Would dropping band hurt me as a senior?

Hey CC, I have been playing the oboe for many years and I enjoy it - I have played at my district level in high school and plan to play at the all-state level. I am also involved in the local college band and my school’s various extracurricular bands. I am considering dropping my actual in-school band period in my senior year to allow more room for in my schedule to fulfill my P.E requirement while not sacrificing any AP classes.

Would this hurt my college application, since my musical involvement is a huge, if not my biggest extracurricular? I plan to stay involved in all of the other bands I am in, I am only considering dropping the actual high school period class.

No, dropping the school band class would be fine and would not hurt your application. Your involvement with band outside of school is very impressive.

No, it won’t hurt your chances at all. Ask your guidance counselor to explain your situation in his/her letter of recommendation if you are concerned, or you can write something in the “is there anything else we should know” section. I think you have a very good reason, but it might not be immediately obvious.

That is perfectly fine – especially since you will continue playing outside of school. And you can ask your guidance counselor to note the scheduling conflict with senior year orchestra in his/her letter or recommendation to colleges.

This exact type of situation happened this year with my D19. Her band director was very inflexible with my daughters school schedule. She couldn’t get him to work around things so she dropped all concert band and orchestra involvement. She continued to play outside of school with a local town band and with a local college orchestra, so really playing more difficult music with some higher caliber musicians.

As a result of their disagreement, he then denied her the opportunity to try out for district band or orchestra. Her junior year she went on to regionals. Petty little man.

None of this harmed her college application process as she did not require or ask for any letters of recommendation from him. She had a strong recommendation letter from her private teacher which seemed to be enough. In the end she qualified for a non-music major music scholarship from St. Olaf’s. She plans on playing for the next four years at her chosen school. I wouldn’t sweat it.

But also you don’t have to overload on APs

Can you make All-State without being in your school band? Just wondering because in my state (Colorado) eligibility for many of these ensembles requires going to a CHSAA (our sports organization) affiliated high school?