I am thinking of skipping a level in Chinese next year(currently a sophomore), going straight from level 3 to 5. The problem is, my school does not offer AP or anything beyond level 5. Does being ahead outweigh only taking Chinese for three years? My teacher approves, but my counselor said that some colleges may not like it. Also, it’s probably important to note that I am Chinese and can speak Mandarin fairly well(I’m taking the class mainly to improve my reading and writing).
I think it is fine especially if you finish the highest level offered by the school.
^ This. Colleges won’t penalize you for not being able to take a class your school doesn’t offer. If you want to, though, you could look into taking Chinese at a nearby community college or university, perhaps?
you have two issues:
1° skipping and completing level 5 in three years => what matters is reaching level 5. Taking an extra level at community college (would be 4th semester college Chinese) would meet even the most stringent college admission requirement for a world language.
2° Chinese is your native or heritage language and thus the class does not demonstrate your ability to master a foreign language. This would only matter for top colleges - where do you intend to apply?