<p>DS just got his schedule for the Fall and Spring semester. To say the least his schedule is all messed up. He is in AP Physics II which he did not register for and he didn't get into his foreign language. Are colleges going to frown that his foreign languages are all going to be in his senior year or should he try to get his schedule changed. The upswing would be he gets all his sciences out of the way and he has an easier Senior year. He wants to major in engineering.</p>
<p>It depends upon the college. Most selective colleges expect seniors to NOT have an easier year than previous years. They want to see serious course rigor with the most demanding schedule. Can your son take both AP Physics and AP Foreign Language? If it’s a choice between AP Physics or AP Foreign Language, I would have your son press his guidance counselor for AP Foreign Language – even though he wants to major in engineering – because scoring a 4 or 5 on the AP FL exam will exempt or partially exempt your son from many college’s FL language requirements. </p>
<p>For an engineering major, AP Physics 2 will be pretty useless as it is algebra-based. Unless he’s already completed level 4 of a foreign language, I would try to fix that schedule to get a foreign language back in.</p>
<p>What year is he now? What foreign language level is he trying to get into? It sounds like he hasn’t had a FL yet. If that’s the case that could be a major issue for some colleges.</p>
<p>My DS is a Junior this year. He has never had foreign languages in high school. He signed up for French 1 for this year but didn’t get it. He got AP Physics 1 and 2. We are hoping he can drop Physics 2 and add a foreign language. If he keeps AP Physics 2 that would give him 5 AP courses this year and 3 Honor courses. Next year (his Senior year) it would drop him to 2-3 AP classes, 2 foreign languages, no science, and the rest would be Honors Engineering and band.
Wouldn’t colleges see that he is going to take his languages his senior year or is it an undocumented requirement to have one as a Junior and one as a Senior?</p>
<p>most colleges require/recommend you reach level 3-4 of a foreign language. taking two foreign languages in one year is not going to help him.</p>
<p>Some colleges want to see two years of a foreign language (examples: UMass, MIT), but as above, they need to be 2 years of the same foreign language. The problem with taking 2 different foreign languages senior year is that presumably they will both be level 1 and will thus make the senior schedule look light. </p>
<p>When a college asks for N years of high school foreign language, it wants at least level N. So two different level 1 high school foreign language courses won’t satisfy a college looking for 2 years of high school foreign language.</p>
<p>There is no other level 1 course he could start now (e.g. Spanish)?</p>
<p>College foreign language courses are typically more intense, so a year of college foreign language may be equivalent to two or more years of high school foreign language.</p>
<p>Does he have any heritage ability in a foreign language that can be proven by taking an appropriate higher level high school or college course, or an AP or SAT subject test?</p>
<p>Some states or school district may also require 2 year of foreign language for high school graduation. If your S did not have any foreign language at all and he is in junior, you better check with the GC. He should not take 2 foreign languages in senior. It does not make sense. Many schools require a minimal of 2 years foreign language (or equivalent), some even require/recommend 3-4 years. Your S may need to take some online or summer class to catch up if he wants to apply to those schools.</p>
<p>I agree…see if there is a different language he could take (Spanish?). I would think there would be many sections that could fit into his schedule.</p>
<p>And dropping Science Senior year might not be a good option either. He will be better off having all the core subjects (Math, Science, English, History) each year and a Senior year schedule that at least maintains rigor, if not increases it.</p>
<p>See whether he can take a course at a community college either during the year or next summer. I don’t know where you are, but in case you are in CA, the UC requires one of the following: </p>
<p>-- High school classes: 2 years required, 3 years recommended of the same language.
– SAT Subject test: scores ranging from about 510-540 depending on the language
– AP test: 3, 4, or 5
– Community college class: Grade of C or better in any UC-transferrable course(s) equivalent to two years of high school language instruction. (Here, typically the first semester of CC language = the first 2 years of high school language. Later classes may be closer to 1:1 ratio.)</p>
<p>Other schools, especially state schools probably state ways of meeting requirements similar to these.</p>
<p>I’d first make an appointment with the principal/guidance counselor over the summer and see if you can work out a more reasonable schedule. If he is in the wrong physics class that is a problem, and if he likes foreign language you should see if he can get in a class. Sometimes things don’t work out perfectly, but it is reasonable to go in to school with your S and try to set up a schedule which is as good as it can reasonably be.</p>
<p>His school has already started and they didn’t get their schedule until the first day of class. He has semester courses so he could get level 1 and 2 next year. His schedule was already tight with engineering classes so he was unable to take anymore than 2 units of foreign languages. He is hopefully meeting with the guidance counselor tomorrow to add his foreign language in the spring and dropping AP Physics 2.</p>
<p>Normally, a high school foreign language level is considered a full year. If your high school numbers foreign language courses by semester, then he likely needs to complete the 4th course to complete the 2nd year level of foreign language that tends to be the minimum that selective colleges like to see for frosh applicants (and some want a higher level than that).</p>
<p>Does he really need a lot of engineering courses in high school? Perhaps one semester can give a sampling of the field, but actual engineering course work depends on math and physics, so one has to wait until college to do significant engineering course work.</p>
<p>Take that AP physics, 1st year undergrads take calculus and physics </p>
<p>Unless hi high school has a strange accelerated foreign language course, it is not likely to have 2 year of foreign language requirement within 1 year (or 2 semester). If you take it at a community college as dual enrollment, you may.</p>
<p>All his courses are semester based. He meets for 1.5 hours every day for each class. He is in a Project Lead the Way Engineering Academy and is required to take courses throughout his high school career. Not sure of what he is going to do now. He doesn’t have room in his schedule for more than French 1 and French 2. This is going to be a major problem if you are right requiring 4 semesters of languages to get 2 credits. He won’t be the only kid at the school that won’t get into college. </p>
<p>This sounds like block scheduling. D’s school had this. A one semester course was equal to a full year. So, for example, French 1 would be completed in one semester and French 2 in the next semester.</p>
<p>So he goes to a block schedule school? If so then completion of French 1 and 2 his senior year is fine as it counts as two years of a language course since he’s in the semester class for the amount of time that a student on a regular bell schedule would be in their year long French 1 and 2. Depending on the state he might be required to be in four semesters of French though as a friend of mine goes to a block schedule public school and they’re required to take up to AP or Community College Spanish or French 4.</p>