The foreign language dilemma: need 4 years for Brown, U of Chicago?
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Anonymous
| My HS junior is selecting classes for next year and once again he is asking for advice on whether he needs to take a foreign language all 4 years (he didn’t take any in MS, so he would be in Spanish 4 next year). There are so many classes he wants to take. But he has also decided he really wants to go to either Brown or University of Chicago (to major in applied math). Of course admission to either is super competitive and unlikely, even with great grades, test scores, AP scores, etc. But what about the language. He says 4 years of a language is ‘recommended’ at both schools, but not required. But would it help his application independent of any other factors? Wisdom welcome. |
Anonymous
| Recommended means that he probably should do it. If there's some compelling alternative class that tracks with his academic interests, it's worth considering. Odds of admission at those schools are very low, even for a perfectly qualified candidate, which cuts both ways - one way of thinking would be why give them an excuse to reject him? The other is: elite admissions is all a crapshoot, pursue the classes that really interest you. |
Anonymous
| My kid just got into U of C and did not take 4 years of language in HS, just fyi |
Anonymous
| When we toured U of C, that question came up during the AO’s presentation and they basically said it is recommended but if your kid feels strongly about taking another class, then they should go with their interests. Unless it’s required I wouldn’t do it. |
Anonymous
Daughter just graduated from UChicago having been admitted with only 3 years of foreign language in HS. She did have to take some language classes at Chicago to meet Core requirements but she knocked those out her first year there. She loved UChicago. Certainly no longer the place fun goes to die! |
Anonymous
| If a student takes first year of language in MS, does this generally count towards 4 year recommendation? So if they take language their senior year, it would be level 5, but would rather take other classes. |
Anonymous
|
OP- same dilemma.
My son will probably just take the 4th year because he is applying to a couple Ivies and top 10s that 'suggest it'. I wouldn't want to second guess down the road. Back in the 80s I was waitlisted for taking typing as semester elective sophomore year of high school. At least this is what two schools told us. This was pre-computers  . Everyone in my high school took typing as an elective. But, I'm very sensitive to what is considered a 'rigorous course load' or 'suggested requirement' because of my experience 35years ago. Lol
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Anonymous
Most say 4 years of language IN HIGH SCHOOL. They don't care about middle school. |
Anonymous
This. If you are applying to selective schools (30-40 and lower), take 4 years of the SAME language. |
Anonymous
Correct. That year of language in MS does not count towards college foreign language recommendations/requirements. |
Anonymous
| What would he be taking if he chose to not take a 4th FL? If that course is an interesting math one, then he should skip the 4th FL. |
Anonymous
| If he subs the language for a second math it should be fine given his interests. |
Anonymous
| What if you take an AP foreign language as a Junior? Isn’t that considered maxed out in language? Do you really have to take a new level 1 language as a Senior to meet the 4 years requirement?! |
Anonymous
It does count if it’s on the HS transcript at the HS level. But selective schools consider FL a core class and so you should do all 4 years on the core classes unless you max out the top level. My daughter did AL Spanish in 11th so there wasn’t anything else at her HS. She got into a top 15 SLAC. |
Anonymous
| Does a seal of Biliteracy count as having taken the max in a foreign language. My daughter emailed 3 schools she is interested in and none of them could answer the question. |