I agree with most of your speculations. They honestly don't bother me too much, though. You get used to and sort of expect this kind of thing from 4. I just need enough meat to get my teeth into and I will be good, at least on this theme.
I like having the option, but I can very much see active high school being a pain in the butt like active careers. Again, I like having the option, but they tend to be weighted for whether you have to attend for things to function properly or not.
There is a lot more we need to learn about Copperdale, but I can see it being pretty nice.