Would this look like I'm slacking off?

Test Preparation AP Test Preparation
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<p>Hey guys, so lately the dinner table discussions have been about my senior year schedule (wow big surprise), and I am torn between doing what I want to do and having a rigorous schedule. </p>

<p>Current (Junior Year) Schedule:</p>

<p>AP Chem
AP U.S. History
AP Stat
AP Language & Composition
Latin 3 (honors)
Pre-Calc (honors)
Wind Ensemble
(labs, health, gym...all that none-important stuff that unfortunately take a whole period out of every single day....)</p>

<p>Now, here are the two schedules that I COULD have for Senior Year:</p>

<p>Schedule #1</p>

<p>AP Literature
AP Biology
AP Latin
AP Economics Micro/Macro
AP Calc BC (although in this case I will most likely drop to AB)
AP Gov
Wind Ensemble
(labs, health, gym...blah blah blah)</p>

<p>Schedule #2</p>

<p>AP Biology
AP Latin
AP Calc BC
AP Gov
Wind Ensemble
Gender Perspective/Global Contemporary Literature (English electives)
Human Anatomy (count as Science)/Psychology
(labs, health, gym...the same useless stuff, except for labs, of course, those are still important)</p>

<ul>
<li>"/" indicates a semester course.</li>
</ul>

<p>I crafted the 2nd schedule because that is a schedule that I would rather have, since it comprises of classes that interest me and does not have such a huge work load so that I'd be able to see my friends during the last year of high school. Now, the first schedule looks pretty, especially if I manage to pull of A's and B's in all of them, and I know I could do it if I wanted to, but I'm not sure if I want to go so far to do something that I am not particularly passionate for (a mistake I have made this year). HOWEVER, we all know that senior year is verryyyy important and all colleges want to see that you take on a very rigorous schedule and still manage not to slack off even though you have graduation coming up and want to make plans because you won't see some people ever again. </p>

<p>I have discussed with my guidance counselor, and she said that even though I am taking the same number of APs, it does not look so bad since I'm taking on 2 science courses and 2 history courses (albeit easy...). But I know she probably doesn't like me much and I don't think she really knows where I want to go in life.
As of the moment my top choice is Columbia, and my GPA is 4.33, but I think she probably thinks I'll settle for something...mm, less competitive? Either way I think she doesn't realize that I'll be competing with the smartest people my age....</p>

<p>So what do you guys think? Should I take more APs to stick it out? Or does the second schedule not matter since I'm not taking fewer APs and I'm taking classes that define my character?
Also, I know a lot of you will tell me to do "what I want to do", but the problem is, I could do what I do ONCE I get into college (hopefully Columbia though, teehee)...the important thing is, am I still in the game if I don't choose the most rigorous schedule available to me? </p>

<p>Thanks! (And thanks for reading this whole thing haha :)</p>

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<p>I think your junior year is great, but perhaps a bit more in senior year? </p>

<p>Blah, I'm deciding junior year too, and I'm choosing 4 APs and 1 IB and my counselor isn't letting me choose that!!! This sucks. </p>

<p>Maybe she's right though. My gpa could go down...</p>

<p>But I can't find which course to get rid of...! I like all of them...</p>

<p>Sorry for digressing-- what I see is that my courses are "not slacking off", and my schedule "difficulty" = yours, so you aren't slacking off =P </p>

<p>Keep that GPA high though; there should be a balance b/w course difficulty and grades.</p>

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<p>Haha thankss, yeahh I know, everyone else I know at our school is like taking 5 or 6 APs (smart kids that is), and our high school isn't even SUCH a good school, you know? Although it is like, ranked pretty high in the states. </p>

<p>What APs/IB are you taking? Maybe I could help you decide if you wanna drop one. The bottom line is though, drop the one that you are not interested in.</p>

<p>Oh and don't you just hate it when guidance counselors don't "let" you? It sucks...cuz if you try to argue with them they start to dislike you...and they will be the ones writing the school official records thing...ahhhhh....That's what's happening with me and my counselor, haha.</p>

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<p>Wow your school is very hardcore =P. 4-5 APs is considered "omfg" at our school xD. It's nice that your school offers a lot of APs, -- for one thing, we don't have things like AP world, human geo, US gov, ... it's a bit sad. So we choose from a pool of APs, and self-study the rest =P. </p>

