<p>My son is finishing up the registration process for 11th grade and will have three AP courses: World History, English language and composition, and calculus. He's now trying to decide now between a fifth year of French or AP Psychology, and really is much more interested in the psychology course. French is his weakest subject but he's worried about how it will look on college apps if he drops French now. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>Anecdotal data point: son dropped French after completing French 4 in tenth grade (and not with great grades, either). Now at MIT. Slight regret surfaced last year when he had trouble ordering food in Paris. Very slight, however.</p>
<p>Most schools want three-to-four years of a foreign language.</p>
<p>you might also consider the colleges to which he is applying, since they may have a foreign language requirement....and the AP score might enable him to fullfill the requirement.....</p>
<p>Personally, I'm not a big fan of Psych nor Econ at the HS level bcos I'm not convinced most HS teachers can do the subject justice (not saying that your teacher is not excellent, however). Of course, others posters would claim that many HS teachers can't teach calc either. :)</p>
<p>A couple of suggestions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Your son may want to look at what it takes to satisfy the foreign language requirement for college graduation at the various colleges that he may want to apply to. In many cases, completing Level 4 will do it. But at some schools, he might need to present an SAT Subject Test score. If he needs that score, it would be best to take the test at the end of this year, while French is still fresh in his mind.</p></li>
<li><p>There are a very few colleges (the liberal arts colleges within Duke and Cornell are among them) that do not let anybody satisfy the foreign language requirement for college graduation on the basis of high school study alone. Whatever level you're at, you still have to take at least one more course. If your son is considering one of these colleges, taking one more year of French might be a good idea. It is much more difficult to resume the study of a foreign language after a two-year gap than a one-year gap.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>As other members already stated, some colleges require X amount of years of a Foreign Language. The more the better obviously. Personally, however; I would take AP Psychology - it's a much more interesting and fun class. It's easier IMO anyway. Only take AP French if you really like the language.</p>
<p>( I assume French V is AP French, as it is in my school )</p>
<p>AP Psych is a bs course and the college knows it. Have him take one more year of French - they like 4 years of the same language, and I think that if he starts as a Freshman in French 2 they probably expect him to get to French 5</p>
<p>Keep in mind that when colleges list "years of foreign language" required or recommended they mean years taken in high school--so if you took French 2 freshman year, French 3 sophomore year and French 4 junior year, that makes 3 years of French (despite your having finished level 4). As was stated above, colleges like to see 3-4 years. In addition, taking the French AP might satisfy a language requirement for some colleges, which would be an excellent thing if he's not fond of French (since college language is rumored to be much harder than high school language). And while Psychology is an interesting course, he can always take it in college. </p>
<p>That said, if taking French will make him miserable he shouldn't do it.</p>
<p>In my d's HS, the 5th year language class was affiliated with a college but it was taught in the HS. She received 3 college credits per semester. Had to pay college fee of about $330 each semester, but my d was awarded 6 college credits. IMO- better than AP credit.</p>
<p>Wow! Thank you for all the responses to a new person on the board. Actually, French V is not the same as AP French at my son's school; it's a big school, so there are enough kids for both. And do I understand etselec correctly that the two years of middle school French likely won't count, though they appear as credits for French I and French II on his transcripts? You have to have three or four years of foreign language in high school, not earlier? Again, thank you.</p>
<p>At our school there is AP French IV (language) and AP French V (literature). My girls have taken both and they are really enjoying V because it is literature, not just lots and lots of verb tenses like French IV. </p>
<p>But I would think that if he is taking IV now, he can test out of a college requirement by getting a satisfactory score on the SAT 2 language test or getting a high enough score on the AP. </p>
<p>At our school, the foreign language requirement is met if the student has gone through III of the subject, regardless of what grade they are in when they complete it. (3 years required). Check with the appropriate school person (at our school, it would be the student's advisor) about what the requirement means at your school.</p>
<p>I'd go with what he likes, personally. My son stopped French after 3H and even though he may have to take a language course in college (unless he tests out via the SAT2), I don't think he regrets the choice. It enabled him to take more math/science APs which he really enjoyed much more and made for a really nice year.</p>
<p>As a student, op, I will tell you that the French will pay off in the long run. In my humble opinion, Universities seem to have a thing with consistency in foreign languages and math. Those are two big subjects ad com really seem to like, for whatever reason. Now, there are other subjects at play also (obviously), but math and foreign language are big deals.</p>
<p>silverspringmom:</p>
<p>the colleges do count classes taken in middle school, whether they be a language or math. Well, actually, they don't count them per se, but if one takes AP French as a HS frosh, an applicant can be done with langauges if s/he chooses.</p>
<p>Ditto math -- if a student takes Alg and Geom in middle school, the most highly selective colleges will expect the student to complete the math sequence offered at his/he HS - if the school offers calc, then they should take it.</p>
<p>Ugh, I have similiar problem here. I was a foreign language major and as such I, of course, tell my children-do all and any and above years of language-but alas, I admit, four years of French is more than enough unless of course, he wishes to gain a degree in foreign language-go for Psychology, my daughter is. And truth be told, it will probably serve her very well.</p>
<p>I pushed S to continue Spanish, & he continued to dislike it. Then I met the teacher, and apologized. He studied Latin 1 on his own, and continued that in a local college. Lesson learned--learn the college's requirement, and then, if S/D has met the minimum, let them decide.
