Hi, I’m a Junior next year and was wondering which would be best if I wanted to go into economics or engineering (not really decided)? The French 4 is a grade booster and everyone recommends it for college but I feel like learning computer science is important today. OR I should take both and drop lunch, albeit I already have other AP classes.
- AP English Language
- AP US History
- Honors Precalculus
- AP Physics 1
- AP Physics 1
- Gym
- Journalism
- AP Computer Science / French Level 4 <<<<<<<<
- Lunch or DROP LUNCH?
I know some colleges value liberal arts more so French would work, but I don’t know if I want to do engineering and take AP CS. Thank you!
Don’t drop lunch.
Without knowing what colleges you are targeting, it is hard to say. If none of your target colleges suggest 4 years of a foreign language, then you can drop French. If any require/suggest 4 years,then you shouldn’t drop it. Electives should not replace core courses. You can always push AP CS to senior year. Or take both AP CS and French and drop journalism.
I’m assuming AP Physics is a double block because of labs?
@skieurope I did it this year and it’s going well. The only problem is next year I’ll have another AP, with AP CS it would be four
Personally I would drop AP US history, and take both French and CS and keep lunch open.
Doesn’t really solve the problem. Whether AP or not, USH will be a graduation requirement, and the OP should not drop a core subject like history for an elective like CS
I would drop journalism. Take French and AP CSP.
@Groundwork2022 I was thinking about that but it’s for the school newspaper and I want to take it senior year as well
I’m just curious why AP Physics 1 (the equivalent a single semester of basic intro college physics) is taking up two class periods - how odd.
I posited my guess above. I don’t usually see in AP Physics 1, but it’s fairly common in AP Chem and AP Bio (and AP Physics C to a lesser extent) in order to fit in the labs.
I sorta assumed that was required. Not that many kids seem to sign up for gym as an elective. 
I’d take French and see if you can fit in Comp Sci senior year. There are too many colleges that would prefer to see four years of French. APUSH is, I think well worth taking and US History is usually required anyway. It’s also great prep for the SAT subject test, one kid got a 790 the other an 800 without any additional studying.
@yikesyikesyikes @skieurope Yeah, my school has 10 periods a week for AP Physics, Bio and Chem
@bouders Haha, gym is required
@collegeboundrxn1 There have been many threads on this, and my own opinion has changed. The main point is from post #1. What do your prospective colleges recommend or require? And this means ALL your prospective colleges and “recommended” should be taken as “required”. An easy way to find this out is on BigFuture, e.g. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-university-search/emory-university for Emory. Click “Applying/Academics & GPA” and then check the number of black or grey boxes for Foreign Language. In this example, four years “Recommended” means take French iV.
Note that because things change, secondary sources may not have the most up-to-date info. It’s a good first step, but should always be verified with the college’s admissions site. Even the college’s most recent Common Data Set may have outdated info.
I’d take the 4th year of french. Some colleges like to see 4 years of a language. Also it may be possible to waive the foreign language requirement once in college if you have 4 years already (at some schools). Do they have AP French? If so that would be even better to take since having college credit increases the number of colleges that will waive the foreign language requirement once in college.