Please chance my son

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi, I’ve noticed some students from top high schools are taking loads of AP classes that are not available to my son, even though his high school is the best in our area. Also, because of his interests in music and science, he dropped Spanish after freshman year, (Spanish 2) feeling he wasn’t good at languages. Currently, my son is a sophomore taking:
AP world history
American Literature
Chemistry
Band (symphonic wind ensemble and philharmonic orchestra)
Honors science research
Precalculus
On his own he’s studying AP psych and AP environmental science and will take the exams in a couple of weeks. No idea how that will turn out, though.

Next year he hopes to take:
British Literature (he’s not allowed to take AP Lit until senior year, school policy)
AP biology
AP computer science
AP Calculus ab
band (same as this year)
AP physics or science research independent study.

This summer will be taking civics, spanish 3 (first half only, per the school’s preferred online curriculum), and will be studying computer programming on his own. Also going to a music camp and visiting colleges.

for senior year he’s hoping to take AP chem, a dual enrollment college biology class, maybe a college philosophy class, AP calculus BC, AP English and band like above. He’s planning to do the second half of spanish three the summer after Junior year. Also hoping to still be doing science research in a lab with possible competitions or paper.

He has an unweighted GPA of 3.98, ACT composite of 34, SAT 1430 (700 math and 730 reading) as a sophomore. Is in quiz bowl, is trying out for drum major in marching band, does science olympiad. Does jazz band, is in a jazz combo, pit orchestra, lead trumpet for orchestra, etc. Thinking about organizing a jazz or brass quintet to play at local nursing homes.

I really don’t know what his chances are of getting into a top college (he wants to be a science researcher and loves U of Chicago, Reed, Cornell, Harvey Mudd, and a number of others), and whether or not he should go back to taking Spanish at his high school, as he is very light on languages. Thanks for any insights you might have.

2

Hello, parent of a student who has completed the application process. The GPA and test scores are a good start given that he is only a sophomore. For the ECs identify a few that he likes and focus on those. The music is a good start and if he is interested in science try to find research opportunities as soon as possible.

Colleges will usually understand class rigor in the context of the high school so a lack of APs should not be a hindrance if the school itself does not have many APs/restricts APs to upperclassmen.

For the top tier schools, foreign language is a must. Most of the top 25 schools will want an applicant to reach at least Level 4 in a language and your son should absolutely take Spanish and not stop after 1 year.

3

The colleges view America as multi-ethnic and “diverse” and the evidence that an applicant gets that viewpoint is reflected on their application by having language skill. Absent 3 - 4 years with a language, you are cooked.