student who can be creative (pottery, photography? current events?)
AP Microeconomics is only a semester course: are you taking Macro second semester or are you taking a free period? If free period, then you can’t have Lab assistant because that’d be too much.
I also notice you don’t have a foreign language: have you reached level 4 or are you taking the AP exam/did you take the AP class this year?
AP Microeconomics is a full year course at my school and I already finished off Spanish for the year at Spanish 4. And my guidance counselor would still mark it off as challenging.
I would drop APES. I’m sure its a great class, but I think that the lab assistant opportunity will be more enjoyable, or even a free period if that is what it is.
Ask yourself if you think you will be able to get a 4 or 5 on the AP tests in the spring if you need to focus on making those scores for all five of the classes. I took AP Calc BC, AP Chem, and AP Lit this year and found it manageable, but I personally wouldn’t take Environmental Science with the Chem. AP Chem was very demanding in order to master all of the material for the test. It also comes down to what you do outside of school in terms of time management.