My rising junior attends a performing arts high school where he takes 3 classes in his art daily. Typically kids take five academic classes as well (plus gym and lunch) but he didn’t get into AP Spanish junior year - they have limited classes because of funding shortages and my son is a very poor Spanish student. He’s a mid to high 80s student (he has some language processing issues that affect his foreign language acquisition and writing in general) and is scheduled for 3 AP classes next year and 1 regular (physics). Would colleges not consider him if he only takes 4 academic classes plus the 3 arts classes, instead of adding a 5th academic class such as economics or something? Obviously we’re not thinking about applying to top tier schools. He’ll be working an internship in his arts field and playing sports during the school year as well. I just don’t want schools to not consider him at all just because he’s only taking 4 academic classes but I think he would be better off with the 4 classes othewise. Your input would be very welcome.
Most schools have a list of required or recommended high school classes online. Look at that list for colleges he is considering and see where he stands.
It’s not so much how many he takes next year, but will he graduated with at least 4 years of English, 3-4 years of history/social studies, 4 years of math, 3-4 years of foreign language (i.e to Level III, not necessarily three years in high school), 2 or 3 years of science? If he’s got that covered there are plenty of colleges that will take him. The most selective colleges will want at least this plus the arts, plus a rigorous schedule (i.e. some AP or equivalent classes and honors if available.) How many will really depend on the school. Obviously a kid who is taking three arts classes every term is probably going to have to make some sacrifices academically. Dropping Spanish if he’s not a strong student anyway is probably not going to hurt him, though it pains me to ever recommend giving up on a language.
If he’s planning on art schools, he may not even need the courses I’ve outline above.
Mathmom, he’ll have 4 years of math, science, history and English but only 2 years of Spanish. He’s terrible in Spanish - can’t seem to retain it despite being in a dual immersion program in elementary school, taking it in middle school and then starting over in high school with Spanish 1. I think it’s best he bails at this point, but it may not be his choice anyway since right now about half the kids in the junior class are on a wait list for Spanish. Just wondering whether a 5th academic class - some type of elective - would be necessary or not.
I don’t think it’s a problem if he bails - in the US main, many students will only have two years of a foreign language. I’m not sure how he’d go from Spanish 2 directly to AP Spanish anyway unless your school is using AP meaning pre-AP?. In most schools I’m familiar with you have Spanish 1, 2, 3 and 4 then AP. Often Spanish 1 and sometimes Spanish 2 will be covered in middle school. But it’s pretty rare for any junior to be ready for AP Spanish as a junior if they are not a heritage speaker.
I understand where you are coming from. My My younger son seemed to have some processing issues too, though nothing nailed down, just a lot of spread in suggestive places on the WISC. He ended up taking Latin in high school and stopped after taking Latin 4 as a junior (had two years covering one year of high school Latin in middle school too). The last B- he got from the teacher was a gift. Ironically he then had to take a language in college. He took Arabic (it doesn’t get much harder!) and struggled for the first two years. He took a junior year abroad in Jordan and did a full immersion program with a language pledge. He only spoke English when he Skyped us. That was what it took for him to finally get comfortable with the language and he got A’s his senior year, but his GPA took a big hit from the first two years.
He’s probably okay with 4 academic classes unless the norm at your school is to take 5. Only your GC is going to be able to tell you that.
No, it’s not necessary. he’s taking 3 art classes and will graduate with 4 years of 4/5 of the core subjects, with the 5th one missing likely noted (make sure it is) as being due to funding cuts creating waitlists. Since your son will have taken 3 art classes, it may count as an equivalent (strength in on field can “make up” for a deficiency in another). In short: don’t worry about it, he’s fine with 4.
MYOS1634, we will note that it’s due to the wait list, but to be perfectly honest, they rank the kids on the wait list according to performance. So if he did better, he would have gotten into the class. Thanks for the input.
Also when you are looking for colleges, find ones that don’t require you to take a foreign language in college…they won’t emphasize it in HS either.
Not sure if I understand – if his highest level in Spanish is level 2, why would the choice be AP (which is typically level 4 or 5) or nothing? Seems like if he wanted to continue in Spanish, he would go to level 3, not the AP level, unless the high school’s Spanish courses are unusually accelerated compared to most.
Assuming that his math will be to precalculus or calculus (or higher), science will include all three of biology, chemistry, and physics, and the usual history and English courses will be included (and, of course, plenty of art), it looks like his high school curriculum includes all of the usual expected college-prep course work except possibly a high enough level of foreign language for some of the most selective colleges. So an additional academic elective other than the next level of Spanish would not strictly be necessary unless he wants to take it out of interest.
ucbalumnus. Sorry I miswrote - he has completed two years of Spanish and would be taking third year in junior year, but he’s stopping. He’ll take AP US history, AP English, Calc AB and Physics this year plus the three art classes.
In other words, he will have completed Spanish level 3 by high school graduation? That should be ok for almost all but perhaps the most selective colleges for admission – but be aware that many colleges have foreign language graduation requirements that require a higher level of skill than admission does.
Are there native or heritage speakers of Spanish among his high school friends whom he could practice talking in Spanish with outside of class?
No ucbalumnus, he will only have taken 2 years of Spanish.
So it’s Spanish 3 they won’t let him take not AP Spanish?
I think the four classes should be fine, but he should check in with his guidance counselor to see how they will fill out the form regarding rigor of classwork. Considering all the APs, I think he’ll be fine. As he has language processing issues some or most colleges may exempt him from their usual foreign language requirements, both for acceptance and for college graduation.