<p>I'm a Freshman hoping to get into any software/art college. I started Spanish I in 8th grade, and I'm finishing Spanish II this year. I don't plan to take Spanish III next year, but one of my friends in college told me that dropping a foreign language won't look good to colleges. However, I dropped the course to make room for art and software courses at my school. Will this still affect my college chances?</p>
<p>Some schools have foreign language requirements that you must fulfill to be considered for admission. For example Stanford University strongly recommends (which is pretty much the same as requiring) three or more years of foreign language. I’ve never seen a school that requires four years (though I’m sure they exist), but three does seem pretty common. It would be best if you dropped Spanish after junior year rather than mess up your application chances because you didn’t fulfill the basic requirements. </p>
<p>Three years is probably the minimum you’d want to take a foreign language for selective universities.</p>
<p>Admissions counselors will question why you dropped the language, etc. Going through with it (at least until level 3) is recommended.</p>
<p>Only highly selective colleges really want to see 3 or more years of foreign language. Most colleges require some foreign language credits to graduate so the more you learn in high school the easier it will be for you in college.</p>
<p>If you’re talking a pure art school, the quality of your portfolio trumps 4 years of Spanish.</p>
<p>That is probably true.</p>
<p>Still take 3 years though, in my opinion. You’d have more opportunities open to you in case you plan to change your goals.</p>
<p>i’d advise just living with it for one more year. </p>
<p>I’ve also heard that colleges don’t care about Middle School years, so will that have any affect?</p>
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<p>You heard wrong. In an extreme case, if a HS freshman were placed into AP Spanish Language, finished the year, and got a 5 on the exam, I can think of no instance where a college would say that the student did not meet its foreign language requirement. The reality is that in most cases MS Spanish is at a slower pace than HS Spanish, so usually Spanish 7/8 is the equivalent of Spanish I in HS, So if you then take Spanish II as a freshmen, you cannot claim to have had the equivalent of 3 years of HS Spanish.</p>