Yes, let him take chorus! 1) He wants to and he enjoys it 2) It sounds like he will likely end up with “deep” extracurriculars from it, which is nice for college apps 3) yes it’s great to have kids explore lots of options, but you can do this with outside interests, sports, classes, clubs (high school has lots of clubs) etc…and I’m guessing that many kids are a little less exploring by high school, and a little more into knowing what they want. 4) he might change his mind anyway, down the road.
Another poster asked where else you could explore things for free, and one idea is Boy Scouts! My DS explored many new things through Scouts…skiing, aviation, archery, rapelling, etc etc etc. Same for Girl Scouts.
there is NOTHING wrong with doing chorus all 4 years! He has found something that gives him joy!
WHY on earth would you even CONSIDER making him cut back on that?
My DS’s ONLY elective classes in HS were music related, and he did just fine when it came to college admissions.
Colleges DONT want JUST “well rounded” students. They also want “pointy” students- those who demonstrate intense interest in one area.
I’m still a little confused on this, are you saying that the typical schedule for freshman at your hs is 5 core, 3 electives, PE and then a lunch in there somewhere, so like 10 potential time slots if you max out on the electives? That sounds like a lot. The electives are not going to make or break for admissions imo, in CA high schools or at least most in bay area, you only have seven or eight slots, and if you’re playing a sport, the last period has to be free for practice, so basically six classes, one or two electives max and you have to take Art for the UC/CSU requirement and PE is mandatory in 9th grade.
The issue you could have is if the hs offers a lot of electives and you son has four years of three chorus classes, when maybe other kids are using them for a second foreign language, or computer science or business to stretch themselves. Adcoms could question the intellectual curiosity but I cannot believe they’d get into that level of detail.
Colleges don’t want well-rounded applicants. They want a well-rounded class.
It means 1) academically well-rounded student = took all 5 cores all 5 years, has made academic choices that indicate where academic interest lie (ie, in Jr/Sr years, correspond to major as indicated on application)+2) EC-pointy so they can fill a role on campus. The combination of admitted students should thus be 1) academically: all, likely to graduate and succeed 2) each, needed to make campus life thriving and possibly news worthy and thus brining something unique, in depth, at a high level, and different from what others bring.
If he’s a good chorus singer, look into St Olaf (+ Luther, Concordia Moorhead…) which have excellent choirs and always need good male singers. They even offer music scholarships.
I’m not sure where I said I was primarily interested in the impact on college admissions. My son tends to tunnel into a safe space and avoids branching out. That concerns me and even my husband, who is rarely concerned about anything. And yes the kids take many electives - at least 3 a year. I am hardly considering wrenching chorus away from him. It would mean one less chorus.
I would let him take the electives that he wants if they fit into his requirements. Let them have a little fun in high school, is my opinion. My current U of M freshman took two band classes senior year, it did not hurt her academically.
Not every school designates a class period for lunch. Our school is on a block schedule - 4 classes per day - plus lunch. There is also an optional “zero hour” period that is usually for the marching band, orchestra, athletics, newspaper, yearbook, and higher-level technology classes that either practice during that time or update the website with daily news. There may be other classes as well. So, yes, it is possible to take what you consider 9 academic classes periods plus lunch.
Well, 8th grade is a bit early to decide if a boy is a good singer or not! My son started choir in 8th grade. His voice was changing. He surprised us all and made all state choir in 9th grade.
Let your son take chorus. If there’s built-in community and a great teacher it’s all good. It may turn out to be a really fantastic experience, not to mention all the skills learned by being in a music ensemble. All my kids did music, art, theatre in high school, multiple electives every year, and it has often been tough to work in the academic stuff around every possible music class. They did explore other interests as well, along the way. My youngest is a senior (and the only one pursuing a career in music). Not a single regret. It was not a problem for college admissions. If anything it was a positive.
