Varsity Letter vs. AP Classes

Hello,

In lieu of schedule finalizations at my school, I have a few questions regarding what activities would help to boost my competitiveness in the admissions process. I have two extra class periods open in my schedule that I am currently trying to fill, and I can do one of several things.

1. Take a couple extra AP classes, which would help boost my class ranking (currently 7th out of almost 700 students) if I preform well. I'm already taking 5 AP and one pre-AP class this year, so the downside to this one is I would have a massive course load to manage.

2. Participate in high school soccer. I would for sure letter and there's a rather slim chance I could go for a position as captain my senior year. However, I am also on a highly competitive club soccer team, so I already have a team sport on my resume-- just not the varsity letter. The downside to this option is that it is hard to stay in shape while playing for the high school due to the fact that practices are not very physically demanding, and then I would just be taking time away I could be using to actually stay fit.

3. Participate in high school cross country. Recently I have fallen in love with long distance running and have wanted to join the high school XC team, but the morning practice times conflicted with a class I was going to be taking (which I have recently had to drop). I'm no elite runner, but I could definitely contend for a varsity spot; however, the team has already been practicing for the majority of the summer and I would be jumping in way last minute, meaning I probably would not letter this year. Next year could be a whole different story. The upside to this option is the morning practice times helps with time management and works better with my schedule, as well as the fact that I will be kept in excellent shape. The downside: no definite varsity letter.

With me already playing club soccer in mind on top of competitive academics (top 10, lots of AP classes, 2100+ SAT) and leadership roles (junior class vp, HOSA treasurer, club team captain), which is the best route to take to improve my WCS (while not leaving me at a complete loss for time)?

It would seem that academics seem to be your strong suit. From what I know, as long as joining either varsity team would not result in a drop in your GPA, I'd say go with either of the sports you mentioned. Outside of that, I couldn't tell you which sport to pick. I'd lean a little toward cross country, however, as it will get in you pristine shape, broaden your sports horizons a bit, and still give you a good shot of a letter. Other more knowledgable people may correct me on this though. Best of luck!

JakeFromWisco said:

It would seem that academics seem to be your strong suit. From what I know, as long as joining either varsity team would not result in a drop in your GPA, I'd say go with either of the sports you mentioned. Outside of that, I couldn't tell you which sport to pick. I'd lean a little toward cross country, however, as it will get in you pristine shape, broaden your sports horizons a bit, and still give you a good shot of a letter. Other more knowledgable people may correct me on this though. Best of luck!

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Thank you for your reply! Doing cross country may actually be beneficial (in some form) to my GPA despite being unweighted class as it will give me one less AP class's homework load to cope with while still improving my resume. Again, I appreciate your help.

Definitely join XC. I joined my junior year to help with the Academy and I love it. It is such a great way to bond with teammates. Everyone loves each other. (At least my team does). I'm not the fastest out there and I push really hard. I was able to make captain this year after only being on the team for 2 years.
Keep up the good work!

LesakUSAFA said:

Definitely join XC. I joined my junior year to help with the Academy and I love it. It is such a great way to bond with teammates. Everyone loves each other. (At least my team does). I'm not the fastest out there and I push really hard. I was able to make captain this year after only being on the team for 2 years.
Keep up the good work!

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Thank you for the advice! I think joining XC is the course I intend to take from here.

Cross country is a great way to get in shape and bond with people. I've honestly never met more supportive people. Even other runners will tell you great job when they pass you or vice versa. The support of everyone is amazing. I joined the team on a whim my freshman year and ended up making varsity that year and the next two years as well. We definitely complain about it a lot but at the end of the day, it's one of my favorite sports.