American Sign Language vs AP Spanish?!?
Hello everyone, thanks for clicking on my question. I’ve got a small dilemma. You see, I am a Junior in high school and I am trying to plan my senior schedule ahead of time to be prepared. However, I’m a little stuck. I’m taking all AP’s next year, but I’ve finally decided that I’m not going to take AP Calculus, I’m stopping as soon as I finish Pre-Calc. this year (I’m just not strong in math). So, to make up for not taking that class, I’m taking AP everything else, plus an extra year of language. When this school year is over, I will have completed Spanish 2. So, do you think colleges would like it better if I took Spanish 3 at a community college over the summer, then AP Spanish, Senior year (this class is very difficult at my school by the way, especially since I’d probably be the only non-latino in the class), or would it seem impressive to stop at Spanish 2, then take American Sign Language over the summer, then Intermediate/Advanced American Sign Language, Senior Year (this would be at a community college and I would transfer the credits). So, sorry this is so long, but I would really appreciate any input and/or suggestions. Thanks a lot!! 
Thanks for the advice TAMI, but don’t worry, I’m not as high-strung as I seem to be in the way I worded my question. I take time to enjoy life experiences, sometimes a bit too much time. But, thanks, I do see where you’re coming from. And thanks to everyone who has answered so far.
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First off, AP can be great and everything, but it seriously depends on the college you want to attend. First off, unless you’re going IVY League, I seriously doubt the need for all APs. I know in SC, you end up retaking the Gen Eds anyway – no matter the number on the AP exam. (Plus, you can always test out of classes WHILE in college). Second, does the college you want to go to REQUIRE three consecutive years of language. Meaning, if you only have 2 spanish credits and 2 ASL credits, will you meet the requirements? I know most colleges around here specifically ask for 3 credits of one language – therefore, the spanish would be your best bet. Third, i fully support your not taking AP Calculus. I didn’t and got into schools all over the country. It’s seriously not imperative. Now, if you don’t HAVE to take the extra Spanish, I’d go with ASL. Because despite what people seem to think, Spanish class isn’t Mexican/Puerto Rican Spanish. It’s generally SPAIN Spanish. I go to a majority minority (lol) school. We’re about 75 percent black, 24 percent Hispanic, and 1 percent other and I couldn’t tell you how many Mexicans/Puerto Ricans say they’re going to take Spanish all four years for an easy A (while taking ESOL) and fail Spanish 3 and 4. It’s sad. Then again, it’s like language arts for English speakers. I took Spanish and tried it out on my Mexican friend’s mom and well, lets just say she looked at me REALLY funny and goes Que? Yeah, so had an A in there and passed EVERY test…. Anyway, unless the college requires three years, I’d take ASL. It could SERIOUSLY come in handy. Then again, if you find Spanish fun, go for it. People always stress academics in high school, but it ain’t no big thing. Have fun. There’s SO many opportunities today, you’d have to be mentally handicapped in some way to NOT progress. Chill out, take some CP (College Preps) classes and get out at lunch!
January 19th, 2010 at 9:24 pmUnless you are a snob, Spanish should be the ideal and easy language for a non-latino in a class full of latinos. You could practice your spanish with your latino classmates and/or their families if you could get yourself DOWN to their level! If you just can’t do it then try sign language – deaf people come in all races, colors, and socio-economic levels. You need more life experiences, less academic achievements. You’re still young, but please take this advice.
January 19th, 2010 at 9:24 pmIt really doesnt matter in terms of admission purposes. The good thing about taking community college courses is that you do get credit and it transfers over to your undergraduate units. If you take a third year at your high school then you do not need to meet the foreign language requirement in college. This is true for University of California. What really matters is what grade you receive.
January 19th, 2010 at 9:24 pmI would go with ASL. My friend who is spanish speaking said that the AP exams for Spanish are killers and that people aim for 3’s which as you know is the lowest passing score! I wouldn’t risk that, because schools aren’t looking for 3’s but more the 4’s and 5’s. I took a year of ASL and really enjoyed it. I am a little rusty now, but I try and use it whenever I can. It’s a fun language and although it can be a little tricky to learn (hand movements need to be precise) you will get used to it and most likely really enjoy it. Good Luck!!
January 19th, 2010 at 9:24 pmI’m not going to tell you what to take, either one is a good choice, but will offer some pros and cons you might not have been aware of:
The AP class (even if you don’t get a 4 or 5 on the exam) will prepare you to pass out of some or possibly all of your college language requirement. This means foreign language would be optional, and if you do take more Spanish, you could start with advanced classes. If you only take 2 years in high school–and then go 2 years without it, so you’ll forget some–you will test into one of the lower levels and probably have to take 2-3 semesters again in college or start fresh with a different language.
(By the way, each year of language in high school will only pass you out of about a semester in college, assuming you do well in the class, and often less; most college language classes move about twice as fast as most high school ones, give or take. Scoring high on the AP exam can give you credits, but you can also pass out of the language without getting the credits by taking a placement exam at the college; this just means you can replace those credits with other electives.)
Not all colleges offer ASL classes, unfortunately, and they may not transfer your credits if they don’t. Or they might transfer your credits but still not count them as your foreign language requirement. It’s silly, but true. You would need to check with the schools you are applying to. Of course, the flip side to that is that you may not have the opportunity to take it at your 4-year university, so if you really want to learn it, now’s a good time. And if you end up having to take more language classes in college than you hoped, it’s not the end of the world.
In the end, I would say to take whichever interests you more and not worry too much about which will be more impressive. Either one satisfies colleges’ recommendation to take either 3 years of one language or 2 each of 2. All else being equal, making it all the way through AP Spanish will look slightly better, but then again, if you think ASL is something you will enjoy and/or use, go for it, and if you get involved in clubs or volunteer activities that use it, that will look great too.
January 19th, 2010 at 9:24 pm