Engineering majors are less likely to have foreign language requirements. But science and math majors often do have foreign language requirements which may require higher than high school year 3. Check each college to be sure.
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If you are seeking more seo ecru be schools, better to stay in language.
Sorry, I lost you there. What’s a seo ecru be school?
Crap - damn phone - always changes words.
Selective. I’ll go edit.
I got on the PC.
sorry
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Arizona requires a year of language unless you have an AP with a minimum of a 3 for STEM majors (4 for non-STEM majors).
UC requirements vary, but an AP score of 3 exempts you from at least one course and in some cases (eg UCLA) a whole year of a language. It will not look great to drop languages for both junior and senior year of HS.
You are talking about foreign language AP above, right? and not AP english?
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Engineering majors are less likely to have foreign language requirements. But science and math majors often do have foreign language requirements which may require higher than high school year 3. Check each college to be sure.
Are we talking about requirements to get admitted, or reqs to complete 4-year degree college?
This thread has added AP foreign lang, AP english, and AP history to the wishlist; and none of them were in our plan.
Is there a preference for these APs as far as admissions are concerned? e.g.
AP FL > AP English > AP History; or does this totally depend on our HS & the college we are applying to?
I think the advantage of sticking with FL in high school is you may be able to pass out of it in college. This is certainly true at some schools.
And at some (Harvard for example), no foreign language is required. But four years is recommended - which makes it required 
I do think that if your student wants to avoid it in college, sticking with it as long as they can in HS would generally be more helpful.
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AP English can be substituted with a high SAT score to get out of Writing 1.
Oh, wow! So SAT should also be taken seriously. Cannot skip it even though it’s test optional in many places.
Requirements to graduate college, not get admitted.
For getting admitted, CSUs and UCs require high school year 2, UCs prefer high school year 3, and some of the more selective other colleges prefer high school year 4.
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You should absolutely take the test seriously - if -
a) you are applying to schools that aren’t TO
b) you are applying to TO schools but that have a high amount of students submitting
c) you want merit - and at some schools - merit tables are set up for tests.
If you’re staying within the UC / CSU family or Arizona (who doesn’t use tests for merit) or U Wash - then you’re in the clear.
But in general, if you’re able to get a good test score - it’s a good thing. It may not help (depends on school selection) but it certainly could.
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680 SAT RW score can fulfill the UC ELWR, but it is not the only way to do so.
https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/elwr/
Note that while 3 on AP English is another way, a higher AP English score may fulfill higher writing courses as well, depending on the campus
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You talked about wanting to get admitted to UCs for a STEM degree. If these APs are all common in your HS, ie offered to and taken by the top 20-30% or more of students, then you would be well advised to take at least one or two of them. Without any of them you might still get into UCSC/UCR/UCM, possibly UCD but probably not the more difficult admits.
I would say AP English Lang is typically the first one chosen, then AP History or FL. But at many high schools a significant number of students will have two APs in English (Lang in 11th grade and Lit in 12th), two APs in History (eg Euro in 10th and US in 11th) and then AP FL in 11th or 12th.
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Thanks.
My kid was planning to cover 6 APs in 11 & 12:
- 2 in Science
- 2 in Math
- 2 in CS
Looks like there will be serious adjustments, or more hardwork if we need to accommodate APs for english, history, and FL.
I guess this is where some kids scale down the APs, or get lower grades. Survival of the fittest!
I don’t think this sort of lopsided approach with only the bare minimum A-G requirements in arts subjects is the best way to get into UCs (as my S23 found out). I wouldn’t take two CS APs, substitute one of them with an Eng/His/FL AP and at least consider adding a second from this group.
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You don’t need CS so if you’re worried about overload, then that’s one to sub out.
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When will we know if the student is in top 9% or not? Only after everyone’s application is processed?
Snub out both?
If only one to snub out, then CS-A goes out first? (meaning keep CS principles)
That comes from your guidance counselor.
CS is not a necessity - even to major. It’s a nice to have.
English - that’s a necessity - so if you can do an AP or DE, that’s better in my opinion.
Your guidance counselor will work with you (or the student) on all this.
Many HSs notify students they are in or close to the top 9% in the spring of junior year, asking for permission to release their information to UC admissions. If this doesn’t happen then you will at least know when you fill in the application as it is flagged as eligible.
You can also search for your HS’s profile if one is published for colleges, which often gives a GPA distribution for the graduating class, and then work out roughly where you stand based on expected grades and weighted courses.
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