Given the choice between Honors Spanish 4 and Honors Physics, I chose Spanish since it better aligns with my career goals (journalism) and I felt I’d do better in the class than in physics. Unfortunately, this means I’ll only have 3 years of high school science: honors biology, honors chem, and AP Chem. How badly would this impact chances at selective colleges (ie Dartmouth, Brown, Northwestern, WUSTL) if I won’t be a science major?
The thing to do, for a non-science major, would have been to take only one chem so the physics would have had a chance.
Take both Spanish and Physics. Keep whatever math course you’re taking. Drop something else. Your reasoning that “you’d do better in Spanish class than in physics” is a slippery slope in applications to selective colleges such as those you’ve listed. They (and your high school college counselor will verify accordingly) will pay attention to whether or not you’ve taken the most rigorous program available at your high school. By your reasoning you’re saying that you’re not doing that.
Most schools only require 2-3 years of lab science. However, they do like to see the 4 cores in all 4 years if possible. In your case, having a 4th year Spanish may be more helpful than having the 4th year science. If that is due to a schedule conflict, ask your GC to mention it in your LOR.
@JustOneDad I chose not to take physics this year so I wouldn’t forget any of the chemistry over the year between AP and so I wouldn’t have to have my brother in my science class for a third year in a row (yes, I realize in hindsight the latter was kind of a dumb reason); had circumstances been different I would’ve gone for physics. Not taking AP Chem this year would’ve only left me with AP Psych, which is also often seen as a “light” AP.
@fogcity As much as I wanted to do that, my mother (who’s paying for my education as I go to a private school) actually forbid me from doing that; having gone through that argument multiple times, I’d really rather not go through it again. In terms of my high school, I’m currently in the top 10% of my class; the average student takes no AP courses and few, if any, honors courses. Having taken 4 honors or AP every year (darn you, grad requirements!) I’m quite a bit above the norm at my school. I also checked with my guidance counselor, who said she’d still mark my schedule as “most challenging.” Also, she actually recommended me for the Spanish course (and real kicker is she’s married to the Honors Physics teacher).
@billcsho It’s due to a schedule conflict, but not the school’s fault; parental forcing of a study hall is the reason I couldn’t do it. Yes, it’s a terrible reason; no, I can’t fight it because my mother is currently paying my school’s tuition.
Why doesn’t your mother want you to take an extra course instead of a study hall?
@ucbalumnus To be honest, I have no idea, especially since she’s always encouraged me to push myself academically. She seems to think it’ll give me time to improve my time management skills, which I admit need work. However, the biggest problem I have is background noise, which study halls at my school unfortunately have a lot of; therefore, nothing productive gets done ~95% of the time.
Taking one fewer class means that you have more time to waste, so it seems odd for her to think that it will improve your time management skills.
@ucbalumnus I’ve tried explaining that to her countless times, but she just doesn’t listen. Any tips to try and convince her to let me take Physics (even if Honors Physics is overfilled and I have to switch down to general Physics instead)?
Stick with Spanish. You don’t need that 4th year if you are gonna push for a journalism major. Four years of a foreign language looks much better than a year of Physics. Question: Why would a journalism major be looking to attend Brown or Dartmouth?
Re: #8
You can try looking at the admission web sites of colleges you like to attend (and she would like you to attend) and find one that recommends both physics (or 4 years of science) and the 4th level of foreign language. Show such web sites to her.
Example: http://admissions.dartmouth.edu/facts-advice/application-advice/high-school-curriculum-tips
I’m a prospective science major, and I had to forgo physics in order to take IB chemistry and IB biology, and I’m going to Wellesley, so if there’s a reason I’m sure admissions won’t care. And if you were to take physics in college you’d start at the introductory level anyway.
I don’t know about college admissions, but from a practical perspective: you won’t miss Physics. I technically “took” Physics in Germany (as an exchange student), but didn’t really understand any of it… I don’t really count myself as having taken Physics. I was a JO major, I work in marketing… and it hasn’t come up! So you’re not missing much 
Given the fact that you are not looking for a STEM education, and you’ve already taken AP chem, I say go with Spanish. I had this dilemma last year (except I took AP bio instead of chem) and while I wasn’t interested in all the same colleges as you, I did get into two ivies and a bunch of other schools I would’ve been happy at.
While my own experience with admissions is anecdotal, the moral of the story is that they won’t toss you aside for lacking Physics! Continuity in a language is always good to see.
I’d probably say for a most selective school you need 4 years of everything-not the bare bones.