Would it look bad if I sacrifice some subjects?
Hello! I'm currently a freshman and I have plans to take some pretty advanced math and science classes in my high school career. However, I feel like I would not be able to balance all of these classes with other honors/AP classes, particularly in ELA and History. If I sacrifice ELA and History, I'd be able to take more advanced math and science classes, but be missing out on credit and would be less well-rounded. Would it look bad to top colleges if I do sacrifice ELA and History for STEM classes?
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1 answer
Hey there @JhnJy!
The first thing to consider is graduation requirements. Typically high schools require four years of math and English, three years of history and science (but colleges usually prefer four years of science), and two to three years of a world language, as well as arts and technology credits. If you have a student advisor, sit down with them to make a plan to get all of your graduation requirements before signing up for classes.
You'll also want to consider your specific interests: as you're more interested in STEM, don't feel pressured to take a ton of high-level humanities classes. If you feel that it would be difficult to maintain a good GPA by taking all honors or AP classes, stick to only the STEM ones. Colleges would rather see great grades in high-level classes in fields you're interested in than mediocre grades in a variety of AP and honors classes.
Good luck!
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