Study hall?? Afraid it will look bad...

Hi!! I’m a junior this year and I just found out I had to change my schedule due to some last minute changes. Anyways, I had to drop a class and now I’m left with the option to take some study halls or fill in the spots with AP Psych or physics.
I’ve only had one study hall, and that was freshman year, but I’m thinking that I might want some junior year because I’m taking 4 APs and some honors classes.
Here’s the options: 1) take physics or ap psych and get a second semester study hall every other day (my counselor said I can drop gym for this) or 2) take nothing and have a study hall each semester, every other day. I could probably replace gym with a better elective, but we don’t have much…
What do you think? Will having two study halls look bad if I’m applying to colleges like Vanderbilt or Rice? Please be honest, and thanks!!

My kids had study halls every quarter when they had intense EC commitments ( sports season or robotics build). They got into colleges like U of Chicago, Swarthmore, Harvey Mudd, & Carleton.

I wouldn’t take a class just for the sake of it–if you really want to take Physics or AP Psych, go for it! Don’t take the class just to fill up the space, though.

Personally, I’d go and take the study hall, especially if you have a sport or some other time-taking extracurricular.

Take the study hall. One extra class will not make or break the college admissions process. If you’re taking 4 APs, then you probably need/want the study hall.

My D took 3 APs junior year and 4 senior year, with 1 study hall because there was nothing else to take. She’s at Penn as a sophomore…

A college won’t frown upon a study hall if you are taking a study hall. It becomes a problem when your course load is all easy level classes and you have like 2 study halls

I would take physics and then leave the study hall second semester. I’m assuming you haven’t taken a physics class yet? Most colleges want to see one year each of chem, bio, and physics. If you have taken physics already, then no harm in a study hall.