<p>I'm taking ... well I WANT to take AP Lit, AP Calc BC, AP Bio, AP Euro, but...well I'm interested in all of them! </p>

<p>If I HAD to get rid of one, it would be Lit because I never liked English. but then my counselor was kind of doing the "you'll be fine IF you get rid of Euro"... </p>

<p>I know! I can't argue w/ them or else they'll write bad recs too ... that sucks. What's worse is that at our school we have different counselors, and my specific counselor didn't approve of my schedule, while another counselor "OK'ed" it. C'mon... <_<</p>

<p>But then again, the counselor could be right. We could be ignorant little children ... xD.</p>

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<p>Wow your school is very hardcore =P. 4-5 APs is considered "omfg" at our school xD. It's nice that your school offers a lot of APs, -- for one thing, we don't have things like AP world, human geo, US gov, ... it's a bit sad. So we choose from a pool of APs, and self-study the rest =P. </p>

<p>I'm taking ... well I WANT to take AP Lit, AP Calc BC, AP Bio, AP Euro, but...well I'm interested in all of them! </p>

<p>If I HAD to get rid of one, it would be Lit because I never liked English. but then my counselor was kind of doing the "you'll be fine IF you get rid of Euro"... </p>

<p>I know! I can't argue w/ them or else they'll write bad recs too ... that sucks. What's worse is that at our school we have different counselors, and my specific counselor didn't approve of my schedule, while another counselor "OK'ed" it. C'mon... <_<</p>

<p>But then again, the counselor could be right. We could be ignorant little children ... xD.</p>

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<p>Haha mmmm yeah, our school got really competitive last year and this year, it's kind of ridiculous. It's just our class that's like....idk, REALLY Ivy-oriented haha. It's ok I guess since the sophomore class this year is more chill than ever, so it's a happy balance. The Junior class is crazy though...can't argue with that.
Yeahh our school offers a fair amount of APs, we don't get Music Theory or Geo or Psych, but still, a pretty good selection. I think you can deff self-study Gov if you want to - it's apparently super easy. </p>

<p>Mmm yeah, I'd get rid of Lit too, but mainly because the teacher is ridiculous at our school. Mmmm, MEH (Euro) is fine, not that hard, but all depends on the teacher. </p>

<p>Yeah...Mmm, just do what you want to do. Listen to your counselor but she might not have your best interest in mind. Our school have diff counselors too haha, but yeah, all my teachers approve of my schedule, and so does my counselor now that I'm only taking 4, but idk if I should be one of those crazy people taking 6. Hmmm, 5 years ago this would have been easy, but junioritis is kicking in...and then senioritis.....bahaha</p>

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<p>Nah I think personally you should take the schedule you're interested in, it looks very rigorous, plus you'll perform better academically and socially. If you're happy socially, it will actually help you to be successful.</p>

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<p>^ True, I absolutely agree. I've been kinda depressed this year that I keep missing out on social gatherings...which makes me hate the piles of homework that I have to do. So it's not like a stepdown at all? I think a lot of you guys take 4+ APs, and I still want to stay in the competition haha</p>

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<p>I think that the second schedule will be fine. I was talking to admissions counsilors last week and I asked a similar question. They said that since I would be taking 4 APs in my ideal schedule that would be fine. My other schedule would also have some added APs but isnt what I wanted. I would say the second one. Four APs isn't taking the easy way out, and now you'll be able to hang out with our friends in your last yr of high school. Once again, you'll be the one that will have to make the decision. :)</p>

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<p>Haha thanks! Yeahh....gotta love that decision making part haha</p>

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<p>xD Now I've listened to my counselors, and got rid of the foreign language. and got rid of euro. because I don't like history that much, I figured. </p>

<p>And I replaced that with comp. And then changed lang to lit for the SAT subject. :)</p>

<p>I heard that the teacher never gives As, so I'm not going to try for one. </p>

<p>Now I love my course <3 <3 <3. Though I lost my TI 84 ... now I'm one of those spoiled international students :(.</p>

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<p>Haha nicee potentenum, glad it worked out for you. Yeah I think I'll stick with my easy schedule too. No need for so many APs haha. </p>

<p>Ouch, sry about your calc, it must be a pain....
Lol I think I'm more spoiled...I kinda have like, 2 graphing calcs >.<</p>

<p>What country are you from anyway?</p>