<p>Would you advise a freshman to take 14 or 18 credits? It seems that if you take a science with a lab, that’s 6 credits to start so 2 more courses makes 14, 3 more 18 etc. Also, it wasn’t clear whether American sign language is offered as a foreign language alternative. My daughter took Spanish in hs and would probably place in Spanish 2 (?) which would mean that she would need to take two semesters more of it, right?
Thanks</p>
<p>18 definitely (= 4 1/2 classes, lab being 1/2). To graduate in 4 years you need to average 16 credits a term, so taking 3 1/2 classes only would put you behind and having to take more classes later. It will be a lot of work but there's really no good alternative.</p>
<p>Note--this is why many people feel lab should count as a full 4 credits. A lot of labs require as much or more work than a typical lecture class in any department. Spring bio lab does count for 4, rest are all 2.</p>
<p>3 semesters of foreign languages are required total, assuming you start from the beginning. They have placement tests but I think you can also place out by getting a good AP score (not so easy) or getting something like a 600 on the SAT II (really easy, shouldn't be such an easy way out of language).</p>
<p>Advanced chem labs (after orgo) are all worth a full class too. But I agree that all science labs should count for a full course. When I took physics that was my highest workload class.</p>
<p>i am going as a midyear in 2007. So basically, i have to take 4 classes a semester to graduation in 3.5 years??</p>
<p>You really have to take 4 classes a semester anyway, regardless of midyear status. Most people take at least 4 and sometimes 5. I don't know of anyone- Brandeis or otherwise- that only takes 3 classes a semester unless it's for an internship, and even that you can do over a summer.</p>
<p>You need to take 4 classes a semester to graduate in 4 years. If you want to graduate in 3 1/2 years you'd have to take 5 classes for 4 semesters and 4 classes for the other 3.</p>