<p>I have reached a dilemma. I am currently taking Honors Algebra 2 ( I am in grade 10), and am scheduled for Honors Math Analysis (Pre-calc) for next year. I also want to take AP Stat. I am very math inclined. However, my school has 8 periods in a day. This is what my future schedule will look like:</p>
<ol>
<li>Honors Math Analysis </li>
<li>AP Stat</li>
<li>Honors Physics</li>
<li>Honors Engineering and Design</li>
<li>AP English</li>
<li>AP US History</li>
<li>PE</li>
<li>Spanish 4</li>
</ol>
<p>However, I need to take an "arts" course in order to graduate. Should I drop Spanish 4 in order to do an arts course? Or should I take out lunch in my current 10th grade schedule in order to do an arts course and do another one senior year? I am applying to mostly engineering schools like Penn's engineering program and Cornell's, which only require 2-3 years of foreign language. I am utterly confused.</p>
<p>Well, you need the Pre-calc in order to take Calculus in your senior year. You can always take Statistics in college. Don’t drop Spanish 4—four years of a foreign language looks better than 2-3 years, even if a college only requires 2-3 years. Besides, you never know if you’ll stick with engineering once you get to college—lots of prospective engineering majors change their minds or get weeded out, especially at schools like Cornell, known for grade deflation. If you ever switch from engineering, you might need the Spanish to test out of a language requirement or to fulfill a language requirement. If you switched to certain fields, like economics, the school may prefer that you meet a statistics requirement with the department’s own stat course. An Arts course can be a very valuable part of your education (you do want to be well-rounded, don’t you?), especially if you don’t take any courses in that area in college. (Of course, how valuable it is depends on your particular high school—is it just a slacker course or is there some real content?). Alternatively, could you take an arts course in the summer, either at your high school, or at a community college?</p>