I am going into my junior year and I was just notified by my guidance counselor that I have an unfixable conflict between 3 classes on my schedule: Latin III, Honors American Literature and AP US History. Because of this, I am forced to either completely drop my language after only 2 years of it, drop from the honors level in English (even though i should be in AP), or drop from the AP to honors level in history. I plan on majoring in biology or chemistry, so I am just curious as to how this will affect my college application and which of these routes I should take. Also, as a reference point, I am already enrolled in AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, and AP Seminar for next school year.
Have your guidance counselor explain this in the letter. Colleges understand that high school students cannot control the final schedules.
If you “should be in AP” English (presumably language), can you switch into that course?
Also, have you had all three of biology, chemistry, and physics already? High school courses in these subjects are often assumed prerequisites for college courses in these subjects.
I already gave a shot at requesting to switch into AP because the teacher that recommended me for honors left the school, but I was rejected due to a limit on class size. And yes, I have taken Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry already and will be taking honors physics in senior year, along with AP chemistry.
Would you be able to make your schedule work if you swapped in physics or AP chemistry this year and deferred AP biology to senior year?
Or replaced AP seminar with a different academic elective?
well the conflict is only between the classes aforementioned so changing something else wouldn’t affect it. also, I am required to take AP seminar for a scholars program at my school.
Keep Latin. Keep honors English and drop to honors history. Then if you really feel the need for AP credit talk to the AP history or lit teacher and see what extra you’d need to do to take the AP Test.
I agree with qialah…as you are not going to major in History, it will be more important to be in Honors English as regular English will be way beneath you if you think you should be in AP English. Having a 3rd year of a foreign language is often required/highly recommended for some colleges.
Agree with the above posters. Keep Latin since many colleges highly recommend at least 3 years of a foreign language. Drop to honors History if you aren’t planning on studying it in college. English will be more useful for whatever you study. Have your guidance counselor make a note in your file about the reason for dropping down.
Look into self-studying for the AP test if you think it’s doable. Another option would be seeing if there is a way to independently study history and still get high school credit. Some schools are flexible and will let you receive a grade in the class without having to physically be present (i.e. pick up the work and turn it in, take tests at lunch/after school in the teacher’s room, etc.). It depends how much the teacher likes you and how willing they are to take on some extra work (as well as how nice the administration is). Usually it’s done for kids who have completed all levels offered but maybe there could be an exception. It’s a long shot.
Yeah, I already gave a shot at that, but I was rejected.
Thank you everyone for help, this is a very frustrating situation, especially since there are 7 other students in my grade with the same issue (out of 210 total).
Disagree. As a likely stem major with a legit schedule conflict, drop Latin and see if you can pick it up senior year or do a special independent study or indep reading with the teacher. (Even if for no credit, so you can mention it on the app.)
It can be good when a stem kid stays rigorous with the other cores. Try not to end up with both English and history at the honors level.
Is it worse to have a downgraded (but not the lowest tier) history course or a missing level 3 of foreign language in terms of staying rigorous with the high school core courses?
Taking a year off foreign language, particularly one that is less available for informal practice (e.g. Spanish with heritage Spanish speakers among your classmates), may not produce good results after picking it back up later.
Ucb, you know I usually advocate staying with language, but this is a legit conflict in what sounds like a small school. OP isn’t manufacturing it to fit in an umpteenth unneeded AP.
OP may be able to pick up Latin again in 12th. As head of the Latin club, I’m guessing it’s both an interest and a skill. And in a case like this, where he/she is motivated, he can keep the skills current enough. There is also the opp to take online Latin this year. He’s also top of his class, should keep the i’s dotted as best he can.
In contrast, dropping down in history, even studying for the AP exam and doing well, isn’t the same picture.
Bigger issue is how he presents as a stem major. I didn’t see any math-sci activities on the chances thread, aside from sci fair and an enviro club, I think.
Anyway, just my thoughts. The school should be wiling to work with him, he needs to chat more with the GC.
I decided to drop to honors history, mainly because history is my least favorite and worst subject. I took AP European History last year and was not interested in it and I subsequently performed rather poorly, so I think this was the best course of action for me.
And I disagree with this. If Latin were conflicting with an advanced STEM class, or if we were talking about Latin IV instead of Latin III, I might agree. But in this case, I’m with @ucbalumnus for the reasons mentioned.