@fun1234 enjoy the Grand Canyon! We visited this past spring when S was doing a tour of the colleges in Arizona. It was spectacular. I almost crippled myself doing the hike down to Skeleton Point and back (the back part was what got me). It was hot in the spring time, so make sure to bring lots and lots of water on any hike you do.
I think our kids found a way to get pdf version of newer versions, most of you know what I mean 
As far as staying the course in core subjects:
It all depends on how the college evaluates applicants. My D and I went to an honors program presentation where the group was clearly told that they consider senior year course rigor the best indicator of success in college. I doubt all colleges feel that way, but obviously this one does.
My D’s GC advised my D to change AP Stat for AP Calc AB/BC, change APES for AP Bio (she took honors Bio freshman year), make sure to take AP for her FL and take AP Lit if she wanted the college to consider her senior year rigorous.
YMMV
jumping back in here after a crazy few weeks at work – you all have been busy! It is hard to keep up!
D is taking a bit easier course load senior year since she is not taking AP Latin. She will have her first ever studyhall! She took calc. this year so she is on to AP Statistics next year. There are no other English classes to take and it is required so she will be taking AP Lit - did AP Lang. this year.
the QOTD about applying to financial reaches – we are struggling with this now. D would be happy to only apply to 1 school (UA) and H wants her to “cast a wide net” and apply to many. I am stuck in the middle and D has agreed to apply to 5 schools (to make her dad happy) but she has to want to go and be able to afford them - making the list has been very challenging. We are stuck on schools that meet the criteria so I just started a post asking for the collective wisdom of CC to help.
Congrats. to all of those finishing up school and those getting drivers licenses. D finished school on Friday and is off at Girls State this week. Still no drivers license here. She is finished with her ACT and standardized testing. Looking forward to the next few weeks of applications and essays and such – yikes it’s getting real!
D’s high school education has just focused on core subjects and taking those for all four years. She’ll graduate with 7 years of math through linear algebra, 6.5 years of social science/history (all but AP comparative gov’t, which isn’t offered at her school), 4 years of English including the 2 APs, 5 years of science, 5 years of Spanish. She also took fine arts, but wasn’t interested in any of the AP courses in those.
My reason for that approach is that she will specialize in college.
My DD is continuing with course rigor in core subjects. I’m sure she’d love to relax senior year but it isn’t going to happen. She is NOT a math girl at all, but she is taking AP Calc AB. She is also taking AP Bio (most kids at her school take only one AP science - in senior year - and it a science they took either honors or regular freshman or sophomore years usually - she took Accelerated Bio as a freshman). Due to her block schedule she was able to complete her 4th year of French her last semester Junior year and she took it Honors (first three were regular which I believe is all they offer but not 100% sure on this) so she’s done with FL. She’s taking AP Lit and I think AP Govt/Econ or whatever that class combo is. She also has to take her Fine Arts (UC requirement) so she’s taking digital photography. This is pretty much the typical college prep schedule for a non-STEM student.
Is a 96 unweighted a 4.0 at most colleges
Senior year rigor: My daughter is taking the next year up in her courses and therefore continuing to keep the rigor level high, but to be honest the difficulty level is probably going down, just because the teachers for her courses next year are less likely to choke their students with excessive homework loads—and it’s the lack of sleep that really tears her up. So it’s the best of both worlds—it’ll likely be a saner life, but it’ll still look impressive.
I think that S’s senior year will be easier than junior year, which was rigorous. His calc 3 class is accelerated, so he will be done with the calc series in fall. He completed the history series last year. His English and Science (chem) are full year classes. He may be taking some math at the local U to fill in. I think he needs to fill in his schedule will more classes, but we need to meet with the counselor. I was laughing at his transcript because he will finish HS with more than 10 credits of math, but can use another year of language. Yowza.
@dfbdfb That is exactly our impression of senior year here - lots of APs but seems like the teachers are more relaxed and personable. She is taking the next level of each class. She checked with her GC about not taking the AP foreign language and she advised D to take the studyhall and enjoy.
