Is anyone else exchanging a foreign language class for another class? What subject? Or a study hall?
I didn’t take a foreign language in 11th or 12th grade.
Heck, I might not be able to take one next year as a sophomore. I’m planning on loading up on science classes.
Just keep in mind that it’s a core class and more selective colleges want to see foreign language up to level 4 or AP. Even flagships count that as an indication of rigor (similar to taking math up to precalc or calc).
While you can replace a core class with a double class in a subject of interest senior year, you want to make sure you have at least the recommended level of preparation for all 5 academic classes required at the universities you’re applying to.
My S dropped Latin after 3 years. (took in 8th grade, 10th, and 11th). He is taking 7 APs this year (but AP Latin would have been a disaster–not his strongest subject anyway), is a math/computer science kid, and didn’t apply to anything except science/engineering programs. If you are going for more of a liberal arts school, I’d say take the language throughout. I would never drop a major subject for an extra study hall.
There are only two classes in my school’s German program: German 1 Honors and German 2 Honors. We’re all hoping for German 3.
My sister is going to run out of Spanish classes next year as a sophomore, but she will have reached AP.
Look at what community colleges or local directional nearby offer (if anything). You won’t be held responsible if your guidance counselor can state you’ve done everything possible and there’s nothing you could do.
Oh and in 11th grade I took TA instead of AP Spanish and rn I have 2 math classes and AP comp sci so no space for language.
I assume you have Spanish 4 at least?
However, if one of the two math classes is AP Stats, you’d reinforce curriculum rigor by taking AP Spanish instead (AP Stats is an “AP Lite” for students who can’t/won’t take calculus; taking statistics in college is very important, not in HS, because it’s a college class you want to list on your resume - and no employer will care what you did in high school, especially since AP Stats is a light version of the college class.)
(Oops. I skipped out on Spanish 4 this year (junior year) and won’t take a Spanish course next year (my school doesn’t let us take gap years between courses).)
What you want to major, op? Your answer can be determined from this question alone.
^ major doesn’t matter. Foreign language is a core class, like Math, English, Social Science, and Science. Selective colleges won’t care what you want to major in if you have a deficiency in core classes, and any “missing” class will require something really strong to offset it (ie., if you took MVC and Linear Algebra, that’ll offset stopping at Foreign Language Level 3. Or if you have two foreign languages at Level 4/AP but not calculus).
As someone pursuing a degree in chemical engineering, I read through many curriculum from many different engineering schools. I have not seen a single requirement in taking a foreign language class. Engineering schools aren’t going to bash op if he doesn’t take a foreign language in senior year. OP’s acceptance or rejection to any engineering school won’t because he didn’t a foreign language in senior year.
It *really depends * what college you’re talking about. Olin, Tufts, MIT, Harvey Mudd, Smith would certainly disagree with you (unless there is something else there.)
Also, there’s foreign language for college admissions and foreign language for college graduation - in the case of college graduation, you’re correct, engineering majors rarely have to demonstrate proficiency at the college level.
@MYOS1634 I stopped at Spanish 3. I’m doing pretty well in college admissions rn so guess it didn’t hurt me too much.
It really depends on what classes op have taken and what op really want to do with his/her life.
@LordBendtner: You had Level 3 and, I assume, several others factors “offsetting” the absence of Level 4 (such as MVC/Linear Algebra, or other equivalents).
You don’t need four years of language for most schools but it is recommended for the more competitive schools. If you’ve done everything in your power to take four years of language but your school wont let you then that’s something your guidance counselor can mention in their letter to colleges.
lol, contrary to you guys, I’m doubling up on language senior year (Chinese I and AP Spanish Lit)
My daughter called Mudd (her top choice) before making the decision to drop Spanish 4 in favor of taking competitive mathematics as an elective. They told her it wouldn’t hurt her admission chances (and it didn’t). Senior year schedule included: MVC, CalcBC, Physics 2, Engineering, competitive math and English.