I need help with my senior year schedule

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Hello everyone!

I am a rising senior and I just received my senior schedule. I need some help figuring out what to do, though.

Sophomore year I took; AP Euro (scored a 5) and three honors courses in english, precalc, and chemistry. (I wanted to take more APs but my school only has Euro for sophomores)

So junior year, I took four AP courses: Calc AB, Chem, USH, and English Lang. I’m expecting good results from these.

However, for senior year, I was banking on getting AP Gov, AP Psych, AP Calc BC, AP Lit and Honors Physics.
Unfortunately, I had a lot of scheduling conflicts this year so right now I’m signed up for Gov, Calc BC, Lit, and they put me in AP Spanish Language. No honors physics and no psych. :frowning:

I’m working on rearranging it but I don’t know what to do. I really, really don’t want to take AP Spanish. Although I am hispanic and have some native spanish speaking skills deep down (I was taught Spanish when I was young, but we stopped when I turned about 8) I am extremely nervous to take this class. I took Spanish I, II, and III throughout high school, but the teacher was very relaxed so I didn’t learn a lot these three years. Plus, when I speak spanish, I don’t know why, but I get extremely nervous and I just blank. I can understand almost everything I hear, it’s just I get myself so worried about spanish…it’s almost like I have an anxiety attack if I’m put on the spot to speak. I know it’s all in my head, and I know that I CAN speak it, I’ve done it, just sometimes I get nervous!

Okay, so if I drop the AP Spanish I can take intro to psych, but then that would leave me with only three AP courses and no honors. :confused: I wanted to take AP Stats online, but my counselor told me not to do that. She said colleges don’t want to see these online courses. She would rather I take the AP Spanish.

I’m like stuck here. The teacher for AP Spanish is really good and he’s known me for a long time. The other day he asked me if I was taking AP Spanish and i told him probably not. He almost begged me to take the class. He promises me that he will bring me up to speed and help me as much as I needed. My mom is a native speaker as well and she told me she would help me and possibly get me a tutor if needed. I just don’t know what to do. I took a look at a practice spanish exam and I was already overwhelmed. However, knowing that I have the support from my teacher and parents doesn’t make it seem as scary.

Any advice would be appreciated. I am applying to top caliber schools do I feel like taking three APs is hurting me compared to my junior year courseload.

Thank you in advance.

2

Oh, I also forgot to mention that I have literally taken every AP and honors course at my school. There are no other AP courses or honors I can take.

3

In which case, you should take AP Spanish. Top schools want to see completion of at least level three and, often ideally, level 4, of a foreign language. I think you’re overreacting on how challenging this course will be; for a heritage speaker, you’ll catch up quickly, plus you have resources available to help you.

The other issue which could potentially hurt you is lack of physics. Top colleges like to see at least one year of bio, chem, and physics.

4

Thank you for your reply. I have been placed in regular physics! Luckily I have been excelling in in science all of my time at my school (I want to be a chem major). I took honors bio, honors chem, and then AP Chem (praying for that five).

I"m talking with my scheduling person right now and it looks like I may be taking an AP course (Stats) online, making it a total of 5. So four in class, and one online. You definitely have me reconsidering the Spanish.

What do you think about that?

Or, what is your opinion if I dropped AP Spanish, but added AP Stats online?

5

Oh, OK. That was unclear. Then in terms of sciences, you’re all set.

Well, I think you’re better served taking Spanish over stats if the goal is to maximize your schedule for getting into top colleges, for reasons I’ve already stated. Additionally, as a prospective STEM major, IMO, you’d be better served taking stats in college. The material is slightly more advance and it is usually calculus-based. With your background/schedule, taking AP Stats just seems like taking a step backward.

6

AP stats should be easy if you’re taking BC. I also recommend taking AP Spanish, if nothing else you could get retro credits and free up your schedule later in college.

7

I have to disagree. I’m not sure why, with a native speaker parent and your background, sitting in class to learn to speak Spanish makes much sense. I can’t say what colleges would think of it but I have to doubt they are going to be all that impressed by a hispanic student taking AP Spanish. My daughter said all the best students in her AP Spanish class were the native speakers. No surprise there. I’d go with AP stats. Besides for a prospective STEM major, Stats is far more useful. You can always work on your Spanish skills with your mom.

8

Can you take AP Spanish AND AP Stats online? (And what are the rules about dropping an online class at your school?)

9

Okay everyone thanks for the responses! So I’ve been emailing back and forth and this is my proposed schedule hopefully!

AP Lit
AP Calc BC
AP Spanish Lang
AP Stats (online)
AP US Gov
Physics
Theology

Does this schedule seem okay? I am worried about AP Spanish but I think it will be okay. Does this seem like too much? Last year was extremely hard with 4, but that was also because I was taking really heavy content ones and AP Chem! I"m thinking since AP Gov is pretty easy, AP Stats shouldn’t be too bad, and I feel so excited for Calc BC (I have a super strong foundation in calc ab) that I will do well senior year.

Let me know what you think! :slight_smile:

10

That will be very challenging but yes I can’t think of a college who’d have a problem with this schedule; It’s definitely “most rigorous” and it shows you challenge yourself academically.

11

@MYOS1634 Thank you! I’m still rearranging some things on my schedule. Would it look bad if I took this schedule: AP Lit
AP Stats (online)
Intro to Psychology
AP Gov
Physics
Theology
AP Calc BC

12

Does not increasing the number of AP/honors I’m taking affect me? Im worried that staying at 4 APs is going to looked down upon.

13

So, no AP Spanish? it looks less rigorous, definitely, so… you’ve got a choice to make.

14

@MYOS1634 Okay, so I finally finalized my schedule for real now! Taking all things into consideration…
AP Lit
AP Stats (online)
AP Calc BC
AP Gov/econ
AP Spanish Lang
physics (regular unfortunately, but no way around it)
theology

I feel very relieved now that I’ve made my final decisions and have settled! It’s going to be a great senior year!

15

Also, on the common app, should I write somewhere how I was not able to take honors physics due to scheduling conflicts? It looks odd how I went from honors bio (9th), honors chem (10th), AP Chem (11th with a 5), to regular physics…

16

Nope. Let the GC handle it on the Secondary School Report if it’s necessary to mention (which IMO, it is not).

17

^Agree . excellent. schedule