Will taking only 3 real classes senior year look bad in the college admission process? Here will be my senior year schedule—
Alternatively, I could remove the lunch and add another class. Thank you for the input!
Looks like you have more than 5.5 or 6 academic courses:
AP physics C lecture + lab
AP English literature
AP calculus BC
Band
Jazz band
Marching band (semester?)
Do you plan to major in music in college, since 2.5 or 3 of your courses are music courses?
No I plan on majoring in engineering, but still staying involved in music. Yeah the marching band just falls under the band period so I guess 5 classes if you include the bands.
Is only having 3 classes that take up studying time okay for top colleges?
So you have 2.5 band courses (including alternate marching band days). If you are planning on studying engineering, I have to say that your heavy emphasis on band makes me question why engineering? Pretend I am an AO a for Harvard. As this schedule is, I am sure that you want to studymusic, but your app says you want to amot in engineering. I think you need to scrap one of your band periods. I don’t see a FL, or history, or any other subject in your senior year that tells me you are serious about top colleges or that tells me about your other interests.
If band is your passion, stick with it, and apply to colleges that want to see strong involvement in music. If your primary goal is to get into a top college, I think a music period has to be replaced with soemthing else. Even AP music theory would be a more interesting choice. Having said all this, maybe the other three years of HS are packed with AP classes and good grades. Just basing it off of what you say here though, I think you need to add a little diversity to your schedule.
I highly disagree with replacing a band period. Colleges, including top colleges, will understand that this is an activity that takes a lot of commitment and won’t automatically assume you want to study music. That is a common misconception, and one that quite frankly, bothers me to no end when people perpetuate it.
Top colleges and colleges that like a strong involvement in music aren’t mutually exclusive- in fact, the students when I was in high school that did the best in admissions, especially with top schools, were the ones that were actively involved in our school music program. There is no reason to quit either band. Many STEM majors are still involved with music and enjoy participating in music in high school and college.
I took 7 music classes in high school (concert band all four years, jazz band junior and senior year, and AP music theory senior year) and I’m a math and CS double major. And I went to a highly competitive STEM magnet school that involved me having to take summer classes in order to fit music in with all the graduation requirements.
I think your schedule is fine, but adding a history or social studies course to round it out more would not hurt.
If you don’t want to have at leas a music minor, or don’t intend to be recruited for the college’s marching band or band you need to take either a social science or a foreign language class.
What colleges are you aiming for?
I see only three “core” classes (Physics, Lit, Calc) and three music courses (band, jazz band, marching band). If you are shooting for the top colleges, would consider adding a SS course to round out your schedule. (it can be anything of interest - -history, economics, psych etc.) or maybe something like APMusic – even if it means dropping one of the three band classes. It is great to have interests and activities, but not at the expense academic rigor. However, if you don’t plan on applying to the top schools then you should be fine. Did you discuss the schedule with your guidance counselor?
Thank you everyone for responding. I definitely am not going to drop either band because marching band is fully underway and I love both of these activities. Although I am not majoring in music, I do intend to do something with band in college, whether it be minor or participate in the marching/jazz band. My past record is fine- barely any b’s, 35 act. The only really top college I’m applying to is mit and maybe another ivy.
I’m also having problems fitting classes of interest into my schedule because they are only offered once a day (French, CS, and Stats all did not work).
What are MIT’s recommended HS courses? If they recommend three years of FL, and you only have two, you will be at a disadvantage. If you aren’t bothered about that, no problem, but you should be aware. Usually, barring mitigating circumstances, a “recommended” course is actually “required.” A mitigating circumstance might be a documented learning disability, or unavoidable course conflicts, but I am not sure two non-academic courses would be considered a conflict. I am totally in favor of a student taking courses that are of interest, but if your goal is MIT or bust, you might want to reconsider. If it isn’t, you should be fine.
Well, the three non-music courses still do make sense for a prospective engineering major (AP English literature, AP calculus BC, AP physics C).
Perhaps it would help if you provided context in terms of what other academic courses you have taken. I.e.
http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/highschool
MIT only recommends “two years of a foreign language”, although most other highly selective schools (and even many selective, but not as highly selective, schools like state flagships) recommend more (in most cases, it is the level completed that matters most).
Do not give up music to be an AP automaton. Lots of students get into good colleges with music as an area of interest in HS (even non music majors).
Yeah MIT only recommends 2 years, but I’ve definitely got other schools on my list too (some that are the state flagships, which worries me a bit. I would definitely take French 4, but it’s in a period where I would have to give up being drum captain, so I don’t think it’s really worth it.)
Science- honors bio and honors chemistry
History- AP human get, AP world history, APUSH
Language- finished French 3
Electives- project lead the way junior year
So total would be:
Perhaps some colleges may prefer French 4 over French 3, but it is not like your total has any really big deficiencies like some others. But do check on the US government/civics, both for high school graduation and because some colleges may want to see that in your high school courses (at least if you are in a US high school).
I am positive that gov is not required at our school. But, we did take a required constitution test in US History that is needed for graduation. I am debating if French 4 is important enough to do some independent study with the teacher during a period that I am available, specifically 1st hour.
Be sure to check the colleges that you may apply to in order to see if a US government/civics course is required. For example, California public universities require a semester course in that subject for applicants from high school (AP US government exam score can be used instead).
Interesting. Our state HS requires Econ and US Gov’t for graduation. The basic level is semester each but of course top students take year long AP.