So I’m in a bit of an odd situation here. I’ve been learning German for about 5-6 years now and I’m reasonably proficient. However, when I was allowed to start taking languages (8th grade) I chose Spanish 1 because I already knew German. That same year, I tested out of German 1 by passing the final. Then, as a freshman I took German 2, which was still below my level, so my German teacher recommended me for the AP German exam, which I took at the end of freshman year, and I got a 5. I technically only have one year of language in high school, but I also got a 5 on AP German, so how does that affect college requirements of 3 years of foreign language? Should I take more language while I still have the time?
Depends on the college. Some colleges (e.g. California public universities) will consider a 5 on the German AP test as indication of proficiency that is high enough for their purposes. But others (mainly some of the most selective schools) would prefer that you take actual course work to a high level in another language, particularly if German is a native or heritage language learned at home for you.
If you are not sure about a college, check its admissions web site for its requirements or recommendations. If still unsure, ask the college directly.
You may want to see http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1802227-faq-foreign-language.html .