DS just received his schedule for this coming school year. He has already taken 3 years of lab science and will likely not apply as a stem major for college. Unfortunately, he didn’t get all the classes that he registered for. So far, he is enrolled in AP Calc, AP Gov(Fall semester) , AP Psych (SP semester), AP English, a 4th year language class, and religion. For the spring semester, he requested economics, but instead the school has enrolled him in an English mythology class. Would it be best for him to drop the English class and try to enroll in Economics? He would prefer Econ, but he’s worried if he submits his request, his entire schedule will be rearranged as he likes the teachers that he will have. Would colleges view enrolling in two english classes negatively?
Can he meet with the GC and see if he can get his desired Econ class without losing too many of the teachers he likes? I don’t know about your school but we only have 1 or 2 AP level teachers in each subject so re-arranging the schedule isn’t likely to change too many of the teachers.
I don’t see why 2 English classes would be perceived negatively–plenty of kids take 2 science classes or 2 math classes. My kid takes both English and writing so if you consider writing to be English, she will graduate with 8 English credits. But AP Econ probably looks more impressing than English mythology and if it’s what he wanted, I would try to get that to work.
Since it is the spring schedule he’s wanting to change, I’d let it ride until after school starts in the fall and then put in the request.
Lots of kids take more courses in the areas they like. Look how many kids on CC take not only 4 science classes but 6, or the traditional math courses plus statistics and calc (or several layers of calc. The only caution I’d give is taking too many classes that require a lot of reading. I transferred schools as a senior in high school and was like a kid in a candy store with a course catalog rivaling some colleges(old school had a couple of college prep level courses, but everything else was just basic) and I signed up for 2 literature classes and a senior seminar that all required about a book a week. Too much reading!
I don’t think the two English classes would be an issue at all. If he is happy with his teachers I would probably not rock the boat. Perhaps he could jut talk to his guidance counselor in the fall and see if something can be done with minimal disruption.
It’s not an AP level Econ course. He wants to major in a business related field, and thought Econ in the spring would be best. He’s worried that his schedule will look too light weight with two English classes.
I don’t think they are allowed to switch once the fall semester starts.
I don’t think English would be regarded as “lighter” than Economics.
My daughter took an English elective in HS (journalism) - I would consider an English elective a solid course. If he likes the rest of his schedule and doesn’t hate mythology (most kids love mythology - Rick Riordan has made a very good living from this fact) than he should stick with it.
Non-AP high school economics would not normally be a heavyweight course. Indeed, an English elective may be considered a more rigorous course by an outside observer.
Which one is actually more rigorous may depend on the school. He may want to find out what kind of students take these courses. I.e. are these courses normally populated by the A students in the school, or by the students who are barely passing and content with D grades needed to pass the course to earn credit for high school graduation?
He’ll need to contact some classmates who have taken either class to determine which is more rigorous. I do know that teachers for both classes are pretty solid.
Am I in the minority? But I think without the second english or Econ your teens schedule would be considered rigorous by any university I know. I think you are quibbling over nothing. Leave a period free, or take something fun that semester, art, music. Don’t worry about it yet, see how fall semester goes and then see what needs to be adjusted later.
Why do you consider English less rigorous than Economics?
I’m with @curiositycat333. The course schedule shows rigor independent of that last spring class. Econ, English, study hall, PE, Art, whatever he chooses won’t affect the overall rigor.
If he’s okay with studying mythology, I’d stick with the current schedule. I don’t see Econ being more (or less) rigorous than an English elective at the same level. Just different
I don’t think colleges expect high school seniors to stick with the younger kids’ pattern of one class in each of the five academic areas. Both of my kids had senior schedules that wildly deviated from this pattern, and so did a lot of their friends. It didn’t seem to matter.
I guess he will be sticking to his current schedule. Apparently, the mythology class is super popular and the teacher is amazing.
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I think it’s not an issue at all. My daughter had creative writing for a semester, as well as her English course. She was accepted to several very selective colleges. If he wants to study it, no problem.
I’d stick with Mythology and the schedule/teachers he likes. I guess it varies by school, but standard, as opposed to AP, Economics is a lightweight course at our HS, whereas English electives are not considered lightweight. My D, who was an Econ/Finance major in college, took an extra English her senior year and it was in no way a problem.
His final semester of HS will not change his college admissions. Many students double up on math and/or sciences, same logic applies to English- why not? Taking a mythology course in HS sounds great- he can always take college Econ.
Glad to hear the predicament has been resolved and he is happy with the school schedule he was given.