<p>I am a freshman in Spanish 3. I am always looking for ways to stand out, and I discovered an opportunity that would let me take AP Spanish next year (sophomore). I would self-study the material for Spanish 4 (going through the textbook, reading a novel and writing an essay about it, workbooks, etc.) and then gain entrance into the AP class. So, is this a good idea? Would I learn more taking the Spanish 4 class (I hear that year is pretty critical)? Also, I take this track into consideration because of my GPA. What would you say is better: a 4.63 (4 weighted classes) and 5.0 (all weighted classes) or 4.83 (5 weighted classes) and a 4.83 (same)? This would simulate the projected GPA of my soph. and jun. years if I did not or did take AP Span soph. year (oops, it makes more sense if I say did or did not. oh well) Unfortunately, the language courses at my school are not honors, until you reach AP. You can see that AP Span. jun. year would give me all honors/AP (at my school, it's pretty much impossible to have all honors/AP because of the basic requirements needed to graduate). If I took AP Span. soph. year, I would try to take French junior and senior year (hopefully AP by senior year). Overall, my Cum. GPA could be slightly better if I take AP sophomore year. But isn't this just a petty concern? I am probably taking this way out of proportion, but I need to decide by the end of this week.</p>
<p>I really want to study more languages (German, French, Greek). I would study these languages whether or not I have more room in school to take at least one of them (like Junior and Senior year French). Would a college care if you have received formal credit for the languages you know? Most require at least 3 years, and I want to go to Princeton or MIT. How would I tell them about the languages I've studied if they are not formally documented on, say, a transcript, for instance? And if I never do take a formal language course at school after Spanish, this would open up more room to take more advanced math and science courses at my nearest university.</p>
<p>So many things to think about!!!!!! I would appreciate any insight or advice. Please try to answer many, if not all, of my questions. Sorry if my paragraphs are too bulky</p>
<p>The only downside I can see is that most colleges require or at least recommend at least 3 courses in the same foreign language and I don;t know how self studying for spanish 4 could affect that...</p>
<p>i think they look at the level of language, not necessarily the number of years u take it. although it would not be advisable for me to stop doing spanish just because i am already in span. 3.</p>
<p>As someone who did not skip Spanish 4, with the opportunity, I encourage you to move on to AP. At my school, Spanish 4 classes are filled with students who can hardly put together a Spanish sentence. I would just make sure that your speaking is as good as your writing, and review a lot over the summer so when the new school year starts, you haven't forgotten it all.</p>
<p>I take latin, but my school basically puts anyone who's good at spanish 3 (honors or otherwise) straight to AP (one of its only good decisions) and people do well. </p>
<p>spanish 4 at my school is mostly culture for people who accelerated but still are bad at it :)</p>
<p>what about the GPA questions? do you think that it matters a whole lot if I have two years of 5/6 honors and AP (soph. and jun. years) or 1 year of 4/6 and a second year 6/6 (soph. jun. respectively)?</p>
<p>Skipping is possible, but it's basically impossible to self practice the listening/speaking components of spanish unless a teacher lent you a CD with audio exercises and you knew someone who's fluent and could help. At my school, they don't allow people to skip spanish 4 unless they will be seniors taking AP.</p>
<p>I'm in French (but the structure would be the same), and at my school French 4 and AP French are the same class. I really don't even remember who's 4 and who's AP anymore. The learning gap between the two is neglibile, so I can't imagine it would be that difficult to skip Spanish 4.</p>
<p>I took one semester of Spanish four as a sophomore, then dropped out to independently study the AP test. I got a 4 and am now taking a college Spanish class as a junior, so it is definitely doable. </p>
<p>Some things I already knew that allowed me to skip:
* I knew all uses of the present and past subjunctive and used them pretty regularly in speaking (I also knew all other tenses)
* I could read young adult novels (like Harry Potter) in Spanish without using a dictionary or anything else
* I could carry on a conversation about pretty much anything with relatively simple vocabulary
* I could get the gist of what almost all native speakers were saying and understand everything my nonnative teacher said in conversation</p>