<p>My friend (HS junior) only has two slots in his schedule to take electives. He has narrowed it to science and foreign language/music. However, he is having trouble deciding which two to choose. He has had 3 Spanish levels and 2 levels of music. </p>
<p>I understand that he wants to show commitment to Spanish/Music, but also wants to take biology electives as he enjoys the subject and is considering the field as a career option. From Spanish, Music, and Biology/Science, which two would best benefit him come college applications? Thanks for your help. </p>
When Admissions officers look at a transcript, they look to see how much the student challenged themselves – did they opt for AP classes over honors or regular classes. They do not look at a transcript to gauge “commitment” to one academic area or another – that’s what EC’s are for. Many students, for example, who are interested in either Spanish/Music or Biology/Science do something afterschool or during the summer that demonstrates their interest in one of those areas. So, your friend should stop thinking about which would benefit him more and instead take the courses that (a) challenge him the most, (b) that interest him the most, and (c) that he thinks he will do well in. </p>
<p>One place to start in answering a question like this is to look at what the Harvard Admissions Office says:</p>
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You can take that with a grain of salt, because we know Harvard accepts plenty of kids with only two or three years of a single foreign language. But I think a valid translation of this passage into the OP’s circumstances is that Harvard would most like to see the OP take Spanish 3 (and Spanish 4 next year), and then probably a biology elective if it is “at an advanced level”.</p>
<p>Of course, doing what Harvard says is most appropriate probably does not increase one’s chances of admission to Harvard in any measurable way. Really, what the OP should do is choose courses that will best educate him in the way he wants to be educated, because whether he is admitted to Harvard or not this is his only shot at learning something in 11th grade. Harvard agrees with that – it’s advice is as much advice about getting a good education, as advice about getting into Harvard.</p>