<p>My high school required three semesters of PE, and participation in marching band could get you out of one semester per season, up to two semesters. </p>
<p>Thumper, many high school marching bands commission their own shows each season, so they have parts for whatever instruments they like. Some of the big BOA finalist bands will even have bassoon sections that play in the front ensemble, and frequently will feature mic’d oboe soloists.</p>
<p>Oh, Maxwell, you and your D are in such a tough place right now. It would be nice to have a crystal ball to help. Band is just one of those subjects that year after year people struggle with in the quest to achieve the perfect transcript and the perfect set of EC’s and the perfect life, all to gain that perfect admission to the perfect school.</p>
<p>Having weathered the admissions process with two, and with a third beginning high school this year, I would plead with you to relax a bit about band. If she loves her instrument, no, even if she just really likes her instrument, the benefits of band far outweigh the fact that its probably not a weighted class. </p>
<p>Those thoughts of: “Oh lord, she could pile on one more AP in its place, and if she doesn’t she might end up barely in the top 5% instead of valedictorian, and her chances at admittance to YYYY University are doomed, dooomed,” will make you and her crazy. </p>
<p>With my own kids, and in watching the admissions process play out with their friends, band was a life enriching experience. It gave leadership and community service opportunities. It gave opportunities to shine, and to make different friends. It gave really wonderful things to write about on those college apps. It gave the opportunity to practice time management skills. </p>
<p>Band/orchestra/music gave much more than one more AP class ever could have. </p>
<p>AND… our own band director recently re-wrote the curriculum a bit so that the kids in the highest level band could opt to take it as an honors/GT level course by completing some higher level, individualized, additional year-long projects. If you’re really concerned about losing the weighted class thing, that’s something to bring up with the powers that be.</p>
<p>In my experience many ad coms do appreciate the time, energy and commitment it takes to stick with Marching Band. S1 had a strong, but not staggering academic record. His ECs were very thin with the exception of 6 years in Marching Band, the last as section leader. He was accepted into a tippy-top LAC. Not as a music major, no interest there, but as a Math/Physics major.</p>
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You’re right–I just remembered that they were mellow something.</p>
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<p>Can’t agree more. I was like you, Maxwell. In fact I’m still like you and your daughter at times. But mostly, I decided, relax, enjoy! And there are so many good things about band. Yes they’re going to sacrifice a lot too. but that’s part of the beauty and value.</p>
<p>Eastcoastcrazy, I didn’t get that from Maxwell’s post. What i heard was that even though the daughter loves band, there are so many other classes that she would love to take, but she doesn’t have enough room for them. Being allowed to replace PE credit with band would free up another space for a class that she also has a passion for (and that would be great for colleges too). She may want to be a writer, so taking a journalism class would be great for her personally and for college apps. </p>
<p>I have heard of families that try to fill every space with more APs to increase ranking/GPA, but there are those that also want to be able to take so many of the fantastic classes that are offered at the HS, because they love the class and if it’s beneficial in the college app process, why not?</p>
<p>sydsim, you’re probably right. I was looking mostly at the sentences about her need to focus academically, and her interest in several ivys. I may have read too much into those sentences.</p>
<p>Thank you all for sharing your opinions and experiences.
The dilemma we are facing here is, if she takes five academic courses each year, (math, language, science, social studies, plus French), then there are two open spots. Band takes one. Then there is only one. There is basically no choice left but to fill that spot with required courses – PE one year, art one year, TechEd one year, health and financial literacy each half year. She is not having any chance to do anything else. </p>
<p>I’ve had the impression that every serious student takes the four academic courses every year. Am I wrong? For example, is it a good idea to skip, say, one year of science in junior year, to do PhEd? </p>
<p>For now, we decided in sophomore year, she will skip band for a year to do PhEd. It’s a very sad decision but there is no way around it.</p>
<p>In fact, it’s even worse - since in freshman year she is not taking any of those required courses (she is doing double math) so she has to do PhEd in a summer. She has to give up her favorite summer program so she can stay home to do PhEd. :(</p>
<p>Maxwell, I think many of our kids face the same dilemma in high school. My two who are now in college took English, math, a science, a foreign language, and social studies every year for 4 years. One also took band all 4 years. That left one class period each year for “fun”, except they also had to take a year of PE/health, and a year of a tech ed. class. They also needed one year of a fine art. Band fulfilled that. There wasn’t a lot of room for extras or fun classes. we’ve always just assumed that was the way nit was for kids in a college prep track, especially for kids aiming for top colleges that require, or strongly suggest, 4 years each of math, English, social studies, science, and 2-4 years of language. It’s a struggle to find a way to do it all.</p>
<p>My very serious student finished Spanish 4 in 10th grade…which opened up a slot. She took four years of math, science, English, history/social studies. Four of band…and that was a deal breaker for her.</p>
<p>9th
Algebra 1
English
history (can’t remember which one)
Spanish 3
Band
PE/Health
Science</p>
<p>10th
English
Geometry
American History
Biology
Spanish 4
Band
PE/Health</p>
<p>11th
English
Algebra 2
World History
Chemistry
Band
Health/PE</p>
<p>12th
English
AP Government
Precalc
Anatomy/Physiology
Culinary Arts
PE/Health
Band</p>
<p>Somehow with this less than stellar schedule, she got accepted to the college of her choice and got a bachelors degree in Bioengineering AND a second degree in Biology…in four years. AND she played in the college orchestra and studied her instruments (two of them) for all four years of college too.</p>