I’m choosing my classes for senior year and I was wondering if I should take Honors Spanish 4 or APES. I’m currently in Honors Spanish 3 and it’s a pretty class; my previous Spanish classes were pretty much joke classes. However, I’ve heard that Spanish 4 is much harder and that some teachers won’t speak English at all, so that’s why I’m thinking of taking APES. I want to major in Neuroscience in college, if that’s helpful in knowing. Does Honors Spanish 4 look better to colleges than APES?
Honors Spanish 3 is a pretty easy class* lol my bad
In general I’d say that Spanish 4 will be regarded as a more rigorous course than APES. Are you taking another science senior year?
You can also look at the common data set of the colleges you are considering applying to (google "common data set XYZ University) and check section C – see if the schools require/recommend 4 years of foreign language or if 3 is sufficient.
@happy1 thanks! I will be taking two other science classes senior year: human anatomy & physiology and brain & behavior
I would stick with Spanish 4. You’ve come this far, finish it out.
I would take Spanish 4. I am currently in APES right now and it is not really anything that you would need specifically for neuroscience. You would b better off taking the science classes you mentioned above^^.
Also, I took Spanish 4 last year, and though it is a bigger transition from 3 than it was from 2 to 3, just remember that like everyone is going through the same thing. Not everyone is gonna be automatically used to speaking strictly Spanish the whole class.
Also if u stick with Spanish, that shows continuation and colleges like that.
Do you have one each of biology, chemistry and physics already? Don’t know the level of selectivity of the schools you’re applying to, but the more selective expect to see these and one AP science. The science classes you’re signing up for are interesting electives but no college or university would expect you to have them, even if they’re related to your future major.
I would take the Spanish 4 and one of the three main sciences (if you haven’t had them all) and a science elective of your choice if there’s space in your schedule and you can handle the rigor. If you happen to be applying to an elite program, you should strongly consider an AP science in either biology, chemistry or physics …maybe biology to go with your interest in neuroscience.
@inthegarden I am currently taking AP Bio and I have taken Honors Chem and Physics. I’m thinking of applying to a few Ivies and T20s, and some safety and match schools, of course.
@dancer128 The only reason why I’m asking is because if Spanish 4 gets too hard I might switch into APES for the rigor and also because my favorite teacher is teaching it.
@amena555 Ohh I feel you. Do what you think is best bc after all it is senior year.
Lol I’m also conflicted on what to take butttt no one has responded to my thread
Depending on what college you actually attend, Spanish 4 may satisfy a graduation requirement FROM college that Spanish 3 won’t fulfill.
@Eeyore123 What are some colleges that do this?
For top 20 Unis, and a Neuro prospie, I’d recommend an AP Chem (first choice) or Physics over these two, and over APES. Also, Span 4.
@bluebayou AP Chem isn’t an option for me because it’s full year and it won’t fit in my schedule. As with AP Physics, I want to take physics in college since I fear that taking those in high school will drop my GPA…
@amena555, great, then you’re good to go. If I were you, I’d still take the Spanish if you’re serious about the T-20s. Three years of Spanish is considered the bare minimum for those schools and it’s always better to exceed the minimum.
You will almost certainly have a foreign language requirement in college, and the better your skills going in, the less you will have to repeat in college where the pace of FL classes goes much faster. Also, taking Spanish again means you won’t have a year to forget what you already learned, and so you’ll be in a better position to test out of some required college Spanish.
You can google “Common Data Set” with the names of schools you will be applying to. Section C of the common data sets of recent years will give your stats and other info of the last enrollled freshman classes at that school. Section C also contains a list of required and recommended number of courses to have completed in each subject during high school for applying to that school. For best chances of acceptance, assume that the recommended classes are what the school actually expects of applicants. Sure, they will make exceptions for applicants they REALLY want for whatever reason, but why take chances unless you have a very good reason not to.
@inthegarden Thanks! This is super helpful!
If you’re aiming for top 40 universities/LACs you need Spanish 4 + either AP chem or AP physics 1 (or2). Those would be considered core classes along with honors or AP English, calculus, and honors or AP history/social science.
The science classes youre talking about are electives and are both fun to add and relevant for your future major…but wouldn’t be core classes.
@MYOS1634 AP Chem isn’t an option for me and I’d rather take physics in college. Next year, I plan on taking AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP Comp Gov, HN Psych, and a dual enrollment English course, along with the science electives mentioned above.
Drop AP stats and don’t wait till college to take physics (if you’re intending a science major).Those physics classes are weedout even for kids who have a solid background in the subject so if all you had when taking the class is a 9th grade intro class you’ll be eaten alive.
If you’re aiming for business, humanities, social science, don’t worry about physics but keep in mind top schools expect the schedule I described above.
AP comp gov, dual enrollment English, AP calculus, and spanish4 would be considered strong core classes - not quite at the level of what a top25 university/LAC would expect but that’s make them big reaches and hopefully you have already thought of reasonable reaches, 3-5 targets, and 2 safeties that you’ve run the NPC on and know you can afford.