High rigor kid may have 2 free periods senior year?
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Anonymous
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Has this ever happened to your kid? If so, how did they explain it to colleges in their application materials?
Scenario is DS signed up for early p.e. next year so he could take 2 additional AP courses during the school year. (His school only allows a few APs for sophomore year, so many kids take 4-5 APs junior and senior years. He is taking 5 this year.) In his counselor meeting today, he was told that he isn't allowed to take 2 social science APs in one year and the second math AP cannot be guaranteed. He will most likely have 1 free period next year and quite possibly 2. He has no interest in taking "filler" non-AP courses in these slots, but he has run out of APs to take otherwise. Would colleges see/notice that he took early p.e., making at least one of the free periods justifiable? He says he could work on college apps during the one free period at least. Thoughts, other ideas welcome. |
Anonymous
| I would encourage a fun elective. Some kids find their calling in those “filler” classes. |
Anonymous
| DE |
Anonymous
| No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2. |
Anonymous
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My kid has 2 free periods and accepted to a Top 20 (ranked 10-20).
No explaining. 5 of the 6 classes are AP, and the kid has taken 8 AP through junior year (four 5s and four 4s)...so will be 13 in total through senior year. Literally, just submitted his transcript through junior year and input senior schedule. Never mentioned anything about the two free periods and the school never asked. |
Anonymous
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I don’t think colleges get a “schedule” per se that shows when classes are held or when free periods occur, they just get a transcript. The school description likely includes information about the minimum and maximum number of courses a student can take at one time, so if your school has, say 7 class periods and your kid is taking 5, they can infer two free periods.
I don’t think it’s the end of the world, but it might be good for your son to identify an interesting elective, even if it’s not an AP, to fill one of the free periods, especially if having two frees is less common at his school. |
Anonymous
| Wouldn't PE be on his transcript? Colleges see a list of the courses the kid takes (and the grades), not the grid schedule. How would they know a kid came in for PE at 7 AM? |
Anonymous
Exactly this |
Anonymous
| DS had 2 free periods senior year (because he just could not stand taking one more year of foreign language) and he was done every day by 1. I didn't love it but forewarned him that it could cost him during college applications. He used the time to get all As in his all AP course load (except one required course) and was accepted to his reachy ED1 school. So worked out fine for him. He's a freshman now and doing great in college - so his "lazy" senior year did not ruin him for life. |
Anonymous
+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no |
Anonymous
Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time. |
Anonymous
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as long as your kid is taking 5 major classes (not art, not PE, not college counseling), it's fine.
language science math theology or philosophy history social studies/science english should be 5 of those 7. |
Anonymous
| Remember also the perverse situation that any nonAP will lower their GPA. DS had 2 free period but got all As in 5 AP courses - which apparently impressed the admissions committee at his top 40 first choice college. |
Anonymous
said nobody ever |
Anonymous
There is advice against free periods from college counselors and admissions officers. Take an elective. |