So my counselors are all in agreement that a 4th year of Spanish is crucial for colleges that I am applying to (USC, UCLA, etc.) However, I want to switch out my Spanish IV class for a second performance arts class instead (we dont have too many other elective classes) Will colleges look down on this, despite maxing out the amount of AP classes my school allows me to take (4)? On other online resources, it does not seem like more than the recommended amount of years for a foreign language is too important in the admissions process.
You may want to check if the colleges have foreign language graduation requirements. If they do, reaching a higher level in high school may allow fulfilling such requirements with fewer college courses, since you can start at a higher level in college foreign language courses.
Each college is different in their requirements. You should look at each college’s common data set and find their requirements, which will tell you how many years of each core subject they want to see.
While I agree with the advice you’re hearing, I would suggest looking at this from a different perspective: Is performance arts an important part of your application? If you are applying to these SoCal schools with the goal of getting into theater or entertainment or the arts then that class experience is more relevant. You could do something outside of school that is Spanish-related to beef up that part of your application. If your school has a Spanish Honors Society chapter that you got into then work on that. A service project in a Latino community is one idea.
I would follow the advice of your guidance counselors, especially if you live in CA and they have had extensive experience with students applying to those colleges.