Is This a Bad Idea? - Scheduling Help!

<p>I need some scheduling advice for next year. I already submitted my schedule but I could easily change it if I have to.</p>

<p>Here's my schedule for next year (junior year):</p>

<p>Honors English
AP Biology
Honors Spanish 4
AP U.S. History
Visual Design/Basic Drawing
Honors Precalculus</p>

<p>I already bought the AP Art History textbook and plan to self-study that because my school doesn't offer the class. QUESTION: Would it be a bad idea if I dropped Honors Spanish 4 and had a free block so that I could work on AP Art History AND AP Government and Politics. No matter what, I'm self-studying AP Art History even if I don't drop Spanish. If I dropped Spanish, I'd add another class to self-study.</p>

<p>From what I've heard, there is no easy or staright-forward answer to this. I took Spanish 1 in 7th/8th grade, Spanish 2 in 9th, and just completed Spanish 3 in 10th. Spanish 4 is 11th and 5 is 12th. If I don't take Spanish next year, would I be considered having 2 or 3 years of a FL (does middle school count?). I'm dropping Spanish anyways senior year.</p>

<p>Thanks for the help! I really appreciate it!</p>

<p>From what I’ve seen, middle school doesn’t count. Plus if you finish Junior year with Spanish, your requirement for 2 years of language is fulfilled.</p>

<p>I’d take Spanish anyhow. And self-studying art history shouldn’t be that difficult if your diligent. </p>

<p>AP Gov and Politics might be a bit difficult since it has a lot of memorization. Unless your up for that, do it!</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>I’m in sort-of the same situation as you when it comes to FL. I took French 1 & 2 in middle school and then French 3 & 4 in HS. I don’t know how colleges will look at it, so yeah…but if your heart isn’t set on taking Spanish I would drop it and study AP Art History alongside AP U.S. Gov’t & Politics. From what I hear it’s not too hard of an AP (I’ll be self-studying it next year too). </p>

<p>Good luck! I hope things work out.</p>

<p>Thanks for the advice! I’m confused as to what you mean by “Plus if you finish Junior year with Spanish, your requirement for 2 years of language is fulfilled.” As it is now, I have completed two years of HS FL, 3 years if you count middle school. If I take Spanish next year, I will complete three years of HS FL, 4 if you count middle school. </p>

<p>Any other advice?</p>

<p>Ah, I guess I read wrong, then you don’t have to do any more FL unless you want to.</p>

<p>I think it depends on where you want to go to college. If you are thinking about ivies or ucs I would take spanish 4, most of those schools recommend it. However, if you think it will have a more negative effect on your gpa, then it would be better if you dropped it. I am confused by what you’re asking as far as the middle school language goes. It counts if that is what you are asking.</p>

<p>Yes, I am looking at Ivies and top-tier schools :confused: I’m not concerned about having a negative effect on my GPA, Spanish is really easy at my school. </p>

<p>When I say middle school language, I mean when colleges say they want three-four years of a language, do they want 3-4 years of HS exclusively or just 3-4 years altogether (which would include any middle school instruction). Sorry I wasn’t too clear :/</p>

<p>I can’t really say but I don’t think you should be taking a language unless you genuinely have an interest in it. It’d be a shame only to take it to impress Harvard.</p>

<p>O, they just want three or four years together:) Like I said previously, I strongly recommend you take it then, the people you will be competing with will have four to five years and it would put you at a disadvantage. If you really want to do both, try taking spanish four over the summer at your local community college. That way you have that fourth year plus time during the school year to focus on your other interests.</p>

<p>^^I agree, I’m not that interested in Spanish. The majority of people I know are only continuing with a FL for college. That’s it :/</p>

<p>^Is having one year less of a FL really that big of a deal. I can’t imagine not being accpeted to a college for that reason. I’ll look into the CC option though, thanks for the advice!</p>

<p>Also, I’ve never self-studied anything before. Does you GC comment on your transcript that you self-studied it?</p>

<p>I just checked the local CC and the highest Spanish offered is Spanish III. I read the course descption and I’ve already learned all that :confused: I’ll look around at another CC.</p>

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<p>It depends. Ask to look at your transcript. Some middle schools have classes that count as high school credits. For my school, it was Latin 1 & 2, 8th grade Band, Algebra 1, and Art. </p>

<p>So your Spanish may count if your school does it like mine does. But since I don’t much about your school, I can’t tell you. You’ll have to look yourself.</p>

<p>It’s not that you won’t be able to get into college with three years, it’s just for ivies you really want to be as competitive as you can. Everyone I know who is planning on applying to those schools has at least four years of an alternative language. Unless your other statistics (ex sat, act, ec)are higher than the average applicant to those schools, you need to do all that you can to be competitive. Everything those schools recommend should be considered requirements because just about every student who gets accepted/has a chance will have all of those(unless they have an advantage in a different category ex: they are famous, or about to go into professional sports…). That may sound hard to believe but if it’s just one more year and it’s an easy class, why not take it? I noticed you are taking an intro unweighted course, maybe you could replace it with that? Another alternative is to take the subject tests next year, since you are “dropping spanish anyway.” You could use that free period. I’m surprised that your community college doesn’t offer the class, but there are plenty of community colleges that do so I hope you are able to succeed with that, it seems like a favorable option. Best of luck:></p>

<p>^^Yeah, I just talked to guidance and they said Spanish 1 is mentioned on my transcript but I don’t think I get HS credit for it.</p>

<p>^Thank you! Yeah, you’re right. I’ll probably need all the help I can get and if taking one more year of this class means I’ll be more competitive with other applicants, I’d definetly consider taking the class.</p>

<p>No problem, and are you sure about that? At my school the years we took in middle school count for high school credit(as they should, there is no fairness in having taken a class equivalent to that offered at your high school and have someone else get credit for the equal amount of work you did just because they waited longer). I would look into that, but regardless, you already have the two years you need to graduate.</p>

<p>OK. Foreign languages are MUCH different then other subjects.</p>

<p>Foreign languages COUNT in middle school if you take the high school level. (IE: French I in 8th grade)-> The same goes for math (IE: Algebra I taken in 8th grade)-> However, History, English, and Science don’t.</p>

<p>So, Spanish 4, that does count. Dropping Spanish 4 wouldn’t be awful for you, because you would have the minimum credits to get into most schools.</p>

<p>Do you need the study period? If not… then just take Span. 4. =/</p>

<p>Just do Spanish 4 for Junior year…you sound like someone who can manage their time anyways.</p>

<p>Thanks you guys! I think I’ll take Spanish 4 just to be safe and self-study those two APs on my own time.</p>