I’m a senior next year. I started playing in the school band beginning in sixth grade, and continued throughout high school. However, since sophomore year I’ve been increasingly less enthusiastic about band (especially marching band during the summer) because of the extensive time I have to commit towards this program. I would rather free up a month on August to truly work on my college applications (which happens to be due towards the end of marching band season) as well as free up a class spot for another AP class. Before seriously considering quitting band, I would like to talk about some facts, as well as some pros and cons.
FACTS:
I’m in the varsity band and have been since sophomore year.
I’m on the band leadership team as an assistant team captain (which might make quitting a showing of a lack of commitment)
Some of my friends are in band, but most of my best friends that I hang out with are not in band.
AP classes next year: APES, BC calc, AP lit, AP gov, AP econ, AP physics 2, AP physics C, AP music theory
Vice president of Mu Alpha Theta, BPA, CS club
Top 2% in my school
Pros:
August is freed up to do college apps
another AP class (AP bio)
I can truly focus on math and science (what I’m considering as a college major)
band, as a regular class, brings down GPA (not that it really matters anymore)
Cons:
I might lose relationships with some of my friends
Might show a lack of commitment (might as well do it for the seventh year)
If your friends don’t hang out with you because you quit band then they weren’t your friends in the first place. Also, it probably won’t matter anyway because you’ll most likely won’t be seeing most of them ever again in a year (sorry). I don’t get how you can miss band if you aren’t enthusiastic about it.
How many AP/college classes did you take in junior year? Seriously, 8 AP classes while participating in EC’s and working on your college apps. Do you plan on sleeping? If you drop Music Theory, you’ll be taking 4 AP science courses - the AP science courses are notorious for being the most rigorous and dense out of all the AP courses. You shouldn’t be taking more than two.
You shouldn’t be doing something just for the application. If you do not enjoy band then quit it. Six years of playing an instrument, Vice President of Mu Alpha Theta, and multiple accomplishments in your school band? I think it’s the opposite of what you’e thinking; it shows that you are extremely committed to whatever you do. Quitting band won’t make or break your application, either.
My advice: Quit band if you feel like you don’t enjoy it. One extra year won’t make a big difference so that time is better invested somewhere else. Also, lessen your course load. You are high-achieving but 8 AP’s (half being sciences) is surreal. You won’t have time to make a quality application or essay if all you’re doing is AP homework. APES is one of the most useless AP’s unless you’re going into that specific field of science (course subject is basically common sense). I think it’s redundant to take two physics classes concurrently - one is enough.
I took 5 AP classes as a junior (lang, apush, stats, chem,and physics) and got 5s on all the tests but physics (which I still think I should’ve gotten a 5 on lol). Long story short, I can handle an all-AP class schedule while juggling with college apps. However, my consideration of quitting band stems from the fact that band has been a struggle for me, but it is still a big part of me in HS and I would like to give it a proper closure. I’m conflicted and I really need an answer quick (marching band starts in 2 weeks).
@turndown4watt I would definitely recommend that you continue with it and do not take AP Bio. Itotally believe you that you can handle it all but I think that with college apps and balancing your actual life this is good. You already have an extremely rigorous courseload, and I do not say this often. You will be busy next year and I definitely think that band will be a nice place to relax. I personally did marching band as a freshman but decide to focus on speech and debate for four years instead of band. If I were you I would honestly continue. The choice is yours but best of luck
I still stand by my earlier advice. Even if you can handle an extremely rigorous course load, you shouldn’t test the waters by adding three more AP’s the year you are writing your college applications. I suggest at least taking one AP class off - it won’t make or break your application but it will free up a lot of time. Like I said, APES is worthless unless you are going to study that in college. Some self-study the weekend before the test and still get a 5.
I’d quit band if I were you. Three clubs, AP homework, and college applications are enough. Band requires an extreme amount of work/time and it’s better spent improving your applications. Of course, it is your decision.
It’s funny I’m in almost the exact same boat as you. I’m not saying that this is what you should do but quiting band was a great discision for me. The energy that I used in band can and will be given to hw and projects that I actually want and need to do. Besides if I (we) liked band that much we wouldn’t be strongly considering stopping. Sorry if this wasn’t helpful but I just wanted you to know that you aren’t alone in this problem. Xxx
Quit band. You obviously resent the time spent on it and since you’re not enjoying it do something else. It’s okay you have plenty of other things going for you, assuming band wasn’t your sole EC
Remove AP Physics 2 (you alrady have Physics 1 and you’re taking Physics C), and do NOT add AP bio.
Your schedule, with 50% stem classes, is too “pointy” - double up is good, but tripling is un-necessary, and quadrupling is ???.. Having that many AP’s will not impress colleges - it’ll only mean short nights (make sure you have 1hour each evening for college apps AND sleep 8 hours per night). Take college classes in college, use high school for your academic foundations.
