<p>I am going to be a freshman in high school this year. I was wondering which academic route I should take to get into a top university (UCLA, Stanford, etc.)</p>
<p>Route A: orchestra 4 years, 7 honors classes, 6 AP classes
Route B: no orchestra, 7 honors classes, 10 AP classes</p>
<p>route A: orchestra</p>
<p>alternative: mostly As and few Bs in a top mix of honors and APs. Orchestra if you can keep it. It’s mostly a function of your GPA, class rigor, and test scores.</p>
<p>I can almost guarantee that whatever perfect 4-year schedule you have planned for yourself now, that’s not what you’ll end up doing. You change a lot in 4 years. I was the same - trying to plan everything out, and I think it’s a good practice in thinking about your future. But stay flexible. If I hadn’t followed my interests as they changed throughout high school and college, I wouldn’t be where I am now.</p>
<p>For now, I’d start with keeping orchestra in your schedule. (I was in band all through high school and it was one of the highlights.) If you haven’t talked to your guidance counselor, I would also recommend doing that.</p>