So next year, my school will be offering AP stats (I will go into my junior year). They only offer this class every other year, and I was considering dropping french (Currently taking French 3 hrs) to take stats instead. But, then my senior year, I would resume with french and take french 4 hrs. French at my school is considerably easy, so taking a 'break year" shouldn’t be too detrimental (Like I might get a B the first marking period, but i should end with an A)
So my question is, will this fulfill the 4 year language requirement that most selective schools have? Will the broken years of french hinder my chances of getting into college? I’m more concerned that the nonconsecutive years of french won’t count to the language requirement.
I think it depends on the school that OP intends to apply to. OP seems to be aiming for the “most selective schools”. While the minimum is 3 years of language (that is not one’s native tongue), the most selective schools want to see 4 years of foreign language (as well as 4 years of history, science and math), so skipping French 3 in junior year, and ending at the 3rd year level of language by the time OP graduates will not put OP in the best light, even if it will not disqualifies him/her.
Just as important is what OP is replacing French 3 with. AP stats is unfairly viewed as “lightweight”. If you are taking AP Stats in addition to Calculus or something, I suppose that is okay. But if AP Stats will be THE math subject for the year, and it is bumping out French 3, I’m not sure that the most selective universities will look favorable on this. To put things in perspective, my daughter wanted to take AP Stats in her senior year because after taking AP Calculus BC in her junior year, she thought she deserved to take the math subject that she wanted (and yes, that was a little easier). But because she is also planning to take AP Psych in her senior year, her GC strongly discouraged her from taking AP Stats (apparently, it sends the wrong perception to the AOs–2 “light APs”, even if she already finished AP Calc BC junior year, and she was also planning to take AP English and AP Bio in her senior year with her AP Psych and AP Stats). So, she is taking Honor Multivariable Calculus instead of AP Stats, in order for her to take AP Psych (her more preferred AP light subject). And she’s not even intending to major in a STEM field! While this may be an extreme case, it illustrates how much the most selective schools require 4 years of language and the most rigorous APs.
I hope this helps. Of course, this is only in the ideal situation. You have to balance this with what you want to take, what you are realistically able to take on, and what colleges want to see.
Then op isn’t planning to end with French 3. The op is thinking of one year off from French and taking French 4 as a senior instead of as a junior.
Honestly, I can’t see where it’s a detriment. Your gc could probably explain the break as easily as you did (it’s your only opportunity to take stats and you were interesting in the course).
oops…@mom2twogirls is correct. I thought OP would end with French 3. Ending with French 4 makes all the difference.
I stand corrected. Although the “general principles” of selectivity that I outlined, as much as we hate hearing about them, still apply for OPs desire in entering the most selective schools.
OP would be fine skipping a year and picking up the fourth year of French again as a senior.
The usual reason kids miss a 4th year of language is some more rigorous class (eg, the chance to take math above BC.) When it makes sense, adcoms won’t flinch, if they got 3 years in.
More important than AP stats is AP calc. OP says on another thread that this will be on the senior schedule. So he’ll have that rigor. More than that, though, if OP is aiming high, packing so many APs in senior years can be iffy. How many AP scores will you be able to report in your app?