But…if you go to a college that expects you to reach a certain fluency in a foreign language then you’ll have to take a French test when you get to college. In some cases, a good test score will help you place out of the college’s foreign language requirement. If you don’t take French senior year, you’ll probably be pretty rusty for that test. The only other way to pass out of a college’s foreign language requirement could be to get a 4 or a 5 on the AP test. You should check out the requirements for the colleges on your list.
In our S19’s case, he certainly has other classes he’d like to take but he will take French 4 H for junior year and AP French senior year. He’ll shoot for the 4 or 5 so that he doesn’t have to take more foreign language in college.
Also, I definitely think it looks good to take all five major subjects (math, science, social studies, English, foreign language) for all four years in the highest levels your high school offers if possible. In S19’s case, he would love to take Creative Writing or Philosophy or a Global Issues class instead of another year of French but I figure he can do that in college. And I’d rather pay college-prices for a class like these than another semester of French just so he can check off a college’s foreign language requirement.