What type of course load is okay for senior year? How much do colleges (of any caliber) care?

Applying to College
1

I have always taken difficult classes, but this year I decided that it was too much as I have 4 hours of homework a night and absolutely no free time. I am always tired and am beginning to burn out. As such I am looking to tone it down next year, by a little bit. I go to an EXTREMELY competitive high school with two (math+comp sci and communication arts) magnet programs, which is one of the problems. I am not in either of the magnet programs as I only moved here at the end of sophomore year and they are both 4 year programs.

This is my schedule this year (resulting in 3-5 hours of homework a night and an insane amount of stress):

AP Stats (on scale of 1-10 [1 easiest], this is a 5)
AP Lang (7)
AP US History (7)
Computer Programming 1 (8) (my school is known for its programming classes so this class is no loaf class)
Honors Spanish 4 (2)
Honors Physics (4)
Honors Pre Calc (10) (one of the most insane math classes I’ve ever taken - I’m normally very strong in math)
Entomology (1) (my loaf class)

I have a 3.98 GPA that only dipped from a 4.0 this year. Have yet to take SAT or ACT.

So next year is easier I think:

AP Calc AB (supposed to be easier than honors pre-calc)
AP Bio
AP Comp Sci
Honors English 12
Honors Chem
International Human Rights (kind of loaf I think but extremely interesting)
Foundations of Tech (graduation requirement, extreme loaf class)
African Studies (very interesting to me)
Student Aid (I would be an aid to my 11 grade English teacher all year - it would be very fun, he’s awesome)

I have many, many options for more difficult classes. I could take optics or quantum physics instead of being an aid, which are very math heavy and stressful yet interesting. I could take AP human geo instead of human rights. I could do AP Lit, which I don’t really want to do because English is stressful for me, but is an option. I also despise Spanish so refuse to take it next year.

Next year MUST be easier or I will go crazy. But how much easier can it be? My mom is pushing Duke, Harvard, Yale but I do not want to be around that competition. I would like to go to a quiet, not-too-competitive college with actual normal people in it who have social lives and want to include me with them. I have been stressing over school and trying to be the best for SO long that I’m burnt out. I have no time for anything but homework. I refuse to stay up until 2am doing said homework. I think standardized testing is massive BS so I’m not taking the SAT three times but will shoot for above a 2000 on my one and only time and maybe take the ACT as a supplement along with a couple SAT II tests (Us history, math 2, physics). I refuse to become a slave to the type of extreme competition and stress that I have been exposed to at my high school and that I know is waiting for me at Yale etc. It sounds terrible, but I just want to lead a quiet life and work at a museum or something.

Some background info is that I have been to three different high schools in 2 different states (so I think I’ve been pretty consistent grade-wise), I volunteer a lot (at a Smithsonian museum and for the National Park Service), am a part of a couple clubs (leadership positions next year hopefully). I have only been at this high school for a year so I know maybe 7% of my graduating class (which is 1000 people) and am not a longtime member of any clubs as such. I try my very hardest and just hope that will be reflected in college apps.

2

Definitely keep the Student Aid. You can also use him as a possible letter of recommendation for junior year, since people recommend junior year teachers for those letters. Since you’d be working with him then, he’d have a stronger idea of who you are.

Depending on the types of colleges you want to apply to, you might want to AP Spanish. Question: why do you want to do Honors Chem AND AP Bio? Choose one (AP it) so you’re not stressed out with the double load.

Anyways, your load looks okay. You have the same amount of AP’s as you did junior year with a good amount of honors. Some loafs but eh that’s okay. Talk with your GC and see if s/he can give you that “Most rigorous” label on the Common App.

3

That schedule is fine, especially since you stated that you aren’t interested in hyper-competitive schools. With the classes you’ve taken previously, you honestly don’t need to worry about these courses not seeming rigorous enough, so don’t stress yourself out unnecessarily.
By the way, at least at my school, precalc was definitely way more difficult than calculus. It was the lowest grade I’ve ever gotten (barely pulled it up to a low B at the last minute). Calculus is a breeze compared to precalc, especially since there are SO many resources out there because it’s an AP.
Best of luck to you.

4

TheDidactic, I have to take Honors Chem to take AP Bio. It’s a required pre rec (or concurrent enrollment) that I don’t have in yet. I could do AP Chem but I know it will be very difficult because I have almost no high school chemistry background, so I figured I could get the best of both worlds instead of just targeting chem (also I’m more interested in bio as of right now). Thanks reallycoolshoes, it’s nice to hear from another person that AP Calc should be easier.

5

@pencilpen7‌ Okay then, then I think your schedule looks good.