<p>As a slight disclaimer, I want to start by saying that I realize that the goal of school, particularly high school, is to become an educated person and build the basis for future education. Ideally, it should have nothing to do with college admissions or cramming in as many advanced classes as possible, or anything besides just learning. However, as someone who has a clear vision of the future, I know that the classes that I take next year play a role in my competitiveness for colleges, especially as I plan to apply early decision to Wellesley.</p>
<p>With that being said, I would appreciate input from anyone who reads this on which senior year schedule you would view as most competitive and beneficial. I am very interested in majoring in International Relations or Middle Eastern Studies, and I am a competitive national circuit debater. I am very well read about foreign policy, and that is where my passion lies. I am REALLY reluctant to take a fourth year of Latin because I have very little interest in it, and I am tired of just memorizing everything to do well on tests with little actual comprehension. There are 2 options for next year:</p>
<p>Plan A
AP English Literature
Gym
AP Statistics
AP Psychology
Honors Physics
Independent Study: Terrorism
Honors Latin V</p>
<p>Plan B
AP English Literature
Gym
AP Statistics
AP Psychology
Honors Physics
Independent Study: Terrorism
Virtual High School: AP Government (US and Comparative)</p>
<p>What do you think is the most beneficial schedule for my senior year? Any help would be great, thanks!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Stick with Latin. It's a useless language, but a language nonetheless.
[/quote]
Are you kidding? Latin is wicked useful. You can piece together what an English word is based on Latin roots. Like a detective. A detective...of Latin roots.</p>
<p>Going with plan 1 and self-studying Gov is quite feasible- very few colleges seem to take Comparative Government, but as a person into IR you probably know a lot about that already; additionally, US Gov is easy with forensics experience (I do Student Congress, and that made it a whole lot easier). If you just pick the one you like better and do it yourself, you get the benefits of both schedules.</p>
<p>No offense, but that schedule does not look all that rigorous. A competitive schedule in my opinion is having around 4-5 AP's. One person in my school is in AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP English Language, AP Spanish, and AP Psychology. He has all A's in them. He got admitted EA to Brown.</p>
<p>Personally, I'm in AP Chemistry, AP Literature, AP Biology, Advanced Precalculus, and Advanced C++. This schedule isn't that tough either, but it's tough on me because I'm notoriously known to be the best procrastinator in many of my classes. If you actually pace yourself and stay on top of your schedule, it is entirely manageable to have even 6 AP's and a nice social life. Good luck!</p>
<p>I agree the APs are kinda problematic- stat and psych really aren't as solid as a lab science AP or a calc AP, and English is less influential since there's a low degree of standardization. However, it all depends on what other kids at your school do- if almost all kids don't have 3 APs, you should be fine.</p>
<p>Don't you have enough Latin right now to take the AP exam?</p>
<p>Do you have to take gym?</p>
<p>Given where your interests lie, I would recommend plan B. You already have 4 years of a foreign language. I don't see what a 5th would add to the strength of your application, unless you were a prospective Classics major (in which case you wouldn't be asking us this, right?) A couple AP courses, relevant to what you are interested in doing and for which you even go beyond your high school to get, would be more impressive to me if I were an ad comm.</p>
<p>It also seems like it would be more enjoyable to you and I think you would be happier at a college that would accept you the way you are.</p>
<p>In addition to my previous post, I would recommend actually taking AP government as a class; it would look more impressive, and I would also recommend replacing Honors Physics with an AP science class such as biology, chemistry, or even physics. Your gym class is a complete waste in my opinion; I would rather take another AP, or even a study hall, because gym your senior year is pretty worthless, and frowned upon, in my opinion. I could've taken a schedule similar to your's, but I regret my schedule even now; If I could rechoose my senior schedule, it would be:
Advanced Precalculus
Spanish III
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Literature
AP Psychology
AP World History
Once again, good luck</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your feedback. To reply to some, I am taking AP Bio this year, and have taken Honors Bio and Chem previously. I need to take Physics to get that third science in. I also can honestly say that I know very little Latin even after 6 years of study, so I would be less than qualified to take the AP exam, at least in feeling good about it. Gym is a requirement for graduation at my school, and it needs to be taken all 4 years, much to my deep chagrin. However, would not taking a 4th year of a high school language put me at a disadvantage compared to most applicants who have taken 4? Latin is by far my lowest grade this year, I'll probably get a B for the year. I really dont enjoy it, but i'll do whatever it takes to get into the schools I want to.</p>
<p>If I were you I would've taken AP biology, AP chemistry, AP physics, AP statistics, AP government, Latin 4, and gym. That schedule would blow away many applicants, and you would've been seriously reconsidered on all of your apps. However the past is past, so just concentrate on bringing your grades up; that's all we seniors can do now.</p>
<p>Edit: Having even 2 years wouldn't hurt you; that's the minimum.</p>
<p>
[quote]
However, would not taking a 4th year of a high school language put me at a disadvantage compared to most applicants who have taken 4?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The way I see it you've had four years of a high school language. You just had one year of it in middle school. To my mind, it is like students who take algebra 1 and even later math courses in middle school. Will colleges consider them not to have taken these required math courses because they weren't taken in high school itself?</p>
<p>Not trying to be argumentative ... it is your decision, of course.</p>
<p>I'd skip the Latin. The only two foreign language classes my school offers are Spanish I and Spanish II. (Enough to satisfy the requirements of the local community colleges.)</p>
<p>Could you take Latin AND Gov't and take PE by correspondence or during summer school? Although who am I to talk, my senior schedule only had 5 classes and PE (by correspondence!)</p>
<p>If my school only offered german up to german II and i got A's both years, will i penalized? I mean, the only other way i couldve taken four years is dual enrollment, and im a junior, so i dont know if that third year of a language would be worth dual enrollment in a local college.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If I were you I would've taken AP biology, AP chemistry, AP physics, AP statistics, AP government, Latin 4, and gym. That schedule would blow away many applicants, and you would've been seriously reconsidered on all of your apps.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That doesn't really help, although I hope I made it clear that I'm interested in history and social sciences more than lab sciences, but okay. I would still appreciate feedback or ideas, thanks!</p>
<p>Take gym through correspondance this summer and get it out of the way. I took beginning rope jumping (total joke) the summer after junior year just so I could have time for classes I really wanted. Look into North Dakota Division of Independent Study. The website is <a href="http://www.NDISonline.org%5B/url%5D">www.NDISonline.org</a>. You may have to pay $150 or so but it is well worth the money. Also it is a really really easy class to sort of fake your way through (that is if you don't feel too guilty about it).</p>
<p>Also people on this thread must realize that not all high schools offer such a varied load of AP classes. My high school only offers AP U.S. History, AP Literature, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics. The last two were only added this year. So even though I wanted a harder senior schedule it was impossible. Therefore it is a little pointless to suggest AP classes that the original poster has not even mentioned as they may not be offered at his/her high school.</p>
<p>For impressiveness and difficulty I would stick with Latin. But if you really hate it than don't bother. I strongly disliked Spanish and only took two years worth. It didn't really hurt my college applications as I got into everywhere I applied. Good luck with whatever you decide.</p>