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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here.  We do not think he will be a failure if he does not get into UVA.  But that is currently his top pick.  I want him to be realistic about which courses he is choosing for next year.  As in, if he doesn't take Spanish 4, then he might not get into UVA.  He needs to think about how strongly he wants UVA vs how strongly he would rather not continue in Spanish.  Totally up to him.[/quote]

If it were his senior year and he wasn't taking a foreign language, that would probably be fine.  But it sounds like he doesn't want to take one in the junior year, either, and is looking for filling the void with a cheesy elective that's not a core class.  It's not gonna look good.  He really needs to have a very solid junior year schedule if he's eyeing UVA.[/quote]

OP, this PP and the earlier one who wrote out a list for you have very good, specific advice for your DC along with the chorus of nearly everyone else who seem to have a good handle on UVA admissions. To be blunt, it is not a good look for your DS to[b] ease up on the pedal at the start of junior year.[/b] This will be the year that colleges will most scrutinize. It will be glaringly obvious that a junior dropped their language. You put UVA on the table and the posters are responding to that. If you had said GMU or JMU, they may have had different responses. [/quote]

OP here.  This statement bothers me.  Is it really how UVA admissions will view his junior year if it lacks Spanish 4?

Here is his proposed schedule for 11th grade:

- AP Calc BC
- AP Physics C
- AP Lang/Comp
- Honors US History
- AP Statistics
- Post-AP Computer Science AB
- Fun Elective -- either Debate or Game Design/Development

I just don't see how that is easing up on the pedal.  Am I wrong?[/quote]

Hi OP, 
I'm the PP with the kid who is also stopping at 3 years of language. His schedule looks pretty similar to this. 
AP Physics 1
AP Lang
AP Comp Sci A (must take specific to program)
AP Research (must complete for AP Capstone)
Honors Trig/Math Analysis
Programming class (specific to this program)
Either honors US history or APUSH

I was also the one asking about whether to take honors US History or APUSH. But my son is doing AP Capstone, so he took Seminar this year and needs to take Research in Junior year, which is why he doesn't have room for Spanish 4. My son is in a technology program (so has an additional computer class + AP Comp Sci A)  but not sure he wants to go into CS...definitely something in the sciences.

One possibility for your son is to take Spanish 4 in summer school--if it is really that important, and I don't know the answer to that. It's something we considered, but I want him to be able to do something he finds interesting this summer, and that certainly isn't Spanish.

I know you're specifically looking at UVA, but everything I've read says that STEM focused schools care a lot less about language. Here is a website with a list of some of the top colleges and their requirements vs. recommendations. 
https://blog.collegevine.com/foreign-language-requirements-for-college-admissions/

I don't think anything is set in stone, but my guess is that if he's opting not to take a language, it should at least be replaced with something that is rigorous and very related to what he wants to study.

Of course, there's also just life and that your son is a human being who wants to be happy. [/quote]

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