Music versus APs?

[Anonymous]

DD had to make some hard choices to forgo stacking up APs in favor of taking four years of band. If she’d skipped music, she would have graduated with 12 instead of 8 APs. Now she’s wondering if that was a good idea from a college acceptance perspective. Any musicians out there who did well with selective colleges and fewer APs? She’s not planning to major in music but would like to play in a college ensemble for fun.

[Anonymous]

She did a great job. 8 APs is plenty. That's 2 per core subject, about 1 to 1.5 years of college credit.

Are they all real APs? pre-APs like Precalculus and CS Principles don't mean anything for selective college admissions.

Musical talent is a valued skill.

I don't understand your math, though.
What 9th grade AP could she have taken instead of band?

[Anonymous]

Her APs were mixed - some hard and some easier. She could have taken AP Gov or Human AP Geo as a freshman allowing her to take AP Bio and AP Stats in addition to the APs she took later on. Maybe more she didn’t consider. She wasn’t eligible for AP Spanish because she only got to Honors Spanish 4.

She loved making music in school. It was a much needed break for her.

[Anonymous]

She made the right choice. Does she want to play in any college groups?

[Anonymous]

Also, keep in mind it’s relative to the context of your high school. Many students maintain an arts component and it is desirable to schools that students have this exposure. If 8 APs is typical or even above the norm, it’s fine. Plus, it’s not a most AP race. It’s whether the student challenged themselves with what was available to them.

Also note, when some are counting APs, they count exams. Physics C as ‘2’, Micro/Macro as ‘2’. And there are visual arts APs, so a visual arts student can take multiple AP classes (if offered) as part of their fine arts exposure. And some count self-studied exams. I wouldn’t get to hung up on the number.

[Anonymous]

It may benefit her on the condition she writes about her love of band in one of the essays. But she can't just say nothing about it, OP. Otherwise it makes no sense to pick an "easy" class 4 times in a row.

[Anonymous]

That this thread needs to exist is clear evidence that our college admissions process is beyond broken. All good comments, but we should not have to agonize over music and analyze how to justify it or wonder if it somehow hurts us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It may benefit her on the condition she writes about her love of band in one of the essays. But she can't just say nothing about it, OP. Otherwise it makes no sense to pick an "easy" class 4 times in a row.

I find this hard to believe. You make it sound as if someone needs to apologize or provide some explanation for the aberration of having chosen music for four years. Does an art student need to explain their mistake of choosing art for four years in a row because it's "easy "?

Taking music or arts alongside other classes is the sign of being a well-rounded person. People used to understand this.

[Anonymous]

Mine were music kids. Our high school has a block schedule with four classes each semester. So if a student is a musician, they are using up two blocks for music each year. That does limit taking other upper level classes. Not sure how selective you are wanting, but mine got into schools like UNC, William and Mary, and Wake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may benefit her on the condition she writes about her love of band in one of the essays. But she can't just say nothing about it, OP. Otherwise it makes no sense to pick an "easy" class 4 times in a row.

I find this hard to believe. You make it sound as if someone needs to apologize or provide some explanation for the aberration of having chosen music for four years. Does an art student need to explain their mistake of choosing art for four years in a row because it's "easy "?

Taking music or arts alongside other classes is the sign of being a well-rounded person. People used to understand this.

PP you replied to. My daughter is taking philharmonic orchestra 4 years in a row, mainly to get into All-State (kids in public school are required to participate in music class at their school to be eligible for All-State). She will probably be in All-State all 4 years. Also she'll have 14 APs. I didn't want to include that in my first post, but that was the context I wrote it in. OP's daughter needs to write a killer essay about her love of music.

[Anonymous]

Music - we are doing it all four years.

[Anonymous]

I think that only parents on places like DCUM and CC think that the raw numbers of APs matter. I would not worry about. I’ve explicitly heard AOs at places like Chicago say the number, in itself, isn’t what matters. It’s challenging yourself. If your school offers 20 APs no one expects you to take them all.

[Anonymous]

OP I think that's fine for most colleges. If she had been aiming for Ivy League / MIT / Cal Tech and other top 10-20 colleges, I would say the 14 AP's would be much more important because that's what she'd be competing against. But for pretty much everywhere else, it's moot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It may benefit her on the condition she writes about her love of band in one of the essays. But she can't just say nothing about it, OP. Otherwise it makes no sense to pick an "easy" class 4 times in a row.

She didn’t pick music because it was “easy” but it was a nice break in her day, and being part of the band was an important way for her to engage with her school. She mentioned playing her instrument in college in the “why us” essays and included her extracurricular musical training among her activities.

Some musicians take health and languages during the summer to make room for more APs, but she as otherwise inclined.

[Anonymous]

My junior is doing four years of orchestra and four years of art, and will graduate with “only” 10 APs. Orchestra and art make her happy. I can’t imagine denying that to a kid just to stack up a bunch of APs. I’m glad to have a balanced happy kid and I know she’ll do well wherever she gets in to college.