I’m a competitive string instrument player, but I didn’t take orchestra all four years of high school. I was in orchestra in 9th grade, and in 10th and 11th grade, I was president of a music club I started at my school, but I didn’t take orchestra. Will it look bad on my college application if I take orchestra senior year again?
No it won’t look bad.
Of course not, why would it?
Not at all.
You really need to step back and consider how you portray yourself. According to your posting history, you have spectacular academic credentials. Congratulations. Now, in order to really be wanted by some of the selective schools you’ve mentioned, you need to demonstrate that you can make wise decisions based upon laudable motivations.
From the outside, what does your choice of classes and ECs reflect? Someone who’s overly concerned with perfect grades and academic performance? Or someone who genuinely is curious and seeks to challenge oneself regardless of grades or scores? Are you expanding your interests? Or simply checking off what you THINK colleges are looking for (the so-called “passion” for music, science, theater, whatever).
The people I know who were successful at getting into top schools got into them as mostly a side venture. They were * already* on a trajectory for greatness and their energy and drive dripped off of them – and it didn’t matter what college eventually admitted them. They didn’t care to be perfect because that was never their goal – they were hungry and that hunger drove them. You’ve got the perfect test scores, you’ve got the 4.0. But are people affected by you?
If you didn’t take orchestra all four years, did you do anything musical (competitions, other ensemble, etc.) during the absent year?
@T26E4 The truth is, I’ve just never had a direction in high school. I have no idea what I want to major in yet. But I’m curious, though (don’t take this as an attack), what do you think is wrong with my choice of classes? I did choose them because I thought they were interesting, but none of them have activated a “spark” in me, so to speak.
I really do like music a lot, my own parent instilled that in me because s/he was a music major. So don’t worry, I don’t play competitively just because of college. But I don’t think I’ll choose it as a career path. Thank you for your comment 
@TiggerDad Yes, I’m first chair in a youth orchestra. I did competitions but I didn’t win any. I also did All-State and placed high.