Which course schedule should I choose?

<p>Here are some fact about me and my school:
- I took Spanish 1 in 7th grade, Spanish 2 in 8th grade, Spanish 3 in 9th grade, and Spanish 4 in 10th grade
- I am entering 11th grade
- this is the first year my school is doing the diploma program, we've had MYP for a while now
- since it is the first year, the only classes that are actually separate SL courses from the HL courses are: French (no HL course) and DP art (SL students mixed with HL students in the class but on a different path/syllabus)
- the rest of the groups 1-5 are only offered as HL courses
- I want to major in Biology in college
- I plan on applying to an elite, highly selective college
- I took Chemistry over the summer in hopes of taking AP Chem (Chem SL) this year. My school does offer Chem SL, but the teacher has explicitly stated that she is not teaching the class in preparation for the AP exam and her students will not be ready for the AP exam from this class. Thus, I cannot receive, or be in hopes of receiving, college credit from this class. I took AP Bio in 10th grade.
- my main objectives are: gain college credit for as many courses I can and maximize my GPA
- my school has misinformed us about a lot of stuff so please correct me if I am wrong on certain details of DP
- I am not a native speaker in Spanish and this past second week of school I had trouble understanding what my teacher was saying verbally 60% of the time but I am fairly good at reading comprehension and speaking. One class I understood her fine, but the next time I had trouble. I don't know if it was lack of sleep or lack of focus, but...hopefully watching novellas and the spanish channel will help me quickly?</p>

<p>Here are my two options.
Option A:
-- English HL
-- Physics SL/HL 1 (I plan to take the SL test in hopes that a Chem SL class will be offered next year that more mirrors AP Chem. I will check in with my counselor again in February/March to check the probability of that chem class forming and then choose whether to take the SL test this year or the HL test the following year. My other option is Environmental Science SL which is a guaranteed class to form for my senior year.)
-- Calculus BC (Further Math HL)
-- Spanish HL
-- Art SL
-- History of Americas HL</p>

<p>Option B:
-- English HL
-- Physics SL/HL 1
-- Calculus BC (Further Math HL)
-- French SL (for two years)
-- Art HL
-- History of Americas HL</p>

<p>I've always wanted to learn French, and my school found a way to dual-title it to earn and extra GPA point for each year. Plus, Art HL class seems fun and interesting and literally 95% of the students in art are taking the HL course and only 5 people are taking SL. There is something like 85 students in Art. This gives me anxiety that I will be alone in the process to do the SL course because the other 4 people doing SL are in another period than me. However, I have also wanted to become very good at Spanish. Correct me if I am wrong but I can potentially earn college credit for Spanish Language and Spanish Literature (which is like two courses) if I choose Spanish HL, but will only potentially earn art college credit for one course if I choose art HL. Which one will colleges see more valuable? Basically the question is: which combo should I take - French SL and art HL or Spanish HL and Art SL.</p>

<p>I think you should definitely do Option A. Most colleges do not count middle school classes and so it would be best to have four years of HS spanish and take the Spanish HL. At our school, you cannot test SL in a language with only 2 years of study (like you are suggesting with French). Furthermore, if you are considering a STEM career/major, I would skip Art and take an additional science class and test in that. </p>

<p>Frankly, I would stop worrying about the AP tests and collecting college credits if you are planning to attend an elite school. The top private schools don’t let you enter with advance standing, they only use those tests for placement purposes. Most schools treat IB HL tests equivalent to an AP in that subject. You don’t need both. Focus on your IB exams and SAT Subject tests in math and science.</p>

<p>I’m not sure how college credit works but I am currently taking Spanish HL and I can say a few things about it. If you like english and have a good foundation of spanish (grammar)* you will LOVE Spanish HL. It basically consists of spanish readings and discussions similar to having an english class, except in spanish.
*the reason I say grammar and not vocab is because vocabulary can always be learned quickly at the last minute, plus you’re allowed to use dictionaries on your IB Spanish HL exam I heard, so therefore, it’s more important to have a strong foundation of spanish grammar than vocab for HL Spanish.</p>