<p>Hi, im an incoming freshman and I was told by my counselor that taking 4 years of the same language in high school is key to get into the top colleges. In middle school I took spanish 1 and spanish two, and im considering honors spanish 3 for my freshman year. The thing is I cant see myself taking AP spanish when im a junior, and I may want to switch out of spanish into chinese or something in my sophomore year so I have 3 and 3 of language credits. This way I can keep my options open just in case I would like to continue with spanish, as well as getting in some extra honors courses to my app. So the question I guess im trying to ask is whether to switch out now and get four years of a language, or stick it out with spanish? Thanks</p>
<p>I was in a similar predicament when I started high school. I’d been learning Spanish my entire academic career, even as an elementary student, at a private school. I orginally decided I would take Spanish I over the summer before freshman year and go into Spanish II as a freshman (my Spanish was taught rather pitifully). Then I decided I didn’t want to continue with Spanish, simply because I wanted something different. I’m now taking French II as a junior (no room for a language freshman year), and it’s refreshingly the opposite of Spanish. Ask yourself whether you’re learning a language “simply because”, for “practical reasons”, or because you genuinely enjoy it. Whichever reason is most important to you will be able to allow you to make a decision.
As far as college goes: yes, it is definitely an advantage to have taken four years of a language, as most good and great schools only require three years. (Do remember even once you enter college, you can begin learning an entirely different language.) Hope this was helpful!</p>
<p>Yea thanks it was! ill definitely think about it, but school starts in two days and I need to let my counselor know. Should I sign up for spanish and maybe switch out if I dont like it the first week? Thanks for the response</p>
<p>May I ask, why can’t you see yourself taking AP spanish?
If you can imagine yourself taking the Chinese class all four years, then go ahead and switch because that’s just more beneficial to you and it’ll probably be easier to continue with your self-motivation.
If you’re trying to get as many honors classes as possible then just go the route that has the most. For me, I am planning to take AP Spanish during junior year and Mandarin IB-SL during senior if I can get in with a lot of self-study 
So in total it’s 4 years of honors language.
I would tell you to wait it out for Spanish because I personally don’t think you can discover a lot in the first week but that’s all up to you. I was clueless my first week in Spanish, I was still trying to grasp the concept high-school the whole first month.</p>
<p>Whether you start with Spanish with the option of later switching is up to you. Do you enjoy learning Spanish? If you do, maybe you should “stick it out”, as you said, and give AP Spanish a shot. I have to agree with cookiestuf as to why you wouldn’t “see yourself” taking the class. If it’s because it’s AP, don’t be intimidated. You seem to have a good background in the language already, so I’d think you’d be fine. If you don’t mind my asking, what kind of grades did you receive in I and II? Were either of them Honors?</p>
<p>Four years of at least one language is ideal. Personally I don’t think upper level languages are that bad, I am taking Hebrew 6 this year and I have never struggled with the class. Pick a language that you will be happy taking for four years and will be OK with taking upper level classes in (even if you start a new language you will reach level 4 of that language).</p>