I am doing UK A-levels.
I do maths, further maths, physics, and Spanish.
I am unsure if I should switch from Spanish to Computer Science. Spanish at A-level gets into a lot of aspects of hispanic culture, and I’m not sure if I will enjoy that by the time I get to year 13.
I first started to wonder if I should switch when I realized the lack of the time I have right now. Fitting in personal time to do programming is difficult. Perhaps Spanish will stand out (I really don’t know what US universities will think) but if I don’t enjoy it I think it’s not worth it (at the same time I don’t know if I won’t enjoy it!).
What are your predicted scores? What subjects did you take for GCSEs (with scores)?
What US Universities are you thinking of? And in the UK + what courses?
Are you looking at Waterloo?
For the UK, CS would probably be better. For the US tippy tops, Spanish would probably be better since it shows academic versatility.
US universities expect a broader range of subjects studied throughout secondary school than UK universities.
It is not clear what you are targeting.
Realize that if you come to the US you likely will be taking English, a foreign language and social studies your first or second year, even if you are a STEM major.
This is not uncommon for an applicant following a UK curriculum, like the OP.
For an applicant following an American curriculum, it would stand out, but likely not in a good way. Most US colleges are not looking for American applicants to be specialists in HS.
For a UK applicant applying for STEM, taking three STEM A Levels would be the most common. Since US colleges like to see applicants who aren’t specialists, taking one non-STEM class at such a high level would clearly indicate high ability in two fields and thus would likely be favorable.
(To give people perspective, the A-level in Spanish is roughly at the level expected of a US college junior majoring in Spanish.)
Since you’re in year 12, can you consider taking an extra class (ie., take all 4 subjects at AS level, then choose between CS and Spanish for A2?)
Yup, they’re B2-C1, which is what many foreign majors have when they graduate in the US (basically with a B2 you can become a world language teacher…) which is why checking foreign language offerings is very important if that’s a field of importance. Some colleges may only have two classes beyond that level. At good colleges, HL foreign language or A Level foreign language will place you into junior year classes. And Tufts or Middlebruy would be another ballgame from that.
I’ve decided to take CS. Mixed feelings with this choice, because I’m more confident with Spanish. But considering the lack of time I have and will have in sixth form (Year 12 and 13), I want to have as much time being able to learn Java and apply it to some projects I want to work on in my free time.
The expectation in the US is that kids will take, for the most part, 3 years of secondary foreign language. That’s prett much across the board-- an application without at least 2, usually 3 years of foreign language, is absolutely the exception. A number of schools have a foreign language requirement.
I’ve definitely studied a language for over 3~4 years if you include a year of French taken in year 5 (grade 4) or something. If that is to be excluded, I took 1 year of French in Y9 and 2 years of Spanish after that.
Students who do A-level Foreign Language have the equivalent of AP in a foreign language BEFORE they start Alevel in that language. Most European kids start foreign language in Elementary school and reach level 2, by law, in 7th grade (accross the board in Europe) and level 3-4 (required from all but the special ed kids) by grade 9 or 10. Riht now the dscussion is implementing a requirement of one language to level 4-5 and one language to level 2 for all students except special and vocational ed.
@phatum: what matters is level reached. In the US, some students may start foreign language for the very first time in grade 8 or even 9!
Interesting @MYOS1634
I’ve emailed several US universities and I’ve gotten many vague answers which say that they can’t specify an A-level that is best for me (due to their holistic review or whatever).
Anyway, what kind of extra-carriculars do US universities want? I’ve done volunteering at Cambodia which was such a surreal experience and great, but according to my teacher who talked with staff from NYU, they are more interested in how I was able to go to Cambodia. E.g. did the student raise all the money from the trip?
yes, they’re interested in this question:
was it a rich kid who was sent to “do good” in an exotic locale they have no tie to and won’t ever visit again while not finding any volunteering opportunity where they live
or
was it a long-term project to which the applicant is deeply connected, has worked on for long, raised money to show commitment, and continues to work on after retuning?
US universities want you to make a positive impact and show how far you can take an activity you like/are good at (local, regional, national, international)?
There is no definite answer.
If you could take all 4 at AS level (then pick for A2) it’d probably be the best solution.
The OP has only taken two years of Spanish, in years 10 and 11 and is asking if he should continue in 12 and 13. So all the people speculating that he has already reached AP level need to re-read his posts.
There isn’t a low level A level Spanish exam. Regardless of how many years a student has taken the language, the GCSE and GCE exams are the same for all candidates.
Then there’s a huge step to AS/A2 level, so that B-A* would be necessary to have a shot at doing well.
(Spanish is being redevelopped so it might be different starting in 2018, but right now there’s only one level of Spanish exam at A-level, and it’s high compared to what is taught at the HS level in the US).
Sounds like OP took French for KS2/KS3, then Spanish at KS4, did well enough to be admitted to A level in it, but may not have the foundation necessary to go up the huge step between GCSE (mostly A2, some B1) and A level (B1 moving quickly to B2).