Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

this is bullshit and also shows you have no idea what a top feeder high schools transcript looks like

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

Any reason you refuse to believe the many of us with kids accepted at top schools with two free periods?

It’s strange to scream against the facts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

False. 100% false. Adding photography or any elective to senior year core AP schedule (English, math, science, social studies -- foreign language optional IME) absolutely does not add "rigor" as it's defined in college apps. And 2 free periods with those core APs absolutely does not negate "rigor" as defined in college apps. Jeez.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

I'm the op, not the pp you've been conversing with but my kid's senior year schedule, as it stands, wouldn't exactly scream slacker even with 2 free periods. He will have MV Calc, AP Physics/Chem (Chem + Phyics C: E&M), AP Lit, AP Euro, Japanese (super hard class, much more difficult than AP Spanish, but AP not offered). As I mentioned, he's not allowed to take AP Psych or AP Gov as 2 ss/history courses in one year are not allowed at his school. He's hoping for an additional post-ap math, but seats are limited and not guaranteed.

To clear up confusion over no. of APS: he is taking 5 AP now as a junor, similar schedule to above but with 2 math slots (Calc BC and Stats). There is no other math, SS/History, English, FL for him to take next year. And I don't see the point of taking another science (bio or environmental) when he's already essentially taking 2 in the science block and doesn't really want either of those.

But there would be an appearance of slight decrease in rigor: 5 AP jr. year vs 4 AP senior year if he doesn't get that second math course. It hurts him that his FL doesn't offer AP I guess, but that's the one he wanted to take.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

Here we go with the 4 years of foreign language. Do schools recommend this? Yes. Do they require it? No. Does it keep students out all by itself? No. The transcript is viewed together, all four years, all subjects, all the rigor. 4 years of foreign lang, and APs in all other cores, are neither necessary nor sufficient for admission.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

LOL nope

Common App has the senior year courses in the Education section. There are no slots. You simply list what you are taking.

The transcript won't have slots either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

said nobody ever

There is advice against free periods from college counselors and admissions officers. Take an elective.

They have to earn their paycheck with bs somehow.

+1. AOs do not care about some random elective. AOs care about rigor. OP already has rigor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

My kid currently attends a T10. Kid's senior year schedule looked like:
- multivariable calc, dual enrollment online
- AP European History
- AP Physics C
- regular English
- random elective
- TA period

DCUM striver culture gets so caught up in a race to the most APs. OP's kid is already taking 5 senior year. A 6th AP course senior year is not going to move the needle one iota on whether he gets in. The decision will rest on the rest of the app.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

said nobody ever

There is advice against free periods from college counselors and admissions officers. Take an elective.

They have to earn their paycheck with bs somehow.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

Ixford? Where is that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

Have you been to college? Two free periods in a high school day is nothing compared to college free time.

top slac. Yale law. Parent of Ivy and UVA students, now at Ixford. Want to try the sarcasm again? Top schools are looking for students who have exhausted the top
curriculum the high school offers. It's called rigor. Two free classes says no rigor. And yes the college-assigned representatives know everything about your high school. Since they take first read of the application after the contract readers are done, two open slots will jump out at them, especially if your kid doesn't have four years of foreign language.

Rigor is evaluated over the entire four years. Assuming he has enough rigor through the end of junior year, five AP courses senior year is more than enough.

He has enough rigor. A random elective does not increase his admission chances.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way.....1 free period is fine, not 2.

+1. Top schools are looking to see if your kid can handle the rigor of college -two free periods says no

said nobody ever

There is advice against free periods from college counselors and admissions officers. Take an elective.

GPA wreckers

Once the gpa is over 4.0 it’s splitting hairs.

not when UVA has a 4.4 floor

Naviance data doesn’t show this for our public school. Definitely acceptances below 4.4 — I just double checked.

It's not Naviance. SCHEV has 4.4 as the oversll median GPA of entering students thias past fall. 4.5 at the 75th percentile. Of course your own high school may differ or those under 4.4 were athletes, hooked, etc

I honestly don't know what's common at my kid's school. He does know some seniors who take a free period this year. But I don't know about the kids in his cohort who will give top schools a go. My hunch is no, but we will do some investigation.