I have to choose my classes for next year and I’m tossed between a few. I’m taking a complicated schedule next year and I usually have my elective as a dance class in my school. I have taken it since freshman year and junior and senior year it counts as an honor credit. (I am going to be a junior). But I feel like colleges will think it’s a joke and not think I challenged myself enough. I genuinely love the class but i feel like everyone’s courses are better than mine. So, if I don’t take dance I would take spanish 3. I personally don’t really like spanish and some of it confuses me still but I heard colleges love it. I only have room for one, so dance or spanish 3?! thank you.
You like dance, and it will be an honors section, so I would vote for dance. College admissions offices are fully aware of what students get from dance. Yes, it isn’t a traditional “academic” subject, but dancers develop phenomenal focus, self-discipline, and memory, in addition to their physical skills.
Whether you need a third year of foreign language depends on 1) your high school’s graduation requirements, and 2) the colleges and universities that are likely to be on your application list. Some institutionsl require a certain number of years of foreign language for admission (usually 2), and others will recommend a certain number of years of foreign language. For tippy-top institutions it is generally believed that the word “recommend” should be read as “required”. However, even at tippy-top institutions, there always are a few students who are admitted without the “recommended” number of years of foreign language because they are pursuing other significant interests.
You also need to bear in mind that if you do end up at a college or university that requires a certain number of credits in a foreign language to graduate, entering with a stronger command of that language will be helpful. If you have a list of places that interest you, check their graduation requirements as well as their admission requirements.
If you find out that you must give up the dance class at school in order to fit in Spanish 3, look around for other places to continue your dance studies. There might be a class that is affordable somewhere in your community.
Wishing you all the best!
Colleges want to see you do something you are passionate about regardless of whether or not it is something you will study so having a continued passion in a subject is good. However, colleges also generally recommend/require at least three foreign language credits. I doubt you have a college list in mind since you are a sophomore so you can’t really check the requirements I guess (and I guarantee that if you have a list it will change by the time you apply). I would try to take both but I think Spanish 3 would be safer to have three foreign language credits.