<p>I'm a junior in high school right now and I'm taking 5 other AP classes next year (Econ, Stats, Calc BC, Physics C, Lit). I took a course at my local community college last summer and my guidance counselors put my grade as a little box on my transcript as equivalent to Spanish 3 and it doesn't count towards my GPA. </p>
<p>I'm looking into finance/actuarial/engineering for a career but I'm not sure yet. Dream schools are UC Berkeley, USC or something similar. Do I need Spanish 4 AP to be competitive?</p>
<p>To be competitive, no. To have as a life skill, yes. If there are non-AP options for the next level, that’s also fine.</p>
<p>If your GC will check off the “most rigorous courseload” box without you taking it, then don’t take it. It’ll just add stress to an already intensive year for you.</p>
<p>Can’t you take the next course at the community college this summer, which would correspond to Spanish AP, thus freeing a period? Check with your GC as to what they’d check on your transcript.</p>
<p>Some engineering schools do not even have foreign language credit requirement. So it may not be very useful other than some elective credits. With 5 AP courses in senior, it should be a very rigor (although not the most rigor) curriculum in any school.</p>
<p>Any GC that does not rate those 5 APs (3 core, 2 AP-lite) as “most rigorous” deserves to be beaten about the head with a stick. Rated most rigorous or not, most colleges will be sufficiently impressed to rate it most rigorous in their own minds.</p>
<p>^I agree with the “most rigorous” - it’ll be understood. However depending on the path OP wants, taking Spanish over the summer may be good.</p>
<p>My comment above is not from the perspective of a GC checking the box on the form. I am just commenting on the relative rigorous of curriculum. 5AP in senior year is probably in the “most rigor” category for GC, it is just not THE most rigor curriculum.</p>
<p>I’ve heard the class is really easy at my school so I’ve decided to take it. Also if I pass the AP test I’ll get college credit, so I might as well. If it is too much work I can just drop it. Thank you for your advice everyone</p>