Senior yr rigor Personally, I think there is a difference between[color=blue] rigor [/color=blue]and [color=red]rigor mortis[/color=red]. 
Students should take courses that challenge them intellectually but equally fit their personal objectives. Why on earth should a humanities focused student take cal 1 or 2 which are irrelevant to their future goals when a college equivalent statistics course is available and will enhance their ability to analyze research? (See, personally, I think this is where students show initiative rather than being bots.)
If a student is taking a course load that represents their academic goals, unless they are applying to uber-competitive tech schools or a school which specifically states that they like to see cal, it is doubtful that a humanities student taking AP stats will be deemed as less admissible than one with AP cal instead if all other course work is challenging.
FWIW, I would not want my senior to be in a situation of struggling with a course that might full well be unnecessary during the emotional roller coaster that sr yr is. Sr yrs are stress-filled enough without adding undue stress.
@HiToWaMom How do you feel about the over all balance of the rest of her course work? Do you think the courses represent who she is as a student?
Besides math, she will be taking AP Lit, AP Psych, UW Astronomy, Civics (half-semester), Contemporary World Problems (half), Creative Writing (half) and World literature (half).
Personally, I think AP Stats is the way to go. And I’m pretty sure my D feels the same way. However, when we visited her number one school, the admission rep said they prefer to see Calc over Stats. That and the recent meeting with her counselor made her change her mind, I guess.
For her personal need and interest, AP stats. For showing the rigor and streamlined courses, AP Calc.
She is aiming for 100% need-met schools.
I really don’t know…
@HiToWaMom Was that comment made to a large group or to your Dd individually?
What is the lowest level math regularly offered at the school? (Go to the course catalog for fall 2016 and view all of the math courses being offered. If multiple sections of math courses below calculus are being offered, that means they are admitting students taking them. If not, that means they are expecting the majority of students to be at a higher level.)
I wouldn’t readily dismiss what an admission officer stated, but if their course catalog reveals different information, I would have your Dd email an admissions officer directly and make sure she specifies her future career goals and clarify why she is asking (bc she believes statistics aligns more directly with her educational objectives.)
@Mom2aphysicsgeek The comment was made to a big group at the info session. I will check their course calatog and see what you suggested. Thanks!
senior jr rigor D is adding 1 more AP to her list. So she will have only APs in senior year. She wanted 2 sciences AP Bio and AP Physics C, but these 2 conflict on schedule. There is another Physics C class but that one conflicts with AP Computer Science (which she really wants to take). So she is dropping AP Bio and replaced that with AP Spanish. I am not sure if she should drop CS instead?
**Senior Year Rigor ** I’m afraid D is heading for rigor mortis. (Hat tip to @Mom2aphysicsgeek for the phrase). She’s taking a fairly light load at the high school: AP Psych, AP Lit, 3rd year German (not rigorous at this school), Health, and PE. But she is also taking 14 credits at community college: Organic Chem, Multi-Var Calc, and Astronomy. I tried to encourage her to chill out a bit, but I got a bunch of “Moooom! Don’t you know the colleges want to see academic rigor?”.
D17 is taking both AP Calc BC and AP Stats this year. Most of her classmates are taking a second year AP Science course, but D is looking at business/finance so the stats will be more useful for her moving forward. Due to a scheduling conflict she can’t get Latin V, so she is doing two semester long online courses. So, she will have AP Gov, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP Micro/Macro, H World Lit, and the online courses, plus a study hall.
**Senior Year Rigor **
D’s schedule is still very rigorous, but she chose to take the easy way out in Math after hating AP Calc AB. Her classes are AP English Literature, AP Comp Gov, AP Stats, AP Latin, AP Physics C: Mechanics, AP Art history, AP Macro and Microeconomics, plus a study hall. The classes actually line up well with her interests and prospective major which is exciting.
@Mommertons: Next time she defends her schedule with an appeal to “academic rigor”, I suggest you channel your inner Inigo Montoya: “You keep using that word phrase. I do not think it a-means what you think it a-means.”
6 APs and Gym for us. Anybody else taking gym next year? D did summer gym one summer, but requirement is 2 for our high school 