<p>Lately, I've been getting minimal sleep (<3, 4 hours) and have been feeling chronic fatigue, and wanted input on whether or not I should reduce my schedule or not.</p>
<p>My current course load is as follows (I'm a Junior):
Accelerated American Literature
AP United States History
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
Connoisseur's Orchestra
Health 2</p>
<p>The course load isn't actually that bad- I have a study period, and I am only taking 3 AP classes (although I am self studying for the AP test in my native language and AP Computer Science).</p>
<p>However, I sometimes feel overloaded by my ECs. Outside of school, I participate in Varsity Soccer, a Youth Symphony, and a Robotics club. As a result, I never return home before 9PM on weekdays, and my Sundays are virtually nonexistent because we have 7 hour Robotics meetings on Sundays. I am also obligated to come to every meeting/practice because I am the Associate Concertmaster in my Youth Symphony and the Vice President of my Robotics team (and both are extremely strict about attendance because both are top level in my state/region). The fact that both also require time outside of the meetings/practices doesn't make anything better (researching and designing systems for my robotics team, and practicing the instrument for the symphony).</p>
<p>I have to admit that I am an ivy-wannabe, so I've been overloading myself throughout my high school life because of that, and I have been able to survive so far with good credentials. However, because of the increased rigor of the classes and the increased responsibility in my ECs, Junior year has been starting to get the best of me. Should I just suck it up and stay with it?</p>
<p>First off, KUDOS to you. Seriously! You are a very ambitious person. </p>
<p>But the only thing I question is, where are you headed with all of this? What are you interested in studying for college? If Robotics and Symphony is what you want to do in college, then great. But realize that although I’m sure there are other minor EC’s you also have, the major ones you’ve listed are only 3. But these 3, especially the 2 may be taking up time that I’m not sure how you’ll use for college.
Ivies look for overall school stats, but most importantly why you want them and why you think they want you.
At the end, you want to convince them to want them to pick you. What makes you stand out? Well, you have a high position in your Robotics Club and Youth Symphony which CLEARLY demonstrates your leadership qualities. But you also need to understand that having good credentials is important but they choose candidates that know what path they are taking. Is this what you want to have to give to get into an ivy? </p>
<p>Long story short:
Figure out whether or not this is the right formula for your success and entrance into an ivy.
You may want to consider what exactly you’re really trying to get out of your EC’s. </p>
<p>But if I totally discouraged you, that’s not my point, I just wanted to point out that you want to know where you’re going. An either way, I’m sure that you’ll do well because of your efforts and hard working personality. </p>
<p>If I were you I would drop the extracurricular that is the most unrelated to your potential major. If you’re not going to be an engineering major I would get rid of robotics as that seems like it is taking up most of your time.</p>
<p>Don’t self study APs. Unless you have a reason to be (ie: my friend self studied AP Chemistry so that she met the prerequisites to take a biochem Harvard Extension Course), top tier schools don’t value this too highly. </p>
<p>(Didn’t really answer your post, I know, but the other two pretty much covered what else I was going to say)</p>
<p>If you are getting that little sleep and fatiguing yourself while working efficiently until you are done (I’ll assume you are), then you’re overextending yourself and should drop some stuff. </p>
<p>Loading up an application for college is not worth the physical and mental problems that sleep deprivation can bring on. </p>
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