<p>Ok, so here's the situation. I'm a junior, and the year is almost over. We're signing up for classes for next year soon. This is what I have so far:</p>
<p>AP Calculus BC
AP Statistics
AP Macro and Micro Econ.
AP Literature
AP Gov't
Honors Physics</p>
<hr>
<p>Notice the blank? Well, that's where I'm stuck. You see, I want to go to a top college (and by top I mean Ivy caliber). Whether or not I can get in isn't what I'm worried about. I just need to pick a class to fill the void in my schedule, and that's why I'm here for your help! </p>
<p>Possible Choices:</p>
<p>Spanish IV - One of my choices is the fourth year of Spanish. I've taken 3 years already. Now, many of the schools I'm interested in "recommend" 4 years of 1 language. Although, I'm not sure how important that is. Any insight? By the way, I very much dislike Spanish. ''</p>
<p>Honors International Relations - This is my alternative to Spanish IV. It's a full year course, and perhaps more importantly, a course that I would thoroughly enjoy. I love things like Model UN, and am very interested in IR. In fact, I might decide to eventually double major in IR and Finance, or something along those lines. </p>
<p>So, the question is, which one do I pick? Should I go with Spanish and get a full 4 years of language, or go with IR, a class that I would actually like? </p>
<p>Thanks a lot for your help! </p>
<p>P.S. - I don't know if this makes any difference, but I am fluent in Albanian!</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply kps2014. I have plans of applying to some top-notch schools, such as Princeton. I recently received a publication from them, and one of the things they mentioned is their “recommended” courses in high school. 4 years of one language was listed as one of the “recommendations”. Is this something to worry about?</p>
<p>Also, someone told me that in these circumstances, being fluent in another language voids this requirement of 4 years of language, but I am unsure of the validity of that statement.</p>
<p>I honestly don’t know… I have learned from information sessions that if you are unsure about something as specific as that to simply call/email an admissions counselor. He/She will be able to give you the most honest and helpful answer.</p>
<p>Foreign language is almost a core class for elite college admissions. If your only consideration is which one will maximize your chances of admission to Princeton and other similar schools, the 4th year of language will probably help you more than the IR class. If you dislike Spanish that much, though, it is ultimately your decision. The 4th language would probably only be a small boost at best, and Princeton would be a crapshoot even with seven years of foreign language.</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply Kudryavka. See, my problem is that I truly enjoy IR, and I truly don’t enjoy Spanish. I want to maximize my chances of getting in, but at the same time I want to take a class that can teach me things I actually want to learn. And plus, it’s not like IR is just a space filler. It’s an honors course that is fairly rigorous. Do you think it’s a good idea to contact an Admissions officer at Princeton and get their take on it?</p>
<p>It’s not that they think Honors IR isn’t a rigorous course; it’s just there are a LOT of kids who go through the same thought process as you, dropping language courses just because they’re not fun or because they think they’ll do poorly in the class. Just hang around CC for a few days and you’ll see plenty of other people asking about whether they <em>really</em> need to keep taking languages. The truth is, no, dropping the language courses isn’t likely to make or break your application, but at the same time, because there are so many people who dislike high school language courses and don’t finish out the full sequence, those who do persevere look better by comparison.</p>
<p>So weigh your options. How much do you dislike Spanish, how enthusiastic are you about IR, how likely do you think you are to do well in Spanish if you do take it, and how desperately do you want to maximize any chance you can to get into Princeton? You’re the only one that can answer that. No one at Princeton is going to be able to tell you anything about your situation. They might tell you “We recommend 4 years of foreign language” (or they might not, I don’t even know what their official recommendation is), but they won’t give you a hard yes or no because their admissions are holistic. Heck, if you could tie that IR course into your essays/ECs and make it seem like you were really passionate about the course, it could even end up helping you more than the foreign language course.</p>