Will this twelfth-grade schedule be challenging enough for top colleges?

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

<p>I've been having a bit of trouble planning my schedule for twelfth grade. I've finally come up with a schedule that I think I'm satisfied with... but I'm not sure if it is challenging enough for competitive colleges like Swarthmore or Vassar. Here it is:</p>

<p>AP Calculus
AP Biology
AP Economics (Micro and Macro)
AP English Literature
Drawing & Painting II (or perhaps AP Art)
Phys Ed.</p>

<p>This schedule would take up 6 out of 9 forty-minute periods in a school day... so I would have three free periods. Is this too many free periods? I think that I will need three free periods in order to keep up with my AP workload, but I'm worried that it won't look good to colleges. I figure that if most college students take about four classes per semester, then my four AP classes are almost a college workload. But would colleges see it that way?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>add two more aps :)</p>

3

<p>You should add at least one more class, preferably an AP. If not, take an honors.</p>

4

<p>I’m afraid it will just come off looking like you have a case of senioritis if you take any free classes. If you must though, I would limit it to one.</p>

5

<p>I’d recommend adding in APUSH or AP Euro and another elective you like or a blow off. 3 frees is a bit much, 1 is fine.</p>

6

<p>Top colleges want four years of English, science, math, social studies and foreign language. I suggest you continue a foreign language even if it is not AP. AP studio art isn’t too difficult if you enjoy art. 2D is the easiest portfolio to put together but it is unlikely that you would get credit for it, so I wouldn’t bother paying to submit the portfolio if you are a senior.</p>

7

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<p>So your schedule would look like:</p>

<p>AP Calculus
AP Biology
AP Economics (Micro and Macro)
AP English Literature
Drawing & Painting II (or perhaps AP Art)
Phys Ed. (Free period)
Free period
Free period
Free period</p>

<p>Lmao. Good luck not getting laughed at by every adcom.</p>

8

<p>Thanks IceQube. How helpful. I appreciate how you made fun of me instead of giving some real advice, as everyone else here has done.</p>

<p>But to everyone else, a sincere thanks!</p>

9

<p>Maybe take some joke classes. Like in my school, you can take a joke computer class and then the second half of the year a free period. Do that so its not as obvious haha. Also classes like photo and journalism are basically free periods with names.</p>

10

<p>Free period? *** is that?</p>

11

<p>In my school, its when you sit in a random classroom with a random sub and do whatever you want for 40 minutes. No grade and no credit</p>

12

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</p>

<p>Wow I would love to be a sub in your school district.</p>

13

<p>I have that many free periods plus a lunch :wink: so I’ll be leaving school. At my school I can leave after fifth period. Thank god for a car. </p>

<p>Anyway for top colleges, I think that would be a bit much if you’re aiming like HYP then you probably want to add language and science and math ( if you haven’t fulfilled 4 credits worth)</p>

14

<p>I have one free period next year because there are pretty much no other classes I could take that would be useful, except maybe AP Art History (which I have no interest in). So, if that’s is the case for you, then it’s fine to have some free periods :). </p>

<p>Maybe you could get an internship during the school year to take up some of that time?</p>

15

<p>How in the hell does your school let kids get away with that? Here in MA we have to have 990 hours/year of classroom time, and at best you get one study hall in your schedule, that you can only get for 2 years. </p>

<p>I mean, IceQube was right, you’re going to look terrible if 1/3rd of the time you’re ‘in school’ is a study hall. Fill that time with something that you’re curious about or interested in, whether it’s a cooking class or AP Underwater Basket Weaving, just do something.</p>

16

<p>What these people have said.</p>

<p>I’d take AP Euro or AP Gov and some foreign language. I wouldn’t recommend having more than one free period. At my school, even having one is laughed at and usually reserved for kids who’ll obviously end up either at community college or at an art/music school that won’t care much about academics.</p>