<p>hi guys,
i am currently a high school sophomore and when i checked the penn website it said that they recommended 4 years of foreign language. however, next year i was planning to drop foreign language so i could double up on ap chem, ap physics c(my school makes you have 2 study hall periods if you double up on AP sciences). also, i can't use my elective period for foreign language since I want to take the advanced computer science course in my school. for penn(and if you know anything about other top schools that require 4 years of foreign language), will they penalize me for not having 4 years of foreign language for this reason? if it helps i plan on taking foreign language senior year.
sorry for the long post, but any help is appreciated!</p>
<p>Recommended is not the same thing as required. If you’re remaining grades and classes, etc, are good, you still have a decent shot.</p>
<p>My son took Hnrs. Spanish 2,3,&4 . No language Sr. year. He was admitted ED. Good Luck</p>
<p>Have your parents ask the school to waive the study hall rule for you. If you are currently acing a rigorous course load, they should go for it. My D is a senior that got accepted ED. She has never had a lunch period because she’s taken extra classes all 4 years. And don’t take no for an answer.</p>
<p>In fact, make the case to your guidance counselor and principal that you need this course load to be a competitive candidate for an Ivy League school.</p>
<p>I disagree with most of the advice you’re getting here. (I believe rebel11, but will also note that rebel11’s advice makes sense to me because “four years” refers to the number of courses you complete, not the number of years you spend in high school studying. My daughter, who’s kind of a language wizard, took Latin I as a junior and Latin IV as a senior; that’s also four years of language.)</p>
<p>I don’t know about Penn specifically, but I do know what Harvard recommends about foreign language and preparation for college.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> College Admissions § Applying: Preparing for College](<a href=“http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/preparing/index.html#language]Harvard”>http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/preparing/index.html#language)</p>
<p>I would be surprised if Penn’s recommendation were very different.</p>
<p>We were confident that my son wouldn’t be penalised for skipping Spanish 1. He completed Spanish 2,3,&4 Honors with straight A’s. His Public H.S. has a large Hispanic population and AP Spanish goes so fast that it’s darn near impossible for non native speakers,so we went with our strategy. It work for us but you never know for sure.My daughter is a Jr. and doing the same thing. Plus we know she’ll be OK because she has been self teaching japanese for 3 years(school doesn’t offer)over and above her Spanish.</p>
<p>thanks for the replies everyone!
would it help if I skip level 4(which is the level i’m supposed to be next year) either this summer or next summer, so then I can be in AP senior year?
@Madaboutx: unfortunately, my school is not nice at all when it comes to extra schedule accommodations, and i’m 100% sure they will not let me drop study hall(i’ve tried complaining in the past) 
@Sikorsky: that post really scares me, since Harvard is also one of my top choices. do you think it would be ok to take 4 COURSES(aka one in the summer) in a language(not necessarily years)?
also, would it look really bad if the language that i’m taking in school corresponds to my race?</p>
<p>I disagree with skipping a lunch period. There’s no huge penalty for not having language for all years, just do what’s most rigorous and also matches your interests. Keep in mind you have to be able to write about things that interest you, including school related activities. It’s obvious when an essay isn’t passionate and excited.</p>
<p>^If you are pulling straight As and your parents fight for it, it is better than you complaining. One thing I see with these outstanding kids is the ability to shape events and opinions and step outside, over and around convention.</p>
<p>But picking your battles wisely is also important.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Yes, I do. That’s kind of what I was trying to say in my earlier post. What matters is your level of accomplishment, not the number of times that you plunked your behind in a classroom desk in order to achieve that level of accomplishment.</p>
<p>It depends on who you are as an applicant. Each applicant has different interests and goals, so it’s fine to go your own way as long as you aren’t missing any requirements.</p>