Will taking a study hall/research period hurt my chances of getting into competitive colleges?Answered
I'm currently enrolled as a sophomore in the IB program at my school, and I know that it's going to be very rigorous next year. By the end of this year, I will have also taken 4 APs: AP hug, AP environmental, AP world history, and AP Language. My IB coordinator is pushing me to take 2 sciences and 2 maths next year (IB Math sl, AP stat, IB bio sl, IB env sl), which means I won't have any room for electives or "easy" classes. I really want to switch my AP stat class with a research period, but I'm worried that it will look bad on my transcript, compared to other students at my school. However, I'm also doubled up on sciences this year, so I know how hard it is to keep everything organized, and I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with all of my IB classes next year. What should I do?
Earn karma by helping others:
1 answer
It's a question of balance. If you take the AP Stats class, you'll lose time to study, review, or get extra help, and the grades in all of your classes could suffer as a result. If you get a B in all of your classes because you put too much on your plate, that is much more detrimental to your success than getting an A in all classes by lessening your load and giving yourself time to study, even if you have one less AP class. If you can keep good grades without a study hall, I say go for it! But if you're already on the edge and working at your limit, don't let your grades suffer because you're stretched too thin. I'm sure colleges will notice you are doubled up on sciences as well.
There is also a point where you are taking so many AP classes that you're no longer well-rounded as a student. Is taking so many AP classes making clubs and sports nothing more than a dream? Being well-rounded is more important than taking every AP class, but doing absolutely nothing else with your high school experience.
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!