Very long story short, my junior year GPA is going to be either a 4.67 or 4.83.
4.67 is if I take a third year of Spanish(we do not have honors spanish 3 sadly) and 4.83 is if I take another AP class. I am taking Spanish 2 right now and I am managing to pull off an A.
I strongly dislike learning Spanish and it’s hard for me, so I was debating if another year of foreign language is really going to help me get in to good colleges like UC’s…
Even if I do take Spanish 3, there’s no way I’m taking AP Spanish and passing…
So my question is, does “4.83 GPA and 2 years of language” sound better than “4.67 GPA and 3 years of Spanish”?
Help!!
Where do you want to go to college? What type of universities?
4.67 GPA and 3 years of Spanish. There are many colleges where 3 years of foreign language is a requirement to be admitted.
Is that your UC GPA?
UC’s requirements are 2 years of a foreign language, so 3 won’t make a difference. For that matter, neither will the GPA difference. If your prospective college list has colleges that recommend 3 years, then yes, you should continue with Spanish.
Only speaking from my experience, it’s become the norm for people in my state to take 4 years of a foreign language, regardless of how much they don’t want to, although the requirement is only 2. You may stand out (in a bad way) for just doing the minimum. Only doing the minimum won’t completely demolish your chances of getting into a good school, but it won’t look good.
As mentioned, you should check out the recommended (not required) number of years of a foreign language before you make a decision.
As a side note, I can speak fluently in another language, so would that matter?
Can you take some sort of subject test to show that?
I could take the SAT Subject Test, but since I was born in my country, I thought it wouldn’t be of any help…
Forget about the weighted GPA. Taking the AP would only increase the course rigor slightly. It would have no impact if you already have some AP classes. Taking the 3rd year Spanish would open more doors for you.
The UCs aside, most highly reputed schools require at least three years of a foreign language. Therefore, please be certain you will meet all the curricular prerequisites of your “target schools” (failure to do so could easily result in your application’s summary rejection).
I know the general consensus is to take Spanish but I met with the Cornell and Columbia admission officer for my region and in my situation (AP Physics 2 versus Spanish 3 honors) the Cornell officer actually advised me to take the physics and the Columbia officer didn’t take a real stand but leaned toward physics. My course load next year is as follows:
AP BC Calc (Calc 1&2 at my school in block period)
AP Chem (block)
AP Gov/ Comparative politics
AP Economics
(AP Physics 2 or Spanish 3 honors)
Is what they said flat out inaccurate? They are literally the ones that will be mulling over my application come the time so I feel as if they’re MOST qualified to advise me. I also intend on applying to their respective colleges of engineering so that may be the reason why.
@Jcannon1023 I find it highly unlikely that they actually prefer AP Physics 2 to Spanish 3 honors. Have you taken a physics course already? If so, then you really should take Spanish. AP physics 2 is not the level of physics that would be helpful for someone applying to their engineering programs (unless taken as an intro physics course), since their physics courses will be calc-based. Perhaps they thought you meant AP physics C?
Even so, it is best not to limit your options by not taking a course required for admission to many schools. As long as you have one year each (does not have to be AP) of bio, chem, and physics, you’ll meet the science requirements at almost every school.
@guineagirl96
I have taken AP Environmental Science (4), Biology honors, and Chemistry honors and I am currently doing well in AP Physics 1. I was also surprised and almost had my heart set on Spanish, and I’m not putting blinders on to admission at these ludicrous reaches, my line of though was “if these universities suggest I take Physics after personally meeting with me and looking over my schedule, then I imagine other universities may agree” and I’m still torn
(Worth noting: Spanish teachers at my school adore me and I already have a teacher who would undoubtedly speak volumes on my scholarship, I am miserable in the Spanish classroom for it has been my most boring class the last 2 years, and I really enjoy physics, and I’d have the same teacher I do this year and she also loves me and has already been my “go-to” for summer program applications. AP Chem is set in stone btw)
@Jcannon1023: “Is what they said flat out inaccurate?”
It’s your job to do this sort of internet-based research, not the function of CC participants.
