<p>DD is a junior and is at the top of her class but is having a language problem. Has a very demanding academic schedule and puts in a stupid amount of time to sports (don't get me started). She wants to either drop back to a non-honors level of the language that she is currently taking and therefore complete the same language sequence through 11th grade, or start a new (and interesting to her) very different language which the school is now offering. That however, would mean that she would take 3 AP courses next year, not 4. Help!!! For those of you who have been there before, what to do? Don't want to shut doors for her....</p>
<p>Not a big deal/make or break issue. I’d let her do what she wants.</p>
<p>I agree with atomom. My son started out in Latin IV and Spanish V this year. He was so stressed out with school, sports, and college apps that we talked to the Spanish teacher and she suggested that he audit her class. It’s working out great! It would have been more “logical” for him to drop Latin, but he loves it so much that he completed three years worth of it this past calendar year, so we hated to let it go. This way, he can still take the AP Spanish test if he would like to.</p>
<p>MTA: He likes Latin so much that he convinced his younger brother, a freshman, to take it instead of Spanish! Younger brother is not as much of a scholar, but he enjoys Latin a lot, also. They get the biggest kick out of seeing how many English words are derived from it! They’re always telling me their Latin vocab words.</p>
<p>I think either choice would be all right. She should make sure she has at least three full years of one of the languages and be aware a handful of schools would prefer four. Many schools are fine with just two though.</p>
<p>Does taking a language through the end of sophomore year count? (level 1= 7th and 8th grades) Or does 3rd year mean through the end of junior year? Thanks!</p>
<p>And does not taking an honors level of a foreign language after successfully completing it the year before look really bad?</p>
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<p>It is the level, not the number of years in HS that matters. So, do I understand correctly that she took 1 yr in middle school and has taken levels 2 & 3 in fr & soph years of HS? If so, and if she is planning on applying to some of the very selective colleges, I would recommend that she stick with her current FL (honors or not) and complete through level 4 rather than starting a new FL and ending up with 3 years of one and 2 of another. While recommended, not required, some of the top schools want to see kids finishing 4 years of a single language; because they want them to be competent at one language rather than having a smattering of several. It would also benefit her as far as the APs sr year.</p>
<p>^^ I concur. The OP originally posted her query on the Yale board. Is your D targeting Yale and other highly selective schools, OP? Highly selective schools want applicants to complete their high school’s sequence in a single language. AP is great, but not everyone excels at foreign languages, and regular “Level 4” is preferable to bailing.</p>
<p>Thanks so much to all of you. Yes, DD took her foreign language class beginning in 7th grade, and is currently in 11th. I think that she wants to try her hand at very selective colleges which is why I am concerned. She does excel at language and has always liked it, but is feeling overwhelmed by her current course load and sports, and feels that this is the one course that she can drop back in. She did do very well in the honors level of the course last year-- afraid that this will look odd to drop back. Don’t want to add to her pressure, but don’t want to let her do something that she will regret.</p>
<p>On the one hand, I agree 100% with entomom and wjb. Philosophically, it is the right answer, and I think that is what most elite-college admissions people would say, too.</p>
<p>On the other hand, there seems to be lots of evidence that the four-years-of-one-language preference is an ideal, not something that actually influences admissions decisions. “I always wanted to take Classical Akkadian, but my school didn’t offer it until I was a junior. I can’t wait to continue my Akkadian studies in college, and maybe pick up some Sumerian as well.” – my instinct is that that explanation would be completely effective to remove any lingering taint from switching languages.</p>
<p>As for switching to non-Honors (and non-AP): If your child’s high school is like my children’s high school, non-honors language classes are less productive educationally than sitting alone and staring into space. (You can actually have ideas sitting alone and staring into space.) If that’s the case, and the admissions people know it, or think it, then yes dropping into a non-honors class could (and should) hurt her to some extent. I doubt it would be enough to make the ultimate difference either way.</p>
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<p>That’s one of the funniest observations I’ve read on CC!</p>
<p>Happen to agree that non-honor language may be very easy (and that really is a classic line, JHS), but not sure what her other options are, besides the obvious one of staying in honors language, and she is finding it (or her life) too hard. She puts a lot of pressure on herself.</p>
<p>Heck, our HS doesn’t even have honors FL, only regular and then AP.</p>
<p>I agree with those that said 4 years of the same language for the tippy top schools .
Also, if she downgrades to non-honor at this point: 1) will it show on her transcript? 2) will the GC still be able to check “the most rigorous” workload?
It is unfortuante that to be competitive for some schools you have to navigate like this :(</p>
<p>Yes, the language course being non-honors will show on her transcript, I believe, as will her having taken honors language the year before (and done well)- I know that this is not ideal. I also believe that the guidance counselor will be able to say that she has had the most rigorous workload. I hate having to think like this, too, but am trying to advise her, and I don’t feel very qualified to do it!</p>
<p>atomom is right! no big deal–also depends on academic direction she is leaning towards–language more important for humanities major than for sciences.</p>