so i’m a senior in high school and i’m currently taking 3 ap classes + 1 cc class. i’m thinking of dropping one of my ap classes to become a TA because i really don’t think I can pull anything higher than a C in that class. would having less academic classes boost my gpa, since i would be able to focus in my other classes and guarantee an A or B, or would it be better for me to stick with the class and have a C?
Colleges are looking for rigor - taking the most demanding classes available. I’m not sure what your guidance counselor would say if you drop an AP to TA but that is who I would ask. If your GC can’t or won’t check the box for “most demanding”, I wouldn’t do it. A college might think you are afraid of getting a low grade and hurting your gpa…which you are.
What classes are you taking?
You should be taking an English, Math, Science and Social Studies (and Foreign lang if you haven’t gotten to the 4th level).
Is it possible to take an honors/regular level of the AP class you want to drop?
Are you on a block schedule so you take 4 classes this year and a different 4 next year?
No, but taking fewer classes might boost your GPA. (Sorry, I couldn’t help it, the grammar police in me just can’t be silent. Drives my kids nuts.) I think it depends on the mix of classes. 3 classes is a pretty light, so if you drop can you replace with class (not TA)? If the one you want to drop is math or English, don’t. If it’s Comp Sci, ES, Art it might not be noticed depending on your intended major. Talk to your counselor.
So currently for this semester I am taking:
French 3
AP Literature
AP Biology
Community College - College Success
AP Macroeconomics
Statistics
AP Bio would be the class I’m willing to drop for a TA period because I’ve already taken 3 years of science plus various “social sciences”. I’ve already completed introductory biology, and there is no honors biology at my school. My only option would be to either TA or take a class like Digital Media II or Yearbook or something like that.
The only compromise I could think of was to try and take the community college equivalent of AP Bio my second semester during my TA period so I would have something to do consistently.
Thoughts?
addition: my intended major is English, with a minor in either Cognitive Science or Communications
If you’ve taken the base Bio/Chem/Physics and are not aiming at a STEM major, I wouldn’t say an AP science is a critical course to take.
But if dropping it would leave you only five classes, one being “College Success”, I’d suggest replacing it with another class rather than being a TA. Your school has no options other than "Digital Media II or Yearbook "? No history, social science, English/literature, etc. classes? Our HS, just as an example, has Speech, Creative Writing, Gothic Literature, Myhology and Folklore, etc., which I think would align well with your intended majors.
I go to a relatively small school and it doesn’t offer any sort of English class beyond the basics plus 2 APs, and the only other one available is journalism, which only has one period. The only social science classes available are psychology and sociology, which I’ve already taken. My school I’d say is mostly focused on STEM and CTE classes, so I am at a loss when it comes to finding humanities or at least one that have an emphasis on writing.
One thread and we get no idea what college targets, what stats, so far.
In general, for a competitive college, lower rigor in senior year is an obvious issue. And looking at the courses, seems the main cores are French, Lit, bio, and macro. If it’s a stem hs, why not calc or precalc? Already taken?
So no, you don’t drop a core for more electives or non-rigorous classes.
Unless it’s some college that only cares about a minimum gpa.
Hello everyone!
Thank you for the advice. I’ve decided to stay in AP Biology, even though it will be difficult and arduous. I’m trying to work things out so that I will still have a TA period, but essentially finish out College Success at home since it requires minimum effort, essentially keeping it but as a sort of 7th period. Hopefully everything works out!