APES => doesn’t add anything to your schedule in terms of rigor but is a great class
BC calc,
AP lit,
AP gov, AP econ,
AP physics 2 => replace with a foreign language or a “fun” course (signals you’re not an AP junkie but a kid who likes learning for its own sake)
AP physics C
AP music theory => shows interest and skill in music (known to be quite difficult)
Also, why are you taking AP music theory? Are you interested in music? Are you going to continue music in college?
Seems like if you quit band, what is the point of AP Music theory? You are or are not interested in music.
Like everyone says,it isn’t “s/he with the most APs wins”…make sure you can do well in the APs even if you need to take less of them.
Are you planning to be a STEM major? Otherwise, why take more Physics APs?
I was in band my first three years of high school. Quit my senior year because the friends I had in my class were not in the band and the friends I had in the band were older than we and had already graduated. Looking back, it was the right choice for me. However, I missed senior night for the band. To this day (30+years later), my mom still hasn’t gotten over not walking across the field with my dad and me with a flower on senior day. I am thinking about buying her a flower (with my high school colors) and asking her to accompany my wife and me with our daughter when she has her senior day this fall. A handful of kids have grandparents accompany them.
I just read your post to my daughter (D16) and we had a great chuckle, honestly she thought I was making it up because you are literally her last year down to the band leadership position & BPA minus top 2% she was top 16%. She took AP Music theory as a junior. Trust me when I say she really, really was OVER marching band.
Her advice…
Stay in band. Given your schedule you will appreciate the break in your day. (BTW that is a CrAZy hard senior schedule)
If you quit, yeah you will likely loose the close friendships you have left in band, but who cares you are hanging new cooler people. (She quit hanging with the remaining band kids she was friends with at the end of marching season). Thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with her other non band friends and reconnecting with friends from freshman year that she didn't have time to hang with cuz BAND.
Don't worry you will have plenty of time to do your college apps. (She was accepted to two great schools, Pitt and Purdue, by the end of September and eventually was accepted to all 12 of the schools she completed app for)
Since you aren't doing a sport, band takes the place of the commitment to a "team". (She played a LAX but band shows a different kind of commitment level)
She says she really feels that colleges value band. Most people know the time commitment that being involved in band takes. When you combine that with your awesome course rigor, strong extracurricular and leadership in band. You make a good "package".
BTW Music Theory is hard. Loved it, but don't discount it, it is hard. (and she had years of ABRSM music theory exams, passed with merit, under her belt)
Really you can make it through marching season it is only 3 months. Then just focus on your other interests.
Agree that if you like band, you should stick with it. I’m not convinced by the argument that the August practices will keep you from completing college applications as you can start doing those right now. If you remove band, you do look pointy and your ECs seem limited.
I almost always think that quitting band late in high school is a bad idea, especially if you are good, have a leadership position and/or have the grades, etc. to be looking at very selective schools. Band takes time, fortitude, emotional (and in the case of marching band, physical) strength, and colleges know this.
My kids all pursued band all the way through high school. They didn’t love it very often, most often they just tolerated it, but it was a constant in their lives. It also provided a different way of thinking and “being” for one period during the school day. D1 said she needed that class period as a change of pace each day to re-charge and get her through her otherwise very heavy course load.
D2, who liked band the least, ended up sticking it out through high school and is the only one of the three who played after high school. She’s now in college marching band (she had never marched before - it was a very last minute, shocking decision) and is obsessed with “all things band.” She has a huge network of college friends, including those she will live with next year. She’s even taking up a second instrument and enjoying the challenge of doing so. Sometimes I feel like she’s a total stranger; she did nothing but complain about band in high school.
Lastly, being super busy with productive activities like band helps you to be more organized and budget your time better (because you have to!). If you end up with more time, you could start being wasteful with it. I think that focusing all your energy on pure academics will rob you of some of the more pleasurable and fulfilling things in life. Doesn’t seem worth it to me (and as someone who attends many admissions events as a volunteer for a very selective school, I think you would seem less interesting to admissions having given up band to do yet another AP class…).
as a guy who was too busy working and studying to do anything fun for most of my life, if I was lucky enough to be a captain in the band for my senior year I wouldn’t quit for anything
Holy cow, what makes you think you need another AP next year? 15 looks like stuffing it. And if you’re thinking STEM, (“math and science,”) I’m wincing at skipping AP bio (especially in favor of APES and music theory.)
Marching band is unique because of the heavy requirements. There’s no, so to say, sleeping on the job. It shows the ability to dedicate yourself, commit, and adhere to expectations. In ways, it’s like some sports.
But here’s the thing. My daughter had oodles of music experience, trust me, at one point so busy she rushed home to do homework with dinner before heading for the next. She considered dropping the regional orchestra and my feeling was: anyone who is going to be impressed by this (band, for you,) will already be impressed by the years you have put in and the role you achieved. She still had enough going and I felt she could make the decision that suited her.
But you have to look at what your full picture is, weigh it based on more than that you can shoehorn in another AP and work on apps.
My kiddo stayed in orchestra. Make a wise decision, whatever that is. Know what your target colleges are really looking for.
