I’m a sophomore in high school and in picking my classes for next year I’ve realized i only really have one elective space (my other elective is for a sport, which I can talk to my coach about not taking but I don’t want to do that unless it’s really necessary) I’ve taken Spanish for two years now fulfilling the requirement for all my prospective colleges. But I heard it’s recommended to take at least 3 years of the same foreign language, however in place on Spanish 3 I want to take either ap bio or psychology. I also want to take my 4th year science my junior year so I don’t need it my senior year.
So my question basically is, is Spanish 3 so important I should take in place of another AP class
It does depend on colleges to which you want to apply. Moreover, you have to look at two issues at each college. One is the language requirement for admission. Many require only two years but many of your higher ranks want 3 or even 4. Moreover some of those that require only two may specifically recommend three and thus having three is better for your application and chances of admisison. The second issue is the language requirement at the college level. Colleges typically have some language requirement you have to take once you are in the college. However, some of those waive all or part of that college level requirement based on total completed years of one language in high school, e.g., UIUC requires only two years of language to apply and be admitted, but if you complete four years of one language in high school, you do not have to take the four semesters of college level language required for LAS majors. In other words, taking more language in high school may help you avoid taking it in college,
Concur with #2 that colleges may have foreign language graduation requirements that are higher than their admission requirements. Reaching a higher level in high school may allow completing the graduation requirement with fewer courses needed in college, because you can start in a higher level than the beginner one.
Your guidance counselor would be the best one to ask. I think the advice above is good though. If you are not primarily interested in science/engineering schools, schools tend to require or recommend more than two years of language. You can find this info on admissions website and common data sets for schools. Schools sometimes require 3 years, and, at one school my D considered 4 years was required or recommended, I believe. It is also true that many schools with a liberal arts approach (including national universities) will require 4 years of high school language or completion of the 4th semester of a language at the university, so you might have to come back to it.
If you are interested in science (sounds like not), maybe the AP Bio would be worth it. It might be a better tradeoff though to take Spanish instead of AP Psych and then have more opportunities in college to take more interesting psych classes. But you might really be curious about psych now, and that’s fine. Best in the long run to take what inspires you. Hard work and motivation are really what schools love.
Tip for college (and high school): Prioritize the best professors over the best classes. Obviously there will be required and necessary classes, but when you have a choice, go for the best professor. They will make even seemingly less interesting topics great learning experiences. Taking even a compelling subject with a boring, disengaged professor is likely to feel like a waste of time. Good luck and remember that high school is not pre-college. Enjoy it as high school.