So, I’m thinking ahead about next year. I have the choice of taking AP Stat or Spanish 4H. Math is best/favorite subject and taking AP Stat would put me at 5 math credits during HS, but I would only have 3 foreign language credits. I’m scared that (selective/reach) colleges will frown upon 3 f.l. credits. Can anyone who’s been through this help me out or give me some insight? Thanks.
take AP spanish 4 years of foreign language more important than an elective AP
The thing is, I’m a junior in Spanish 3H. The only spanish I’m eligible to take next year (at my school) is Sp4H.
then take tht because lamguage is a core class Stats is not unless you’re planning to use stats as your only math in that case choose Stats but if you are deciding between spanish 4 or stats as AN ELECTIVE choose spanish
Could someone else maybe weigh in on this? I plan to major in engineering or perhaps CS in college.
Foreign language is a core class and level 4 makes you competitive for top colleges. Taking Spanish 4H is “most rigorous” for course rigor in terms of selective colleges.
AP Stats is known as an “AP lite”, ie., as a class for kids who are serious but don’t do that well in math, OR for kids who are taking another math class and want a complement (but not at the expense of a core class).
It’s a bit as if you were asking “should I take Math or should I take Pottery?” Well, Pottery is a great class, so sure take it… but not if it means not taking math. However you could take AP Stats instead of AP CS or any other stem elective. Ap CS is considered a serious AP though, so replacing it with AP stats would decrease your course rigor.
Another exception is if you’re targeting your public flagship and perhaps the honors college (some honors colleges want to see level 4 or AP, which is weighted the same as taking calculus; others are fine with foreign language level 3, especially for engineering applicants. Check out the profile of your flagship’s honors college and ask if they’d prefer you take Spanish 4H or if you can take an elective. Even if you don’t say it’s a “light” elective like AP stats, it’s highly likely they’ll say Spanish 4H though). If you’re not targeting the Honors college and are, for instance, aiming for a CSU, then you’re fine with Spanish 3.
@MYOS1634 Wow thanks for that insight! I have my eyes on a few colleges (GIT, Vandy, Stanford) so far, but I want to be the most competitive for EVERYWHERE I plan to apply, not just engineering schools. Of course, my list of colleges will expand, so for now, I will plan on taking Calc BC and Span4H whereas before I was planning on Calc BC and Stat (no spanish)
Also thanks @BucketsUCSC , I believe you were trying to say the same thing.