Most kids do enjoy a class in psychology.</p>
<p>I think its more productive to begin a language and spend time in a country that uses that language.</p>
<p>Both son and I did 4 years of French, both of us independently decided not to do 5th year in different eras. No reason to take it unless you're a real Francophile- really into French culture. Four years of a foreign language can satisfy college degree reqs, five won't do any more for that (and in my day I recall if you had 3 years you took 2 semesters of a second language for a BA). Take the AP Psych.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Keep in mind that when colleges list "years of foreign language" required or recommended they mean years taken in high school--so if you took French 2 freshman year, French 3 sophomore year and French 4 junior year, that makes 3 years of French (despite your having finished level 4).
[/quote]
</p>
<p>This may be true at some colleges, but I don't believe it's true at all. If you can check at the colleges where your son is likely to be applying. I'm a big fan of learning to speak a foreign language fluently, but I also hated high school French and learned very little. I learned to speak French fluently by spending a gap year in France. I'm on the fence here, but lean to AP Psych.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Four years of a foreign language can satisfy college degree reqs...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Not necessarily. Dartmouth requires a 690+ on a language subject test (or AP credit) to pass out of their language requirement. Obviously, some kids can acheive a 700 after four years of a language (depends on kid and HS curriculum), but not many. OTOH, H requires less than a 600 if I recall. </p>
<p>In any event, check out the websites of the colleges your S is considering.</p>
<p>Here's another thought. My son also dropped French after French 4 in his junior year. So far he's 5 for 5 with college acceptances. He also took AP Psych last year. I highly recommend it if it's an interest area. My son loved it and did very well on the AP test. And now, he most likely will place out of Psych 101 in college which is often a huge lecture hall class. He can continue to take upper level Psych classes which are typically much smaller classes.</p>
<p>My S dropped foreign language after Latin 3 (taken jr. year). He had done well all 3 years but was just tired of it (same teacher 3 years running). He took AP Psyc. his senior year, really enjoyed it, did well on the exam and got credit for it at the university he now attends. He knew he would not be required to take any more foreign language for his intended major. The AP Psyc. exam was much easier than AP Latin would have been and the Psyc. credit has helped him in college whereas the Latin would not have.</p>
<p>silverspring, Welcome! My son was (still is) foreign language adverse and for reasons complicated reasons ended up taking two years of each of two languages. He was fluent in one, a little taught Asian language, and miserable in the other, Spanish. When it came to looking at colleges -- including some highly selectives -- this is what he learned.</p>
<p>First, the high school language "requirement" is usually not carved in stone but is flexible based on what you do instead of a language. For example you don't want to drop language to take another study hall but it's okay if it's the only way you can squeeze in something you love. Would psychology qualify? That's a big depends but I think the case could be made. </p>
<p>The question came up at the Yale information session that we attended. The admissions head said that it was a moot point since most of Yale's acceptee's were fluent in at least one foreign language. In other words, they were looking at fluency, not counting years.</p>
<p>Secondly, you need to consider what happens when you arrive at college. For my son taking Spanish on a college level would have been pure torture, so he leaned toward schools that don't have language requirements. So, have you son look carefully at the proficiency requirements of the colleges that he's considering. As you can see from the above responses, they vary widely from none to quite restrictive. A</p>
<p>nd definitely take the French AP and/or SATII sooner rather than later.</p>