Course Selection Help: Arabic or Math?

Pre-College Topics High School Cafe
1

Hello all,

I wanna keep this short, so pardon my directness, but basically: at my school they only allow you to take up to five academic courses your first term senior year (six is the usual limit) so that you don’t get overwhelmed when applying to colleges. This requires some picking and choosing.

As someone primarily interested in writing, I decided to drop math in order to take a second english class this semester. I also switched from Spanish to Arabic for my foreign language, as I was dismal at and bored by the former and much more interested/talented in the latter.

Therefore, my schedule for the semester is currently this: Creative Writing, the required English course, a modern politics class, AP Biology, and Arabic.

However, having gone through a week of classes I’ve started to have second thoughts about Arabic, both because a.) the teacher is downright horrible/unprepared (a week in and she hasn’t given us a syllabus, or the title of the textbook to buy!) and b.) I can’t help but feel the math class would look better on my transcript.

Just for clarification, I’ve already taken the four ‘required’ high school math classes (Algebra I freshman year, Geometry the summer before sophomore year, Algebra II sophomore year, and PreCalc junior year). The math class I’d be switching into wouldn’t be Calc, but instead ‘Applied Mathematics’ (from my understanding it’s mostly logic-based problems), because I didn’t receive the required grade in PreCalc to get into the Calc class.

Frankly, I don’t want to take either, but they’re my only options (besides Physics, which I do think I’d enjoy a little more but I feel like that’s not the best idea? Unless you all think it is), and I just need some advice on what to do.

Thank you!

2

You need physics. Competitive colleges generally expect bio, chem and physics. The UCs I believe are a little different with regard to sciences. In your shoes, I would take physics.

3

@Lindagaf Thanks for the quick response! But do you really think they’d prefer physics over taking math/a language all four years?

4

Actually, physics is the best idea among your current possibilities:
It’s part of the science trifecta; it’s quantitative so it offsets your absence of math somewhat; it’s more rigorous than applied math; and as far as foreign languages, what matters is level reached, so what will be counted is the level reached in Spanish and Arabic will only count as an elective.

5

I don’t know what level of colleges you are hoping to apply to. The most competitive ones will want 3-4 years of FL, four years of Eng, four years of math, and bio, Chem, and physics.

This is what Harvard likes to see:
https://college.harvard.edu/are-there-secondary-school-course-requirements-admission

Having said that, take the classes you want to take. If you are not gunning for tippy top schools, plenty will be happy to have you without all the FL or physics. You should google some of the colleges you are interested in to see what they expect of their applicants. My kid, for example, will probably apply to UVM, which only expects 2 years of FL and 2 of sciences. He will have four years of science, but only two of FL. He’s not interested in tippy top schools. It’s really a matter of where you are aiming. Boston U likes 3-4 years of lab sciences and 2-4 years of FL. There is a LOT of variation. Generally though, colleges like to see a balance.

6

@Lindagaf @MYOS1634 Thank you both for your helpful/thoughtful responses. I’m sorry for bothering you again, but I just realized that I’m taking Psychology next term, which would mean I’d be taking three sciences (in addition to a history, english, and ap music theory). While you’ve swung me towards wanting to take Physics, I’m worried that taking three science classes in one term would send the wrong message to colleges (ie. that I’m way more interested in science than I am). While I suppose dropping Psychology is an option, it’s a class I’ve been excitedly waiting to take since my freshman year and would prefer not to.

Though, of course, second term senior year isn’t exactly the most important semester in the world…

7

Psychology doesn’t count as a science but a social science.
What are your first and second semester classes?

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@MYOS1634 First (as of now) is AP Biology, Arabic, Creative Writing, the required English course, and a modern politics course.

Second term would be AP Biology, Arabic, the required English course, AP Music Theory, Psychology and a history class.

9

Please take the math class. Almost every top college I know of would not just want, but expect a full four-year load of math. Even if the math is a lower level class, any math is better than no math. Colleges do not care about FL as much as they do math. Besides, if the college has a language requirement, they would likely make you take some language while there, because you don’t have any AP credit for it. If you have a whole year off from math, you may have difficulty getting back into it when you enter college, which is not something that you want to deal with in your freshman year of college. Arabic is very challenging, and could bring your grades down if the teacher isn’t well-equipped to teach it. As for physics, you’re right, you don’t really need three sciences, especially if science isn’t your thing. Even though you may not like it, the math class seems like the best option in the long run.
Good luck!

10

Ditch music theory, unless you have been dying to take it. Or take physics this year and AP bio next year.

11

@Lindagaf Sorry, maybe I was unclear – but I’m currently a senior. And I can’t ditch Music Theory; it’s split into two parts and I took the first part last year. It’d be kind of a waste to quite halfway through the course.

12

I think you might update your last GPA , test scores and potential major/uni list in this thread. For perspective. It seems too late to do anything much now anyway.

13

OK. That’s an excellent schedule for a student interested in humanities/social science if you replace Arabic with Physics, so that you’d have

Year long
AP Bio
Physics
Required English

Semester 1
Creative Writing
Modern Politics

Semester 2
AP Music Theory
Psychology
History

What colleges are you thinking of?

14

@MYOS1634 My top school is NYU (but I’d be applying for a Directing BFA at Tisch, so 50% of the application is portfolio-based). I’m also looking at Conn College, Fordham, BU (also a BFA), BC, Oberlin, and some state schools as safeties.

@Sybylla My GPA is a 3.4 UW, but my school has a case of grade deflation that our guidance office alerts colleges to. The general rule is to add .2 to the GPA, so I’d be looked at like I have a 3.6 (weird/excuse-sounding, I know, but I promise that it’s true). I intend to double major in theatre (w/a focus in directing and playwriting) and psychology.

I know it’s such a little thing in the long-run, but it’s been worrying me a lot.

15

You are a senior, you have a test score.

16

Add Muhlenberg to your list and run the NPC’s to make sure they’re affordable.

17

@Sybylla Sorry, I forgot – I have a 1450 on the SAT (700M, 750E). I’m taking it again in October and I’m hoping to get another 50 points in somewhere for a 1500 (or better).

@MYOS1634 I’m trying to stay in CT/Boston/NYC for personal reasons. The only reason I added Oberlin is because I love their directing program so much. I’ve already run the NPCs; so far everything has come up reasonable.