I’m a senior and taking 7 AP classes right now I’m thinking of dropping AP Physics down to regular physics. Will doing so hurt my application? I’m looking at top 25 schools.
Assuming that your GC can still tick that “most rigorous” box, no.
Even if you are thinking of majoring in physics.
Watch out for the AP arms race trap: by the time you have 5-6 APs colleges don’t really give extra points for having more (note that many students can’t even take 7 classes, much less 7 APs in a year (unless you are counting 2 parters, such as Macro+Micro or USGov + CompGov). Your other pieces will matter more.
You need to drop one, if not two, of those classes, IMO. The above poster is correct. I am extremely doubtful of your ability to do well in all those classes. You aren’t going to impress anyone with six APs and all B or C grades. You also need to do an extra class called College Essays, as well as maintaining high grades and ECs.
Plus, if you have no other, or maybe one or two other APs, taking seven in a year is going to seem totally desperate. If you already have three or four under your belt, you might be seen as an academic drone. Colleges don’t want academic drones.
If you’re thinking top 25, go back and learn what those schools really look for. It’s not maxing out APs. (There’s actually a lot of variation in what they want, within that top 25.) The decision to drop physics or not should, imo, depend on your possible major. I’m assuming it’s not STEM-?
Having one less class will not make or break your application- and, as @Lindagaf said, you have an additional class called College Essays. 7 is too mcuh.
Take regular Physics. With a schedule such as yours, admission or rejection never hinges on a single class.
What are your other AP 's?
I agree that 7 is too many - 4 would be plenty (5 if you have AP micro economics and AP macro economics or other ‘half’).
What are the other classes? As long as you aren’t thinking STEM, dropping it should be fine. Your essays are much more important than the slight marginal benefit of adding an additional AP.
Even if you’re thinking STEM, drop two AP 's (keep physics at any level).