My senior schedule is currently a mess. I’ve had to switch around several of my classes so that they will fit, and I have to make tough choices about dropping certain classes to keep others. Right now, I’m debating whether I should take Honors Latin 4 or AP Government and Politics. I can’t take both because they are only offered during the same period, so I need to choose. This would be my fourth year of Latin, which would of course look good on transcripts. But on the other hand, I could replace it with an AP class that is closely related to my major and I may get more out of. Which should I choose? Since I’m so torn, I’m basically going to make this decision based on which will look best on transcripts/applications.
Which one do you think you’d enjoy taking more?
Personally? I’d take Latin. It’s good to have 4 years of a foreign language.
Like @Hunt said, go with which one you like more.
Go for four years of Latin. Do you do Virgil in the 4th year? Opening line of the Aeneid: “Arma virumque cano…” (I sing of arms and the man…) It’s beautiful! Any chance you could satisfy or test out of the language requirement (even if you plan to take another language anyway?)
The only real advantage of AP Government is that your college might give you credit for it (might require a 4 or 5, depending on the school), which will only save you one course. Some schools don’t give AP credit or require you to take their own intro political science courses anyway.
Four years of the same language vs. an AP course? Not much difference WRT how it will look on your transcript.
AP Govt is a joke. AP Latin is pretty demanding.
One of my good friends had this exact struggle this year as well, and chose AP Gov. She was admitted to Harvard among other Ivies and their equivalents, and does not regret it.
Take the AP class showing you know WHY you want to major in something similar to Gov. This can help your rank, etc. and AP Gov is super easy apparently as well, so it’s a joke class that you can get a 5 on and credit for.
Honors Latin 4 if you are looking at the most selective colleges and want to prove your intellectual bona fides.
Government if you are trying to maximize AP credits for use as college credit once you enroll.
Highly selective colleges do distinguish between “core” APs in subjects like Calculus, English, foreign languages, the sciences and the “easy” (I have even heard them called “fake”) APs like Government.
Going against the popular opinion, I think you should take AP Gov, because of the possibility of earning credits and the fact that it’s relevant to your major. Colleges will like to see that you’ve taken an interest in your major.
But always go with your gut.
(To @GnocchiB - AP Gov’s considered an easy AP?? Everyone at my school says it’s second hardest to AP Euro.)