<p>Okay, so I would like to attend UCLA after I graduate from high school, and the UCs say that you need 2 years of a foreign language, but 3 years are recommended. If I go for what is required rather than what is recommended, do you think I'll have a chance (considering I have a good GPA, dedicated to a few ECs, and will be taking/have taken a total of 6-8 AP courses with passing scores)? I'm going into my junior year, by the way.</p>
<p>I'd say take the recommended 3 years but that's totally up to your judgement. Just cause its a recommendation.</p>
<p>If you're taking 6-8 AP's next year then doubt it'll matter. Your transcript will show you're taking the most challenging courses already.</p>
<p>Since you still have two years left of school and plenty of opportunities to take at least another year of language, then you really should take it, barring some extreme scheduling conflict.</p>
<p>Yea, I'd really like to take 3, but I have some schedule conflicts. I pretty much have my senior year planned out... I want to have my senior year fun with having cheer, dance,and leadership as my classes, and my other 3 would be calculus BC, IB english, and AP economics... If I had to choose, I'd probably have to drop dance... ahh I guess whatever it takes. bleh. Thanks for the input.</p>
<p>If at all possible, try to do what's recommended versus just doing what's required. Almost everyone applying to UCLA will have great GPA, test scores and ECs.</p>
<p>UCLA requires one year of foriegn language as a GE requirement, so doing a third year won't matter, unless you can place out of it.</p>
<p>However, UC Berkeley and some of the other UCs will allow fulfillment of the foriegn language requirement GE with a third year of HS language unless your major specifically requires languages.</p>
<p>Basically do 3 years if you want to attend UCs besides LA, but I would do 2 years if I were only going to apply to UCLA.</p>
<p>Unless you're struggling in the language classes and you're worried about the grade, I would take a third year. I'm taking three years (I would take four but our school doesn't have a level of Spanish past what I'm taking -_-), and from what I've seen, spending time with a foreign language can be seen as very significant.</p>
<p>There are 2 decisions to consider: what you should do to get into ucla, and what you'll have to do once you get there to complete the language requirement. </p>
<p>To get into ucla, you can take two years of spanish, but you still need to fill your schedule with ap/honors semesters. Avg admitted freshman for 2006 has taken 20 semesters of ap/uc certified honors (jr year honors classes like precalc) So if ap science is more your thing and you can get a higher grade in it, do the two years of Spanish. Its unwise to fill up sr year with electives. You must be careful about your sr year schedule- you need 10-12 (10 is average) ap/honors semesters in sr year to be competitive. So if you only take 6... its a risk. They are looking for an upward trend in difficulty of courses.</p>
<p>RE: fulfilling the language requirement at UCLA: my d was advised by current students to stay in Spanish up to ap spanish and try to knock it out during h.s. unless you want to major in it. Why? because one year of ucla spanish IS NOT equal to one year at h.s. One UCLA Language quarter is something like half or 3/4 of a year of Spanish. Classes like UCLA Spanish 3 move quickly, meet every day, and are known for being tough on your gpa. Even if you don't take/pass the ap spanish test, the language placement test at ucla has the subjunctive on it-- so unless you've had more spanish than 2 years, you aren't going to test into level 4 at orientation, especially if its been 2 years since you had Spanish. You have to test into level 4 to be out of the degree requirement. </p>
<p>I guess it comes down to what would be best for you-- h.s. or college spanish? There are a few majors (Global Studies, Comp Lit, Poli Sci with Int'l Relations specialty, European Studies, Int'l Development) that require a language up to level 6 (a full two years of college classes) so if you are heading towards any of those, you might want to plan for that.</p>