<p>I am currently in a French 3 class at my high school. It is terrible; we rarely get the chance to actually speak French and there is no academic quality to the course at all. I am now choosing courses for my next school year. So far this is what I have lined up: AP Calc BC, AP Physics B, AP English Literature, AP European History and AP US Government, Regular Environmental Science and French 4. While I'd much rather take AP Chemistry than French, and know I could get an A, I've also heard you're out of the running for some schools with less than four years of language. I am wondering if colleges will look down upon me should I choose to take AP Chemistry instead of French 4. Will it make or break my application? (My top schools are MIT, CalTech, and Stanford, I plan to be an engineering major). </p>
<p>I think that you should do what you want because three years is still beyond required even if it’s not the maximum. So it’s better to take a class that you’ll enjoy more and AP Chem is a pretty prestigious AP so it’s not like you’re taking an easy class instead. Im sure it wouldn’t make a difference either way. I’m personally in AP French and I’m in the same situation as you, like the class is easy but I’m not prepared for the AP at all. But I would rather actually feel prepared for something than getting an A even though I’m actually not good at French </p>
<p>Regardless of whether or not you take French 4 (and you probably should), you’ve already got quite a course load - adding AP Chem to the mix without dropping one of your other APs and doing college applications is asking for trouble. 6 APs is excessive, even for your top schools.</p>
<p>I’d substitute AP Chem over another AP like your Eng or Govt or Hist. Keep French 4. In a heartbeat.</p>
<p>6APs is too many. 4 should be the limit if you want to maintain high grades (remember that top schools are NOT impressed in APs in which you have less than a B.) 5 at the most, if you’re used to taking them and getting good grades.
How many APs did you have this year? DId you get A’s in all of them?
Furthermore, “doubling up” in APs, ie., AP Physics&AP Chem, all the same year with Calc, is not recommended unless you’re very very strong at science. I assume you are since you’re aiming for Caltech but it’s important to point it out.
If you’re sure you can double up on science APs without affecting your grades, I’d switch out of APLit (it’s very time consuming and while it’s a great course for Humanities students, it may not work out well with such a schedule) and take AP Chem instead, AND keep French4. But see if your HS would let you take Fr4 online?</p>