<p>AP Calculus AB
AP Spanish 5
AP U.S. History
AP English Language
Hon Physics
Hon Accounting 1
Hon Forensic Chemistry</p>
<p>I feel like Forensics is too much work, and the tests are really hard because I had an older brother take the class. It takes up a lot of time, and I want to have a free period to focus on my other classes instead. Any advice here? Will it hurt my rigor to take only 6 classes my last 2 years of high school/apply to college? It’s an elective, but will give science credit also. I’m planning to 5 aps next yr + hon class and free period…The class basically covers stuff that’s like harder than intro college courses. Thanks.</p>
<p>You know these types of decisions are unique to each student. My advice is to talk to your GC. Then you can discuss what types of colleges you are thinking about, you can check your transcript and make sure you will have all the courses you need to apply to colleges and you can discuss your GPA and what might happen if you switch one class or not. Your GC can also advise you what he/she uses as a criteria for checking the rigorous box. I will say it is never a good idea to bite off more than you can chew as the saying goes. If you are feeling stressed and panicked now imagine how you will feel in 4 weeks when you deep into the trimester or semester. Now is a good time to learn balance, a skill you will need and use quite abit in college…no matter which college you ultimately attend.</p>
<p>true, as long as the switch is before the end of the quarter, then gpa won’t be affected. I think it’s based off of those 6 classes then. The only concern is since it’s junior year…</p>
<p>I was thinking more in terms of what might happen to your GPA if you have too tough of a courseload and can’t balance the work requirements from the schedule. Only you can figure that out based on how much time you need to study and sleep and other activities, etc.</p>
<p>I see a lot of students in D2’s junior class load up on APs. Some of these students dropped some of their favorite ECs in order to double up on 2 AP sciences. Some of them never had decent grade in sophomore year with less rigorous schedule and now decide to double up. So my advice is to have a decent schedule that allows you to do well. Watch out for your UW GPA. A quote Stanford admission officer “It’s not whoever has the most AP wins”.</p>
<p>Compared to our school your schedule would already be more rigorous than nearly everyone’s without Forensics. You should check with your GC, but both my kids I think benefited from not always taking the hardest and most courses possible.</p>
<p>So it sounds like you answered your own question. I read your post to my junior son and he said “That dude is going to have no life” (he assumed you were a “guy”) and my son is no slacker and just dropped Physics because 4 APs was ridiculous on top of his varsity team sport and a little job and he has APUSH and AP Spanish and AP Econ. Keep perspective and balance! It’s great that you have drive and ambition. I’m in awe of what my son can juggle and manage and continue to push himself. And sure maybe there is some self satisfaction in being the “kid that took the most AP classes” but there are far more important things in life and crashing and burning is not something you want to do junior year. Your schedule, even if decide to drop AP Forensics,is a tough schedule. I do think alittle time with your GC is a good idea regardless of your decision just to help you plot your path through senior year.</p>
<p>absolutely drop the class. You have a lot of AP’s this year as it is, especially in comparison to last year, and you need to focus on getting the best possible grades. My son would have “died” without a free period his Jr /Sr year and it did not hurt his college admissions results one whit. So relax, drop the course and stay sane.</p>
<p>Why not just take a non-honors course instead if you want to lighten your courseload? It would look better then dropping a class completely. If you’re going for HYPS though, you have to keep in mind that people WILL be applying with harder schedules, and that to be competitive, you may have to keep a tougher schedule.</p>
<p>Maybe you could do another honors class instead?</p>
<p>If you’re not going for the ivy-league, and instead the level under it (UC Berk., UVA, Duke, etc.) then that schedule (with 6 classes) would be more than enough.</p>
<p>It’s an elective. It’s irrelevant. Drop the class and use the study hall to help focus on your rigorous core classes. Dropping this elective class will have no bearing on your college acceptance decisions.</p>