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<p>My DD said the SAME EXACT WORDS about organic chemistry.</p>
<p>PCP, the common app has a place to list both first and second semester classes planned for senior year. Students in schools with block schedules would commonly have gaps in their math sequences, e.g. Pre-Calc in the spring, no math in the fall, Calc in the spring. </p>
<p>I would guess that as long as you put the Calc 2 in the second semester class list, that no admissions officer would be too concerned about a semester-long gap. So, my vote would be to postpone Calc 2, in order to be better able to concentrate on his research and ECs and especially in getting good first semester grades.</p>
<p>The school just started, and I’m already in a panic mode. Does anyone feel the same way?</p>
<p>sacci - Thanks for the perspective. Your suggestion may be his only option now. I’m going to sound like a broken record here. Just spoke to mom and DS1 again and realized I had underestimated his research time. It’s a minimum of 20 hr/wk! In fact, the lab emphasized “minimum“. This changes the landscape quite a bit. How is he going to find 20+ hrs and still be able to do varsity debate and lead his breakdance crew with a fully loaded schedule!? 
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<p>I really need to seek the wisdom of the parents here.</p>
<p>^^^ How is he going to do all that? He isn’t. There are some choices that have to be made here. Something’s got to give, there are only 24 hours in a day.</p>
<p>I sympathize, my D is one who wants to do everything as well. She finally gave up dance this year, which she had done since she was 4, because she knew she did not have the 10 hours per week that the dance studio had her group scheduled for. It was not an easy decision, but it has turned out to be the best decision ever. SOOO much less stress for her and for us. </p>
<p>Something’s got to give in your son’s schedule. One of life’s biggest lesson is learning to make tough choices - and it’s time for your son to make some. :(</p>
<p>I agree with Lafalum84 - your son will need to decide which one(s) to cut.</p>
<p>I remember the invincible feeling I had when I was 17. Even when confronted with the impossible, I somehow felt I can dilate time and have myself 25 hours a day. Failures do to so were quickly forgotten. </p>
<p>I’m afraid DS1 is going through the same. He thinks he can handle this without much of a rationale. “Dad, I know I can do this.” was his response. Of course, this does not mean he didn’t shed anything, he did. He dropped orchestra and will not be doing much chess; both had been huge parts of his schedule in the past. He also gave up on taking another college bio class that he passionately wanted and planned on.</p>
<p>His current EC priority is research, breakdance, debate. As we had talked about upthread, his senior year grades should trump all his ECs in priority. Yes. He needs to drop more, and I need to have a discussion that I don’t look forward to.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>My son actually has a little more going on this year than last, since he’s now a floor leader in his dorm (residential school). But he actually seems to have more time on his hands than last year, which I think is because he has a single room. Last year he had a suite with three other boys, and I think the constant traffic and temptation to goof off were too much for him.</p>
<p>His other activities are quiz bowl, dance club, and Model UN, plus a science project he wants to enter in ISEF. He also wants to be in the school play, which he was last year, and which nearly pushed him over the edge due to the extreme time demand. (The cast and crew were excused from mandatory study hours and would study between activities during rehearsal. A terrible way to learn if you ask me, although I know they all had a blast and mostly kept their grades up anyway.)</p>
<p>I guess right now I’m thinking that the play could be too much, but a juicy role could be a great EC to show on those top-20 applications…I guess I’ll reserve judgment until auditions begin in a month or so.</p>
<p>mantori - Based on the strategy we discussed upthread, I’d also suggest that you talk to your son about keeping only the ECs that he really really care about (funny how I’m giving the same advice I was given just hours ago ;)). Have him prioritize them, and then convince him to lop off the bottom half. If the science project and the play came out on top, then the direction is clear. Remeber, our kids need to have better grades in their fall semester.</p>
<p>ochem is pretty easy btw.</p>
<p>Good way to save a low GPA is to get USAMO/USABO/USNCO/USAPhO.</p>
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<p>I hear you, but for the sake of argument, what’s better: having fewer ECs and better grades than last year, or similar ECs and similar grades? I mean, what would a top school think of someone who gives up activities he clearly enjoys in order to get better grades? Might that be interpreted as a kind of grade-grubbing, and would they care?</p>
