<p>Hello,
Before my school started, I was signed up for AP Spanish Language but now I wanted to switch into Research & Development Engineering (another elective at my school.) When I called my counsler about this, she said that I could not switch until the 1st 9 weeks of school. Recently, I got a call from the guidance director at my school saying that many colleges value 4+ language credits (I currently have 3 language credits) and therefore he will not let me switch out. I responded saying that engineering colleges see it differently. I know that colleges like MIT and CalTech see what you're passionate about and that is why I am writing this message.
The guidance director said that when you are a senior and the counslers start writing reccomendation forms, they will state wether you have taken the toughest classes available. He believes that taking AP Spanish Langugage will look much more impressive on my application and does not reccomend that I drop out of this class. However, R&D Engineering will give my an opputunity to get an internship at a Naval Research Base*. Also, this class will provide me equpiment which I can use to work on my science fair project. I am clearly more passionate about engineering and value it more than taking AP Spanish just because "everyone" says I should.
My question is, by not taking AP Spanish Lang, will my chances at getting accepted in MIT decrease significantly? I already have 3 language credits and could get 1 more next year by taking Spanish 4 but that is besides the point. Am I making a mistake by not taking AP Spanish even though I am not passionate about it? </p>
<p>My Current Stats:
Unweighted GPA: 4.0
SAT: haven't taken yet
APs: 10th-AP World History; 11th-AP US History, AP English Language, AP Computer Science (self study), AP Calculus BC (self study); </p>
<p>12th grade (planning to take) AP Gov, English Lit, AP Physics, Mulitvariable Calc (dont think its an AP) </p>
<p>ECs: Mainly Math related, plan on doing Science Olympiad this year as well. AutoCAD certified, going for Oracle SQL Certification. </p>
<p>Note: If you are a college rep, please reply via email <a href="mailto:argunda@hotmail.com">argunda@hotmail.com</a> but if anyone else would like to drop a comment, it would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I know a number of students who were accepted to MIT '09 (including my own son) who did not even have a 4th year of a foreign language, much less an AP 4th year.</p>
<p>Your R&D Engineering course will enable you to get an internship about which you are passionate?? I'd say GO FOR IT!</p>
<p>yep this is exactly how i feel but my guidance director says unless you prove it to me ... like with an email from the admisoins people, i wont accept your argument. sometimes things like this can be a real pain</p>
<p>The MIT admissions folks are quite helpful, but seriously, a guidance counselor requiring an email from a university admissions person in order to allow a schedule change? That's just nuts, and is not likely to happen for many colleges: not all admissions offices are as helpful as MIT's -- and imagine the extra time required for these folks to have to respond to queries like this from thousands of applicants! The GC can read the admissions websites the same way anyone else can. And their "control" over your schedule will not be able to guarantee admission to any particular college regardless of what they do.</p>
<p>Are HS students taking classes because they're passionate about the course material and interested, or because it'll look good to some college admissions office?</p>
<p>No need to answer. But for some admissions offices (hint hint, this might include MIT's), evidence of the former is strong support for the latter. I'm just sayin'....</p>
<p>Don't get too obsessed about individual pieces of your college app. Colleges like MIT make a decision based on the whole mosaic. My son (MIT '09) was admitted everywhere he applied with no foreign language at all. He didn't even have a whole lot of English. But he was extraordinary in other ways.</p>
<p>If you know that you are going to switch from the Spanish class to the engineering class, it does seem to make the most sense to do it immediately, not in 9 weeks. Would your parents be effective in interceding on your behalf?</p>
<p>What kind of school do you go to? Usually, in a situation like this, you should put the guidance counsler in her place. She is there to cousel you, not make your decisions. A lot of people who come to websites like this don't need the advice counselor's offer, when you could get advice from people like benjones.</p>
<p>OK, how about this: read the Common Data Set for MIT for the most recent year (04-05). In the section labeled "Distribution of high school units required and/or recommended", under "Foreign language", MIT lists 2 course units. Not 4, not even 3, but 2.</p>
<p>You should be fine. Send your GC the link to the Common Data Set in the email where you ask when and where the engineering class meets next week. ;)</p>
<p>Find that same section about "Distribution of high school units required and/or recommended" and you'll see a line for "Foreign language" in all of them. You can do this for any college: go to their website and search for "common data set", choose the most recent instance available, then look in the section about "First time, first year (freshman) admissions" for the details.</p>