Hi, this is my current 12th grade schedule:
P0: AP Calculus BC
P1: AP Physics C
P2: AP English Lit
P3: AP Macroeconomics/AP Gov
P4: AP Spanish Language
P5: Orchestra
The issue is that I need to complete my physical education requirement, therefore I would need to add band period zero and would have to replace either Spanish or orchestra. I have taken both classes for the past 3 years, and was wondering if a 4th year of foreign language was really that important for admissions. Keep in mind that if I drop orchestra I will most likely be adding another AP course such as AP CSA because I do not want a free period.
What schools are you applying to? Some schools do recommend taking four years of the same foreign language.
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Have you completed Spanish 4? If so, yo7 are good to go, I believe.
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IOW, band counts as PE? In which case, drop orchestra and keep Spanish, assuming AP Spanish follows Spanish 3. 2 music courses out of 6 total is probably not going to get a top rigor mark.
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I dont think this poster ever planned to have orchestra AND band. I thought if they dropped orchestra, they could possibly add band zero period. Maybe they can clarify.
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I interpreted P0 as zero period currently occupied by Calc BC, so that adding band means BC needs to move to another period. But yes, let the OP clarify
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Hello and thank you for the reply; yes you are correct in your assumption that I was planning on taking 2 performing arts classes in one year so that would mean I’d have 7 classes total (I was never planning on taking a 0-5 schedule). If AP Spanish were dropped then AP Calculus BC would go in its place and I would take another AP course instead, such as AP CSA. If I drop orchestra, then I would add another AP course in its place as well on top of also having AP Spanish Language.
So…why would you do that? . But have you completed Spanish 4…or Spanish 3?
Is there any other way to fulfill your PE requirement…
You don’t need an all-AP schedule.
If you take band, it’s similar enough to orchestra (in that it’s a collective musical endeavor) that you wouldn’t really need to.
I would take the free period actually (if you can choose, I’d keep period zero free to sleep in or catch up on hw or apps). Fall will be very busy with college apps and in the Spring you probably won’t want a 6th AP class&exam.
Do you need to be in the class to partake in the school activity ? In other words, are you in the Orchestra - and if so do you need the class to remain ?
As a Senior, a study period is nice. Tons of kids get into top colleges without four years of language although sounds like you may have already.
You have apps to complete. And you are a kid who should enjoy their last year. All APs and an overloaded schedule are not necessary.
Good luck.
Completing a higher level of Spanish could be helpful in some contexts:
- Colleges may have foreign language graduation requirements that may require fewer courses to complete if you start at a higher level based on what you completed in high school.
- Some college majors may find a higher level of Spanish (or any foreign language) useful. E.g. a history major focused on Spain and Latin America may find it helpful to be able to read source material written in Spanish.
- Some jobs and careers may find greater proficiency in a commonly encountered foreign language helpful. Examples would be health care and emergency services.
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You do at schools in my state. It’s a class.
Are you intending to apply to a highly selective college? In many states, you’d have no problem getting into the flagship with any of the suggested schedules. Do you enjoy band and orchestra? Have you ever done marching band? It’s a huge time commitment in many places (summer practices, football games, weekend competitions) so isn’t the easiest way to get a PE credit. Locally, school doesn’t start for 2 weeks but the bands have already had their camps and learned most of their show. If you enjoy orchestra, I wouldn’t want to give up a beloved extracurricular my senior year. If it’s just a thing that you do to fill your schedule, then go ahead and drop it if you want to. And if your aim is highly selective colleges, then you may be weighing a different set of factors.
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If the problem is the PE requirement, is there any way you can take it online or as a hybrid? At our HS, you can take PE online (technically it’s through the district online academy rather than the HS, but it still counts), and as a hybrid through the HS in which most work is completed independently but students meet during a couple of lunch periods per week, mostly as a check-in. I understand that’s unusual and specific to our school, but if you have some kind of option like that, it might be worth it so you can continue with Spanish and keep orchestra.
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I wish out HS had options, gym is a 4 year once a day requirement, no exceptions if you are in marching band or varsity sports, no summer gym, no online gym. It’s a state issue.
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Take orchestra. That’s a crazy schedule anyway -there should be some fun in there.
Sample of one. One of my kids was in honors wind symphony for three years…and the fourth year she did continue. BUT our high school is not so big, and they alternate the period AP Modern Euro is offered as it’s the same as the honors wind symphony period. My kid had to choose…and that AP was one she really wanted to take. But she decided to continue wind symphony.
I will add, her elective course (and my son’s as well) was culinary arts.
I agree…take some courses you will enjoy your senior year.
Have you answered whether you completed Spanish 4? At some schools AP Spanish comes after that.
Oh, that’s awful. We only have a max one-semester exemption for PE (so even if you’re an athlete, you still have to take three semesters). But even without exemptions, it’s a four-semester PE+health requirement, and you can do it all online in the summers if you want to. It’s been a lifesaver for my kids (D23 needed the extra off period during the day, and S26 has no off periods to spare – would have to give up something that’s far more important to him).
Texas public high school students can take PE and speech credit via UT high school online. I think most of the students not in sports or band take online PE.
I say replace Spanish.
You have so many other AP Courses that you will need a relaxing class. I get wanting to have a good schedule for college admission to show rigor but having 5 AP’s senior year is insane. You’ll need time for college applications and when may rolls around senioritis wouldve already hit you so one less exam to study for. I took AP Spanish and I feel like the class wasn’t very benificial and i got a 4 on the exam. Keep in mind that i am a spanish speaker.