I just read your post to my daughter (D16) and we had a great chuckle, honestly she thought I was making it up because you are literally her last year down to the band leadership position & BPA minus top 2% she was top 16%. She took AP Music theory as a junior. Trust me when I say she really, really was OVER marching band.
Her advice…
- Stay in band. Given your schedule you will appreciate the break in your day. (BTW that is a CrAZy hard senior schedule)
- If you quit, yeah you will likely loose the close friendships you have left in band, but who cares you are hanging new cooler people. (She quit hanging with the remaining band kids she was friends with at the end of marching season). Thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with her other non band friends and reconnecting with friends from freshman year that she didn't have time to hang with cuz BAND.
- Don't worry you will have plenty of time to do your college apps. (She was accepted to two great schools, Pitt and Purdue, by the end of September and eventually was accepted to all 12 of the schools she completed app for)
- Since you aren't doing a sport, band takes the place of the commitment to a "team". (She played a LAX but band shows a different kind of commitment level)
- She says she really feels that colleges value band. Most people know the time commitment that being involved in band takes. When you combine that with your awesome course rigor, strong extracurricular and leadership in band. You make a good "package".
- BTW Music Theory is hard. Loved it, but don't discount it, it is hard. (and she had years of ABRSM music theory exams, passed with merit, under her belt)
- Really you can make it through marching season it is only 3 months. Then just focus on your other interests.
Stick with it.