My senior not only has a full course load, but took an extra course last summer. They would take more if they could.

Never had a kid with a free period

Virginia's high school diploma has 22 required credits. Economics and Personal Finance can be taken P/F easily self-paced online, so its really only 21 credits.

Yes, lots of seniors in FCPS who are not gunning for Top 50 schools take a reduced load. Very common with block scheduling to only go every other day.

https://www.fcps.edu/graduation-requirements-and-course-planning/first-time-ninth-2018-19

Most is a stretch. I'd say some.

It's easy to contact the admissions officers at whatever school(s) your kid is interested in and ask.

My senior also has a free period and is taking 7 credits this year.

In our experience, it depends on the schools you're going for. One kid got into UVA and one didn't- the kid who got in had a full course load. The kid who didn't had free periods.

My DC had a free period senior year. It didn’t stop her from being admitted to plenty of good schools, including 2 in the T50 and another 2 in the T80. Based on the Naviance scattergrams, I seriously doubt that free period had anything to do with DCs admissions results…things pretty much went exactly as expected.

FWIW, my kid wasn’t getting into UVA with or without the free period (but also wasn’t interested so that was never a consideration…YMMV if your kid wants UVA).

My senior (who is our oldest) has a free period. She took PE and personal finance in the summers, which were replaced by additional electives. She's taken a hard classload and could use the break.

At our school, you can't stay on campus if you have a free period. Hers is at the end of the day and she comes home to study before returning to school for her extracurriculars. She's not gunning for UVA so we'll never know if that would've hurt her or not, but she's gotten 6 EA acceptances to date so at least 6 colleges didn't mind that free period (or only 3 years of language- which I will say I didn't approve of but that was on her).

My DD is a senior and she has a free first period, its completely normal. It wont make you not get into college.

My kid tried that argument and I said no.

They are my youngest, so we have been through the college application process several times and know that taking a reduced course load is a no go.

The parents I know with older kids who have gone through the college process with okder kids all said no to this.

We do know of lots of parents who said yes, mostly parents whose kids were their first. As far as how it affected college results, we will see in a few weeks.

I don't think any of those kids taking one less class were accepted into UVA early admission, as an annecdotal point of one.

I wouldn't do it.

Mine has space for a free period since she took a class over the summer, but choose an "elective" that she thought would be better for her college apps.

Anonymous wrote:DS says that almost everyone he knows will have at least 1 free period in 12th grade. Is that accurate - do kids not have a full courseload in 12th grade? Even kids trying to go to UVA/Tech, etc.? I'm trying to get a better sense of how accurate this is. This was not really a thing where I went to school.

I think her 4th period office assistant. She doesn't get a grade for that class, so in a way its a free period.

Neither one of my kids had a free period in high school, including 12th grade. If they could show a productive use of time (like a PT job, volunteering, working on a project) i may have considered it but i know if given a free period they would have sat on their phone for the entire period aimlessly scrolling. Better off to be in a classroom learning something.

DS says that almost everyone he knows will have at least 1 free period in 12th grade. Is that accurate - do kids not have a full courseload in 12th grade? Even kids trying to go to UVA/Tech, etc.? I'm trying to get a better sense of how accurate this is. This was not really a thing where I went to school.