<p>Of course, this gets into the happiness-vs.-achievement debate. Should he give up stuff he likes in order to get awesome grades? Or should he be happy with “merely” good grades in exchange for being able to do all the things he wants to do? </p>
<p>I don’t know the right answer, but I’m interested to hear what others have to say.</p>
<p>We are only talking about one semester. All the talk about the importance of grades and keeping an upward trend is coming to an end after this semester. Have a heart-to-heart with your son and let him tell you how important it is to him to get into that top school of his. If it is important enough, then it’s time for a lesson in life - choose or lose. We all know about delayed gratification, and how it is a sign of maturity. Well, junior needs to put on hold his other desires, so that he can get his big prize early next year.</p>
<p>Wise words, PaperChaserPop.</p>
<p>On a related subject, here’s the list of non-top-20 schools we’re working with at the moment:</p>
<p>Rochester
Case Western Reserve
Tulane
Pitt</p>
<p>These are schools we figure are nearly sure-things for admission, and which have a reputation for offering good financial aid. (State U remains the admission and financial safety.)</p>
<p>Is this a reasonable list of “next-tier” options? I have a nagging suspicion that we should be aiming a little lower yet. My son asked about Baylor today, which I found encouraging; he’s looking for realistic options outside the traditional academic powerhouses. By the way, Pitt’s on the list because it meets a couple of his ideals—a good academic reputation in a major urban area—and a friend from his school who graduated last year got the Chancellor’s Scholarship.</p>
<p>^^^ And, because it’s a rolling admissions school, you’ll have his admissions result soon - and the merit aid decision a few weeks after that. Pitt is a great option for strong students with good test scores, not only because of the timely decision and generous merit program, but because it’s really a terrific school. My kids were so impressed after a visit - they’d happily have attended if their first/second choices hadn’t worked out. </p>
<p>If your son has the anticipated happy result here, he may decide to take some other safeties/matches off his list.</p>
<p>That would be a welcome relief from the crushing weight of a dozen applications.</p>
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<p>I’m assuming this is directed at my post. OChem is easy for some students and it is a challenge for others. I know kids who have actually bailed from a chemistry major because of Ochem. So…to this poster…just because it was “easy” for you or others you know does NOT mean that it is an easy course for everyone. </p>
<p>Now…back to the topic of this thread.</p>
<p>I would second the recommendation to apply to Pitt. Large numbers of very strong students (many have turned down top tier acceptances to attend), the admissions process is quick and painless for strong students,and financial aid is generous. I was disappointed when my child turned down Pitt for her “dream school.”</p>
<p>mantori - Your list looks fine. Since I can’t find much detail on your son’s stats upthread, I can’t assess how sure-hit these schools are. Assuming he has high test scores (2250+) and fine ECs up to his junior year (his senior EC list looks very good), then he should be able to get into most, if not all, of the schools.</p>
<p>We are also looking at Rochester as a possiblity.</p>
<p>'what’s better: having fewer ECs and better grades than last year, or similar ECs and similar grades?" A student’s GPA is ALWAYS is more important than EC’s.</p>
<p>Thanks for your comments and encouragement, PaperChaserPop. Here are some stats on my son:</p>
<p>currently at public, residential math-and-science high school
all honors/AP when available
GPA around 3.5-3.6 at three different high schools, with no particular trend
(transcript includes a semester C as Freshman and a semester D as Sophomore, both in non-honors humanities courses)
ACT 35 (taken as a Sophomore)
PSAT 237
SAT 800/760/780
SAT Physics 800, World History 800, Math II 770</p>
<p>Since he’s home for Labor Day weekend, we finally spent a good, long time talking about which colleges he’s going to apply to, and this is his list:</p>
<p>DEFINITE: Chicago (first choice…but see qualifier below), MIT, Rochester, Rice, Tulane, Pitt, State U (safety)
CONSIDERING: Stanford, Yale, Penn, Case Western Reserve, Northwestern</p>
<p>MIT is the odd man out here. He admits he wants to apply just to see if he gets in…although I believe that, if he does get in, he’ll be inclined to attend. It was his dream since he was old enough to know what MIT was, although he has become more well-rounded over the years and would probably fit in better at Chicago at this point in his life.</p>
<p>Based on this information plus the ECs I posted earlier, if anyone would care to comment on his chances or opportunities for improvement, I’m all ears. As you can see, he is definitely in the high-test-scores-but-shaky-grades camp.</p>
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<p>That’s sounds a bit too certain. Surely students whose grades slip slightly when they take on wonderful ECs don’t always suffer come admissions time.</p>