With this said, however, it probably is incorrect. To illustrate, for Cornell Arts and Sciences (and I can only presume that is the college at Cornell to which you might apply) three years of a foreign language is REQUIRED (you would have know this, had you done your “homework:” http://admissions.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/2015%20Freshman%20Admission%20Requirements.pdf). For Cornell undergraduate engineering, a foreign language is “recommended,” however when a school has a ~15 acceptance rate, I believe “recommendations” are de facto requirements.
UCs recommend completion of level 3, though the bare minimum is completion of level 2. If you are fluent in another language and can prove it (see http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/requirements/a-g-requirements/ ), that can also satisfy the requirement.
However, not all colleges are the same, so you need to check on each college.
From the student’s point of view, “recommendations” should be treated as requirements if you are from a high SES background and attend a high school with good course offerings and a significant percentage of students applying to highly selective colleges. They may be more likely to cut applicants slack on “recommendations” if they are first generation, low SES, or attend a high school with limited course offerings or few students applying to colleges other than the local community college or local non-flagship state university.
Very interesting that Cornell still has “requirements” when most, if not all, of the other Ivy League and top 15 schools have moved to “recommendations.” This question has come up recently for some of my daughter’s friends who dropped Spanish after sophomore year because they hated it and now are being told by college counselors that they need 3 years of a foreign language so they have to take Spanish as a senior. Cornell does say that if you are not going to meet their requirements, you need to explain it in an essay. One other anecdote: last year the head of our school’s college counseling office said that one lesson learned from the previous year’s applications was that Cornell likes physics. He said that they even want their potential English majors to have taken physics. Also, I think that on a question of rigor, AP Physics wins over Spanish 3 Honors. At least at our school, AP Physics is regarded as one of the hardest classes, if not the hardest class.
@uesmomof2 That might be true if we were talking about AP Physics C, which is calc based and extremely rigorous, but AP Physics 2 is algebra based and not that rigorous (compared to Physics C), and the student will still have to take physics in college. Regardless, the op is currently taking AP physics 1, so they have the physics covered. Most colleges recommend one year each of chem, bio, and physics- that is not unique to Cornell. Unfortunately, increasing course rigor also doesn’t matter if you don’t meet the requirements for admission. For example, I know the UCs require an arts credit for admission; if you take AP Bio instead of an arts credit, you wont be accepted.
You are right. My kids’ school only offers AP Physics C which is reputed to be the most rigorous class in the school.
Just for fun, here are some random college website pages. Unlike Cornell and the UCs, they do not have “requirements.” They all have recommendations. But they all talk about taking the most rigorous classes your high school offers :
Princeton http://www.princeton.edu/admission/applyingforadmission/preparation/ (4 years math, 4 years English, 4 years, 4 years of one foreign language, at least 2 years of science and at least 2 years of History)
Stanford http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/prepare.html ( recommend 4 years English, 4 years math, 3 or more years History, Science, one Foreign Language)
Duke http://admissions.duke.edu/application/overview (recommend 4 years of English and at least 3 in everything else)
University of Chicago https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/preparing-for-college (recommend 4 years of English, 3-4 of math, 3-4 of science, 3 or more history/social science, some foreign language)
Columbia http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/ask/faq/topic/397 (recommends 4 years English, 3 to 4 years everything else)
OP- are you ready to take all schools that require or recommend three years of a language off your list? That is essentially what you have to do when you make this choice. I think it is interesting you are making As in Spanish 2 but don’t believe you can pass Spanish 3. If you are really sure about that and you know you won’t regret taking a lot of schools off your list, then make sure you replace Spanish 3 with something rigorous or with a co-curricular club that will boost your ECs.
Does your school have a credit by exam program where you might be able to self-study and test for credit out of Spanish 3?
^ ^ ^
I agree. There probably will be a VERY FEW exceptional candidates each year who fail to fulfill the most-selective institutions’ “recommendations” and are nevertheless admitted. However, when a university receives about 32+K applications, 70+ percent of which document records that are entirely qualified and deserving of matriculation, but it accepts only approximately 10 percent, it can – and it will – be extremely selective. Consequentially, why would it admit X, who does not fulfill all of its “recommendations,” when many thousands are equally distinguished and have satisfied all requirements/recommendations?
This is much like so-called “optional” essays, which almost always aren’t.