By Ashley Gilbert & Emma Kavcioglu

Juniors, your hardest and most draining year of high school is coming to a close. So many students find themselves burnt heading into the end of the year, and are eager to get some much-needed rest heading into senior year. Throughout high school, senior year has been described as a dream where students can eat off campus for lunch, leave campus early, and attend exclusive senior-only events. But as we were handed the laminated paper with the coursework and schedule options for seniors in our counselor’s office, we were met with a dilemma: what classes do we take now?

For the past three years of high school, many of us have challenged ourselves to add as many AP and IB classes to our schedules as possible, in the hopes of appearing the strongest as possible to colleges. So, the question of whether to continue to take the same challenging coursework as a senior or whether to take a lighter load is a particularly challenging one.

For us, the right move is to take more challenging classes in senior year to prove continued resilience to colleges, especially since colleges do obtain a final transcript of your coursework and grades at the end of your senior year. For us, a predominant concern is that senior year grades and coursework carry some merit if you are placed on any school’s waitlist, and can potentially make the difference between making it off a waitlist or not.

“For me, taking hard classes was my final academic push before freedom,” senior Michelle Kwon said. “I wanted to make sure that I was taking classes that were out of my comfort zone while I had the opportunity.”

Loading up on Advanced Placement classes (APs) in senior year might also be beneficial to students who are trying to obtain college credit to get the freshman-year general education requirements out of the way. According to the Princeton Review, one course in college can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. However, AP classes are free at GHC, making them even more attractive.

But some argue that most of the time colleges do not accept AP credit, or may only accept the credit if students receive the highest score on the AP Exam.

“I fully committed to taking harder classes my senior year,” senior Mitch De Guzman said. “However I also recognize that many of the UCs don’t accept AP credit. So if you’re taking the classes purely for credit, you should definitely check whether or not the classes that you’re taking are even accepted by colleges that you’re seeking to attend.”

However, only taking AP classes in your senior year can be an excessive burden on those who do not have any prior experience with the workload. Taking classes students are not adequately prepared for can additionally result in students feeling overwhelmed, potentially leading to failing these courses, and having an increased chance of senioritis, overall having the opposite effect than expected. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider whether jumping into them in senior year is the best decision.

Furthermore, colleges may question a student’s commitment to academics if they only see APs on their transcript in senior year, rather than a constant track record of academic growth and achievement throughout high school. This can potentially raise concerns for admissions officers about a student’s ability to handle the academic rigors that college brings.

Additionally, a study conducted by the University of Michigan found that seniors who took on heavy course loads reported higher levels of stress and lower overall well-being compared to their peers with a more balanced schedule. This further emphasizes the importance of carefully considering the impact of academic decisions, especially in a critical time like senior year.

Ultimately, the decision to take challenging courses in senior year should be made carefully, taking into account a student’s individual strengths, weaknesses, and goals. While it is important to challenge oneself academically, it is equally important to ensure that the workload is manageable and that students are adequately prepared to succeed. A realistic approach to one’s academic abilities can play a role in determining whether or not taking challenging courses in senior year is the right decision.