Hi, I signed up for 6 AP classes next year + Multivariable calc (which is weighted as an AP) which is the maximum I can take. However, that is because I have dropped language which isn’t offered at AP level senior year. Should I switch to Spanish 6 and take one less AP or stick with my current schedule? I’m not too interested in Spanish and really only do it for the requirement, but it’ll ease my schedule a little bit. How necessary is 4 year of language to top colleges?
You may not get very useful answers without the following details:
Which level of Spanish is AP level at your high school, and did you take it and the AP test already?
What is your proposed schedule (all courses), and which course is the one that you would drop in order to take Spanish 6?
Have you taken the usual expected courses in other subjects (English, the three sciences, history and social studies, art)?
You would take Spanish 6 to complete 4 years of Spanish? How long were Spanish 1 through 5?
Most of the top schools want to see at least three years of a language. Princeton says the "expect " four years. Harvard, and several others says the “recommend” four years. Google will turn up many lists of these.
What AP courses are you taking/what would you drop? Six non-math APs makes me think at least some are outside core disciplines, or are piling-on, which wouldn’t be as valuable as completing 4 years of a language. But a list would help.
@RichInPitt @ucbalumnus My school has us take Spanish 1 and 2 during 7th and 8th grades. The Spanish Level is two years: Spanish 4 and 5… I am not good at Spanish, so I did not take the AP class. It was my only non-AP last year and I don’t know if its worth it when I have already taken up to Spanish 5. My schedule is Multi calc, AP Comp Sci Principles, AP Physics C Mechanics, AP Lit and Comp, AP Comp Gov, AP European History, and AP Art History. I would take Spanish 6 instead of Euro. I guess I should take it, but I am asking since I have already completed 5 years and could take another AP class instead.
In your case, I’d take AP Euro,not Spanish, since you completed level 5. This sounds like a VERY challenging schedule, how many APs did you take last year?
OP, how many AP classes have you already taken? And what is your non weighted GPA so far?
Top colleges do NOT encourage students to take more than 6-7 hard AP classes during their entire HS career. There is a saying that they all are in agreement with-"The one with the most AP’s does not win! "
They want students who do well while taking rigorous, college prep classes and engage in stimulating outside EC’s.
I think that taking 6 tough AP classes during your Sr year, when you will ALSO have to spend LOTS of time during the first semester applying to colleges- writing essays, making sure your LOR’s from teachers have all been sent in on time, in addition to maintaining your EC’ 's , etc, etc, is asking for serious GPA trouble during your final year.
I’m in agreement with @MYOS1634 on that.
My advise is to choose EITHER AP European History OR AP Govnt, and take Spanish 6, since many top colleges do not count any FL classes taken in middle school.
And give your self an open period to study, eat, do college applications and breathe.
@MYOS1634 I took 6 AP classes last year. It wasn’t too bad, which is probably because the rigor of the courses were less than freshman and sophomore year. AP Comp Sci, AP Art History, Multivariable Calc, and AP Comp Gov are not very difficult at my school. AP Physics is the most difficult.
@menloparkmom Thanks for the advice. I will probably take Spanish 6, since it’ll probably be a break in my schedule and I am starting to not be interested in AP Euro. I will have one free period though, which is good.
There’s your answer. If it’s truly “required” then take it. If it’s not “required” then don’t. BTW, I don’t know any school that requires 6 years of language. You should contact the AO at your schools of interest to confirm. My understanding is schools are looking for xx levels of language, not xx years in HS of a language. So if the school requires 4 years of a language, that’s interpreted as completing Spanish 4.
@eb23282
top colleges do not care about or take into consideration foreign language classes that are taken in middle school. That is why I am suggesting the OP take Spanish 6, [ regardless of what it is called] which means he will have 4 years of Spanish classes in HS- which will make his HS transcript competitive with other college applicants who will also be vying for spots at top colleges.
Students need to pay attention to what colleges say they want to see on a transcript. The exceptions are when a student’s HS does NOT offer the level of classes that the college wants to see. NO student is going to penalized for that.
But that is not the case with the OP.
Don’t drop AP Euro. Did you take AP world and APUSH? Adcoms can count the core history classes before worrying you stopped at 3 years of hs Spanish. Was Span 5 rigorous, considering kids start in middle school?
I can’t figure the array of classes you’ve taken so far, but know you have a number of electives in there. You need to ensure you’ve got the basics, first. Afaiac, APCS is expendable. You need to tell us what classes you have had, so we’d know how Span fits in the whole context.
I am confused about your Spanish sequence. You took Spanish 1 and 2 in Middle school, then you went into Spanish 4? What happened to Spanish 3?
Does your school offer AP Spanish, and if so, when does it come in the sequence?
@InfoQuestMom Sorry, I meant AP level is Spanish 4-5, so in my school people would take Honors Spanish 3 fresh, AP Spanish 4 soph, AP Spanish 5 junior, and Honors Spanish 6 Senior. I did not take AP Spanish any year. Spanish 3, 4, and 5 at the honors level were all not very challenging.
@lookingforward I took both AP World and APUSH. AP Euro is a class that not many people take (I think there is one class in my school of 2200). In freshman year I took AP World, AP Bio. Soph I took AP Calc, AP Chem 1/2, and APUSH, Junior I took AP State, AP Lang, AP Macro/Micro, AP Psych, AP Chem 2/2, and AP US Gov.
what is your GPA?
So Spanish 5 (the non-AP version) is lower than AP Spanish 4 level?
Ok, so let’s see if I got it right. In High School you start with Spanish 3. After Spanish 3 there are two possible paths: Honors or AP.
In Honors the sequence is H Spanish 4, H Spanish 5 and H Spanish 6.
In AP, you have AP Spanish 4 and AP Spanish 5. So, do you take the AP Spanish Language exam at the end of AP Spanish 5? Or do you take the AP Spanish Language exam at the end of AP Spanish 4, and then the AP Spanish Literature at the end of AP Spanish 5?
I would actually ask your school counselor how colleges see H Spanish 4 and H Spanish 5, if they qualify as 4 years of foreign language although they are not as advanced or rigorous as AP Spanish 4 and 5.
Is H Spanish 6 more advanced than AP Spanish 5 or only more advanced than H Spanish 5? I presume students who took AP Spanish 4 and 5 will be better prepared and more advanced than those who took Honors 4 and 5, so I am curious how they all finish with Honors Spanish 6 at your school.
If you already know which colleges you will be targeting, you should also email your area representative and ask them specifically about that.
" I would take Spanish 6 instead of Euro. I guess I should take it, but I am asking since I have already completed 5 years and could take another AP class instead."
I would lean to AP Euro over Spanish 6 since it’s not an AP. AP Euro vs AP Spanish would be a tougher decision, imo, and there I would lean to AP Spanish. Also, colleges are not going to think you took 5 years of language in hs, you’ll have taken 3, because that’s the most you can take in three years unless you doubled up.
Do students take the AP Spanish language exam after Spanish 6H?
If that’s possible (meaning students reach in six years what AP students reach in 4 but the level is still reached), you could take Spanish 6H and indicate on commonapp that you plan on taking the AP Spanish exam, thus signaling that 5H+6H = AP4.
Your problem is an unnecessarily intense schedule that doesn’t allow for college applications nor ECs.
6AP classes+MVC is overloading yourself.
4APs+ MVC would already be a lot. I would recommend taking Honors English and either AP euro or Ap art history, not both.
Take whichever course is of interest to you.