In our school district, the three years of foreign language in middle school (which goes at a ridiculously slow pace, totally wastes the kids’ last years of ‘natural’ ability to absorb foreign language) count as foreign language 1+2. They all start foreign language year 3 in 9th grade, and are expected to take at least 3,4,and 5 in high school. That’s the standard needed for the best colleges. Then most do take AP foreign language in senior year, but it’s not mandatory, even for the best colleges. For example, MIT requires 2 years, Stanford 3 years, and Harvard recommends 4 years (all in high school).
So, if you want an engineering school that only requires two years of foreign language, you’re fine to drop the German. If you think you will want a liberal arts school that requires three years of high school foreign language, you’d best continue the German for one more year. Is the next year of German AP German for you?