So I’m trying to figure out whether or not I should take Spanish 4 my junior year or replace it with an AP Class - My cumulative GPA is 4.03 and I really want to raise it but I know some colleges prefer(or encourage) candidates to have all 4 years of foreign language. Based on the colleges I have listed below, should I take Spanish 4?
College List:(10)
Johns Hopkins
University of Maryland-College Park
Georgetown
Carnegie Mellon University
Duke University
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
University of Florida
Lafayette University
George Washington University
Take Spanish 4. If you don’t take it, your transcript is going to read like you had foreign language for only 2 years in high school, which won’t look great for competitive schools
If the colleges asks for 4 years of a foreign language, then take Spanish 4. If they don’t, then it’s up to you. Most colleges list their suggested HS preparation on their admissions sites.
Look up the requirements/recommendations of every school on your list and every other school that you have in consideration. If any of them require/recommend 4 years of a foreign language then take Spanish 4. Meeting the required/recommended classes is more important than any slight bump that an additional AP will create to your GPA.
@VickiSoCal That depends on how the school structures its foreign language. At our HS many take a HS foreign language in 8th grade and the AP language classes in our district are level 5. Or some high schools just may not offer AP foreign language.
Note that many colleges have foreign language graduation requirements. Completing a higher level of Spanish in high school may allow you to place higher in college Spanish courses, which could allow you to complete the foreign language graduation requirement with fewer courses.
Or the HS offers Spanish 4 as an alternative to AP Spanish. Every school is different. Regardless, just because a school offers AP does not mean that a student needs to take them all.
Spanish 4. My friend’s son was a legacy for UVA and was given a phone call consultation with an admissions counselor. He dropped Spanish his senior year in favor of AP Psych and was told it was a mistake. They like to see foreign language all 4 years and said he would get no consideration for the AP Psych because they only count the core classes - math, science, English, History plus a foreign language. He was waitlisted.
Learning Spanish will help you in life, perhaps tremendously if you are in business, politics, or anything that has you interacting with the 50 million Spanish-speakers in the US or the hundreds of millions in Central or South America. AP Human Geography or the like is a laughable waste of time compared to cultivating that skill. High school and college is about far, far more than merely building a resume to move on to the next level–you are supposed to be learning what you need to know to compete in life. Besides, most selective schools are looking at your unweighted GPA anyway and aren’t worrying about that extra .5 or 1.0 in your GPA, they want to see A’s and they want to see rigor. A fourth year in a foreign language is far more impressive than an AP elective. If it is AP Calculus vs a fourth year in Spanish, you have a tougher choice.
What percentage of people in the US do you think will likely interact with the Spanish-speakers you mention? I think languages are great and am very supportive of them but I do not think they are as necessary as you indicate. Most kids that learn Spanish in the US cannot carry on a conversation and if you do not actively use a language, you will not keep those skills.
Depends where you live and what your career is, sure, but the world and its companies are increasingly international in scope and ownership. I see time after time people getting promotions and opportunities because they can interact with foreign customers, foreign vendors, or foreign owners. Being able to interact with foreign-language speakers is a big plus for entry-level jobs and can differentiate you from the other 147 applicants who have identical credentials but can only speak English. Most university-level educated persons in Europe and Latin America (and increasingly, Asia) can speak one or more languages in addition to their native one, we in the US are the only nation which neglects this skill. In today and tomorrow’s world, you are no longer competing just against the person from Iowa, but also against people from all over the world. So yeah, compared to that picture, AP Psychology is a pretty lousy course choice.
@ucbalumnus I was thinking of taking AP Environmental? I’m planning on being a Science/Engineering major.
Here’s my schedule for junior year: AP Bio, AP Lang, AP US, Alg2/Trig, Physics (Required), Pre-Calc, Forensic Science, PE (one semester required).
So, I’m already taking 3 AP’s but I’m trying to do as many as I can because in senior year I want to take AP Calc and I really need to make that first priority.
@BooBooBear I definitely think having language skills is a plus (and can help differentiate you) but for those lucky enough to speak English having another language is not nearly as important given that English is typically the common language spoken internationally.
I am from the US and lived overseas for 14 years and was lucky enough to travel to many countries but never really had any problem getting by in English. I am sure there are industries where language skills would become more important but once again, unfortunately languages taught in the US do not focus on speaking the language which I think should be a main focus.
People are willing to sell you in English or any language you speak. However when they buy from you they prefer your knowing their language and culture and you’re at a definite advantage knowing both as you may completely miss cues or misread a situation. It’s especially important if you’re working in logistics, import/export, or supply chain management.
AP environmental science is often looked at as a lightweight AP elective. It is rather likely that holistic admissions readers at highly selective colleges prefer to see Spanish 4 instead if you are choosing between those two (in addition to the advanced placement implications of taking Spanish to a higher level as noted in #8). If you really do want to take AP environmental science out of interest, why not keep Spanish 4 and drop forensic science instead?
If you want to major in science or engineering, be sure to take the highest math available to you, and all three of biology, chemistry, and physics (they do not necessarily have to be AP courses).