Question for Junior Year: AP Computer Science or 4th year of language

hebegebe
Sat, 10 Feb 2018 22:56:03 +0000

S is starting to plan out his course schedule for junior year. He has taken three years of language through sophomore year, and is wondering whether to take his 4th year of language junior year, or AP CS junior year and delay the language class until senior year.

The reason he is considering this is due to his heavy extracurricular load. He spends roughly 30-40 hours a week in 3 ECs where he competes at the national level (no we are not tiger parents–we encourage him to cut back, but he says he enjoys them and adamantly refuses). Compared to the 4th year of language, AP CS would take less time and likely result in a higher grade as well.

His other classes junior year will include AP History, AP Calc, AP Biology and Honors English. He understands that if he delays the language class for a year, he will be rusty. But senior year will be a lighter course load so he thinks he will be ok.

Other than being rusty with the language, is there any reason he should not take AP CS junior year and the language senior year?